Iron Toxicity in Adults

Iron acts as a transporter for oxygen and can store it temporarily in your tissues. Iron assists the production of usable energy and plays a role in DNA synthesis. As a specialized-protein, iron possesses antioxidant properties that can neutralize highly reactive oxygen species -- the molecules that can harm your cells. Although your body needs iron, too much of it can lead to deleterious health effects and even death.

At Risk Populations

Adult men and postmenopausal women have an increased risk of developing iron excess in the body. Individuals with the genetic disorder, hemochromatosis, also have an increased risk of developing iron overload as the body tends to over-absorb iron. Other susceptible individuals include those that require frequent blood transfusions.

Symptoms of Iron Toxicity

Iron overload drains energy and motivation, causes pain in the joint and abdominal region; produces irregular heart rhythm; changes the color of your skin into a grayish-green tone; and causes absences of period, hair loss and depression. Iron overload also significantly raises sugar, iron and liver enzymes, or complex proteins, levels in the blood.

Heart Disease

The National Institutes of Health reports studies showing that iron may increase the risk of heart disease. One possible explanation lies with iron's ability to cause a chain reaction of free radicals -- the highly reactive molecules produced naturally in the body. These free radicals can harm the tissues of coronary, or heart, arteries and ultimately contribute to atherosclerosis, a condition of clogged arteries from hardened fatty substances. Other researchers, however, propose that iron may increase the risk of heart disease by converting LDL, the bad cholesterol, into a more damaging form of cholesterol.

Liver Failure

Excess accumulation of iron over the years may result in cirrhosis -- scarring of the liver tissue -- and chronic hepatitis in later years. Acute iron poisoning, or an intake of excessive amounts of iron supplements over a very short period of time, can damage the liver as well. It doesn't take long for the effects of iron toxicity to develop, and death can result in less than a few days if not treated properly with medical care.

Liver Cancer

Iron overload may increase the risk of cancer due to its ability to stimulate free radicals in the body. According to Dr. Shinya Toyokuni in the Oct. 2008 issue of "Cancer Science," hepatocellular carcinoma, or aggressive liver cancer, is one of the leading causes of deaths in individuals with hemochromatosis. Furthermore, research studies have indicated that individuals with this hereditary condition have about 90 to 240 times more risk of developing primary hepatocellular carcinoma -- liver cancer that developed independently of cancer cells originated from other organs or tissue. With the possible health conditions that can develop from iron overload, you should always consult your physician before taking iron supplements.