High cholesterol levels and hypertension are both risk factors for heart disease, which kills more women per year than men, according to MayoClinic.com. Iron may play a role in reducing hypertension and high cholesterol, but the evidence of benefit for certain lifestyle changes is greater than that for iron. These changes include regular exercise, a healthy diet, maintaining your weight and abstaining from smoking. Ask your physician for more information on the lifestyle and nutritional changes you can make in order to avoid heart disease.
High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure
The waxy substance known as cholesterol is vital to human health. When an excess amount of cholesterol accumulates in the bloodstream, however, it can build up within the artery walls, narrowing them and making them less flexible. This buildup can block the blood's flow, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure can also cause heart attack or stroke. When you have high blood pressure, there is too much pressure on your arterial walls. This weakens them and makes them vulnerable to rupture, and also increases the possibility of blood clots forming.
Iron May Lower Cholesterol
Hemachromatosis is a disorder in which excess iron builds up in the body. Hemacromatosis researchers from the Department of Medicine at University Hospital in London, Ontario, made a surprising discovery upon examining the blood of 100,000 males and females with the disorder, and published their results in "Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics" in 2009. Hemachromatosis sufferers with a particular genetic marker had much lower concentrations of low-density lipoprotein, also know as "bad cholesterol," in their bloodstreams. Researchers will be studying this further to see if iron could play a role in lowering bad cholesterol in people without the disease.
Iron and Blood Pressure
The two kinds of iron consumed in the diet are heme, found only in meat, poultry and fish, and nonheme, which is found in plant cells. According to a 2010 article in the "Journal of Nutrition," a study of 2,895 male and female volunteers found that those with higher intakes of nonheme iron from plant sources were less likely to suffer from high blood pressure, and their intake of heme iron from animal sources did not impact their blood pressure. The blood pressure-lowering benefits of the non-heme iron found in plants presents yet another reason to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Women and Iron
An insufficient level of iron in the blood is a common problem among women. According to the Iron Disorders Institute, women's iron deficiencies are frequently due to blood loss caused by heavy menstruation, childbirth and certain women's health problems, such as endometriosis or fibroids. Nutritional deficiencies may also be to blame, as many women do not consume much red meat, a rich source of iron. Calcium supplements also play a role, since they can impair the absorption of iron through food.
References
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Low Total and Nonheme Iron Intakes Are Associated with a Greater Risk of Hypertension; P. Galan et al.; Jan. 2010
- "Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics"; HFE C282Y Homozygosity Is Associated With Lower Total and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol; P.C. Adams et al.; February 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Heart Disease in Women: Understand Symptoms and Risk Factors; January 2011
- Iron Disorders Institute: Iron Out-of-Balance in Women
