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Post-Menopause Iron Supplements

Iron is a mineral the body uses to produce hemoglobin---the protein in red blood cells that carries much-needed oxygen throughout the body. Iron is obtained by eating iron-rich foods such as red meat and liver, or from iron supplements. Most people have no problem consuming and retaining enough iron, unless they have a bleeding problem. Some women who are in the midst of menopause and who are experiencing large amounts of blood loss are prescribed iron supplements. But when menopause has stopped, too much iron in a woman's diet can actually be harmful to her health.

  1. Iron Overload

    • Approximately 15 percent of the body's iron is stored for future use. So in the case of post-menopausal women who do not need as much iron as they used to, iron overload is something to watch out for.

      Iron overload occurs when excess iron is stored in organs such as the liver and heart. This can cause serious damage to both of these organs, and actually put a post-menopausal woman at risk of heart disease. In addition to heart disease, iron overload can cause osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), arthritis, diabetes, damage to the liver, brain disorders, cancer and premature aging.

    Signs of Iron Overload

    • Post-menopausal women should watch for these signs that suggest the possibility of having an iron overload: chronic fatigue, pain in the joints, pain in the stomach, an irregular heart beat, lack of interest in sex, hair loss, change in the color of the skin and the cessation of periods.

    How Iron Overload Can Cause Heart Disease

    • Scientists have found that iron stimulates the production of free radicals in the body. Free radicals can cause many chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. It is thought that the free radicals produce inflammation in the arteries, including the coronary arteries, as well as the blood vessels that provide oxygen to the heart. This inflammation may cause atherosclerosis, where arteries become blocked.

    Heart Disease and Iron Overload

    • The incidence of heart disease is much higher in post-menopausal women versus those who still experience periods. Back in the 1980s, scientists began to realize that the regular menstrual periods pre-menopausal women had each month, and the resulting iron loss, was the reason these women were protected from heart disease. Up until this time the thinking was that the production of estrogen was keeping these women from getting heart disease. They now speculate that after a woman goes through menopause, the iron loss stops and iron overload may result, predisposing these women to heart disease and other chronic diseases.

      It was also thought that the drop in hormone levels after menopause caused the level of HDL cholesterol to lessen as well (the good cholesterol). But the belief now is that these women were consuming and storing too much iron in their systems. The overload of iron actually increased levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and put post-menopausal woman at risk of clogged arteries and heart disease.

    Iron-Rich Foods

    • People who are concerned about iron overload should avoid eating or reduce their intake of the following iron-rich foods: black-strap molasses, pumpkin seeds, clams, any kind of liver, oysters, mussels, beef, shrimp, sardines and turkey. They should also watch out for iron-fortified cereals, foods and drinks.

    Recommendations

    • Iron deficiency is rare in post-menopausal women. So doctors now recommend that these women no longer take iron supplements. Instead, when taking a mult-vitamin, they should take one of the "senior" brands that do not contain excess iron.

      If a woman is concerned about the level of iron in her system, or is experiencing any of the symptoms of iron overload, she can ask her doctor to perform a serum ferritin and transferring saturation test. This test costs about $100 and will identify if the body is storing too much iron. The treatment for iron overload in this instance is to get rid of the excess iron by drawing blood, avoiding foods that are rich in iron and stopping vitamins with iron or iron supplements.

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