As I've discussed in my last video, iron can be a double-edged sword.

It's an essential mineral, but simultaneously a danger is a pro-oxidance, so our body tries

to regulate levels, but can really only do that through altering how much iron we absorb.

We don't have a mechanism to get rid of excess iron, so it accumulates because, like

calories, it was better evolutionarily to have too much rather than too little.

So as we age, our iron stores get higher and higher.

For men, it starts immediately in adulthood, and women begin

to catch up after they stop menstruating. Remember in my last video I explored the evidence

suggesting that the ideal ferretton level, the sweet spot, is between 15 and 50, but the average

level may be higher than that. Why would we evolve to accumulate potentially

toxic levels? Most of the iron in our bodies is in our blood, and we can lose it in significant

amounts rather abruptly. And our ability to make new blood from iron is 20 times faster than we

can absorb it. Therefore, our ability to store some excess

iron became an evolutionary advantage, allowing for rapid recovery from an unexpected loss of blood.

Unfortunately, that comes at a cost. Carrying excess iron puts us at elevated risk because of all

the free radicals it generates. So what was once a valuable survival mechanism has become an an anachronism.

Today we can replace lost blood with a transfusion, so we no longer have to keep these high

stores of iron, so we're left with the risks without the benefits.

Now, if you're above that 15 to 50 ferretton sweet spot, donating blood is always an option,

a safe, feasible, and inexpensive way to rid yourself of excess iron, and it's a mitzvah.

Or you can reduce your meat consumption, lower iron levels that way to gain health benefits,

especially if you aren't losing blood naturally every month.

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