While nutritional concerns apply to both genders after gastric bypass weight loss surgery one thing differs: women must supplement iron, and men must not supplement iron.
Men are at risk of iron toxicity if they supplement their diet with iron. According to the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences men should only intake 8 mg of iron a day versus the 18mg women should take daily until they turn 50 and drop daily intake to 8mg.
Iron poisoning, caused by acute ingestion of large quantities of iron-containing supplements, causes nausea, vomiting, damage to the lining of the intestinal tract, shock, and liver failure, and is a leading cause of death among children.
Chronic iron overload, or excessive iron storage, can cause a variety of symptoms including loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss, headaches, bronze or gray hue to the skin, dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath. It is generally believed that chronic iron toxicity occurs only in people who require regular blood transfusions, take iron supplements, or in those with a genetic iron storage.
Although iron overload is not likely to develop from food sources alone, men, because they do not experience iron losses, may be at greater risk for the problems associated with excessive iron. In recent years, excess iron intake and storage, especially in men, has been implicated as a cause of heart disease and cancer. In addition, iron has been found in increased levels in the joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Kaye Bailey © 2005 – All Rights Reserved
Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of and
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