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Health Moment History
HEMOCHROMATOSIS AWARENESS
6746 Grasselli Road; Fairfield, AL 35064
      Hemochromatosis is an inherited condition of abnormal iron metabolism; it is not a
blood disease.  Individuals with hemochromatosis absorb too much iron from their diet.  

      Iron is so important that without it all life would cease to exist.  Every living thing:
plants, animals, human beings, bacteria (good and bad) and yes, even cancer cells all
need iron to survive and grow.  Plants require iron to make chlorophyll.  Plants, animals
and human beings require iron to make DNA, which encodes all life.  Animals and
humans also need iron to make hemoglobin, which delivers oxygen to the body; also,
we need iron to make myoglobin in muscles.

      It is critical that we have enough iron available at certain developmental stages of
life.  Children who develop anemia because they do not bet enough iron during the
important stages can have problems with concentration and their body may not develop
like other their age.

      On the other hand, iron can be so deadly that 250 milligrams can poison a small
child.  Then, there are people who develop genetic conditions that cause them to absorb
too much iron.  They can develop iron overload disease and become very ill.

      Too little iron can result from growth spurts, pregnancy, and diets that do not
include enough iron.  Too much iron can result from patients who need regular blood
transfusions, and even eating great amounts of red meats.