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Help With IP6 Iron Chelation Safety

ip6 inositol hexaphosphate iron chelation

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#1 Dorian Grey

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Posted 27 November 2013 - 12:15 AM


Iron reduction has been a real fountain of youth for me (male, late 50s), & some of you may have noticed I sing its praise frequently. Bloodletting/donation has been my primary method, but I also chelate with IP6 (Inositol Hexaphosphate) and have found when taken properly on an empty stomach it really does chelate iron. In researching IP6 I have found a couple of potential drawbacks to its use I wish to explore, but alas my skills in organic chemistry are limited.

One issue is the possibility IP6 may also be over-chelating important trace minerals with extended use. The beauty of IP6 is that it spares important minerals like potassium and sodium, while aggressively snapping up potent hydroxyl generators like free/labile/serum iron and copper. Protein bound minerals (calcium in bone and iron in hemoglobin) are also spared.

Phytic acid in food has long been labeled an "anti-nutrient", and diets high in phytic acid are known to contribute to deficiencies by binding minerals in dietary foods. In IP6 chelation however, the supplement is taken between meals, thus avoiding the binding/withholding of dietary minerals, which are absorbed normally and are said to quickly replace any deficiency of important (macro) minerals created during chelation. To me, this would indicate deficiencies or imbalances of trace minerals as the only likely problematic effect of IP6 chelation.

Literature describes IP6 as a chelator of "divalent" metals (copper, zinc, lead, manganese, iron, cadmium, magnesium, calcium and arsenic), but other texts also describe IP6 as a good chelator of uranium. Dr Mercola used to utilize IP6 for chelation, but now states it may cause dangerous imbalances in trace minerals. The only trace minerals that stand out to me (I wouldn't want to run low on) in the above list are zinc and manganese... Copper is important, but from what I've read, most folks are overloaded with this already and could benefit from copper chelation. I also consume substantial amounts of high copper foods (chocolate, coffee, seafood, nuts) and have copper plumbing, so I'm not particularly troubled by this.

Zinc is easy to supplement, and I do take low dose zinc at a different time of day than my IP6. I believe I get plenty of manganese from daily tea consumption. What I'm wondering is... Are there any other trace minerals IP6 may be affecting that are not mentioned in the literature I'm reading? Iodine, Sulfur, Selenium, Molybdenum, Chromium, Boron, etc? If IP6 were affecting these, this might change the safety profile substantially. As I mentioned above, my organic chemistry is deficient... Anyone have any clues?

-----------------------------------------

My other issue is arsenic... In California, IP6 comes with a "Prop-65" warning it contains small amounts of arsenic which may cause cancer. Arsenic is found in many foods (chicken, apple & grape juice, rice, drinking water) and literature states there is "no safe level" for arsenic. Rice is particularly problematic for arsenic and as IP6 is derived from rice bran, this could be a problem with IP6 if the refining/extracting process either fails to remove or concentrates arsenic in the final product. All IP6 comes from a single source (Tsuno/Wakayama Japan), and they report their arsenic content for IP6 as "less than 2 ppm". I've seen one other source that reports arsenic in "rice bran extract" (another name for IP6) at up to 5 ppm.

Inquiries I've made into this matter get responses like: "The small amount of arsenic in IP6 remains tightly and safely bound to the IP6 throughout its journey through the body, and IP6 will actually pick-up and chelate additional arsenic it encounters in the body". This make sense to me, but I sometimes wonder if any biological processes might strip the arsenic out of IP6, allowing it to remain in the body.

I'm also poor at math, and can not figure out exactly how to convert and determine the actual payload of arsenic in a 1 gram dose of IP6 that contains arsenic at 2 or 5 ppm.

IP6 has some remarkable properties aside from its ability to chelate excess iron... It activates NK cells and up-regulates tumor suppressor/p53 genes, lowers inflammatory TNF-a at low doses, and is one of the few supplements that actually repairs double strand DNA breaks (in vitro). It appears to reduce lung cancer in former smokers and liver cancer in those with liver disease. My parents both have high iron, and are too old to donate blood. I would love to recommend IP6, but I'm having trouble working out the safety issues to my satisfaction. If anyone can help me out, I would appreciate it very much.

Here's a couple of interesting papers on IP6:


http://www.jbc.org/c...7.full.pdf html
Phytic acid. A natural antioxidant

http://www.pjoes.com...7.2/283-290.pdf
Effect of Inositol Hexaphosphate on Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Release of TNF-a from Human Mononuclear Cells

Edited by synesthesia, 27 November 2013 - 12:47 AM.

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#2 MizTen

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Posted 27 November 2013 - 12:45 AM

The only solution (to the issues raised) I've come up with is to use chelators for a couple of days a week, usually 2-3 days in a row when I'm in a fasting cycle, with lots of water.


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#3 Dorian Grey

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Posted 27 November 2013 - 01:00 AM

I do cycle on and off IP6... I donate blood every three months, and in the last month before donation I'll take IP6 3 days a week or so to keep any rebound iron accumulation in check. I've checked my ferritin many times, and the IP6 chelation really does make a difference.

My parents (early 80s) have ferritin in the 350 to 400 range, and conservative chelation will certainly help, but cancer patients report taking large amounts of IP6 (2-4 grams/day) without encountering issues with this aggressive therapy. I'd like for my parents to be slightly more aggressive with their iron chelation, but also wish to err on the side of caution.

The pro-IP6 folks, and the second paper in my post seem to indicate the trace mineral issue is a non-issue. I'm just wondering if there are any other trace minerals that may be affected the above mentioned paper may not have considered.

#4 Vitalist

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 02:18 PM

I know it might seem a little late to be bumping this thread but I just wanted to share my experience with IP6, a supplement which I believe has significant health benefits, but one that you need to keep an eye on. 
 
I started taking IP6 about 10 years ago. Typically I would buy a bottle and then when it was empty I would wait a few months before buying more. 
 
A few years ago I started taking it more often, sometimes 500 mg daily for long stretches.  
 
I had my ferritin level checked 2014-08-01 and it came in at 88 ug/ml (lab range 24-444 ug/L). Not bad. 
 
I also decided to start donating blood about a year ago. Not just to reduce iron, but also because I think it's the right thing to do. I've made 3 donations in the past year. 
 
Today I've just gotten some blood test results back and my ferritin is now low. Too low. From my lab report: 
 
Ferritin 11 (FLAGGED), range 24-444 ug/L
 
  Adults: <15: diagnostic of Iron Deficiency
  15-50: Probable Iron Deficiency
  51-100: Possible Iron Deficiency
  >100: Iron Deficiency unlikely
  persistently >600: Test for Iron overload
  
 
So obviously that's enough IP6 for awhile. And I'll be skipping the next blood donation I had planned as I'm sure that given a choice most people would rather not receive low-iron blood. 
 
I'm physically active and I've been eating mostly paleo for the past couple of years, meaning lots of red meat, mostly lamb, plus a reasonable number of veggies, including spinach a few times a week. IP6 seems to have over-powered all of that. 
 
But I'm not too worried, as I think it should be easy to bring my ferritin levels back up once I stop IP6, but just something for people to keep in mind, another data point, this is one of those supplements that actually does what it says it does, at least with regard to chelation.

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#5 mikeinnaples

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 04:23 PM

The real question is: When were you taking it?



#6 sativa

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 04:27 PM

I prefer not to donate blood due to the loss of immune system related markers antibodies etc
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#7 Vitalist

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 09:49 PM

The real question is: When were you taking it?

 

I always take IP6 on an empty stomach, usually 1st thing in the morning, or sometimes even in the middle of the night if I wake up. With water.


Edited by Elemental, 10 June 2016 - 09:50 PM.


#8 Dorian Grey

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 11:39 PM

I prefer not to donate blood due to the loss of immune system related markers antibodies etc

 

While researching age related "imunosenescence", I recall reading a theory blood donation might be helpful by draining old/obsolete memory immune cells forcing the body to generate new naive cells.  Sorry I don't have the link now as this was a while back.  

 

Imunosenescence refers to the age related decline of the immune system, where old/obsolete memory cells become so numerous the body ceases to produce new naive immune cells, resulting in a decline of resistance to novel new flu strains and failure of vaccines to take hold in geriatric populations.  

 

This is the reason I decline a yearly flu shot as they are made from last years virus.  Getting vaccine for last years flu distracts/occupies the naive reactive immune system to guard against last years flu, and if the virus has mutated at all, this predisposes you to catching this years mutated bug.  

 

This is the reason so many people think the flu shot makes them sick.  No, the flu vaccine can't give you the flu, but it can distract your immune system making you susceptible to novel new pathogens...  You're protected against last years flu, but come down with whatever new virus is going around shortly after getting the jab.  


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#9 Dorian Grey

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 11:54 PM

 

I know it might seem a little late to be bumping this thread but I just wanted to share my experience with IP6, a supplement which I believe has significant health benefits, but one that you need to keep an eye on. 
 
I started taking IP6 about 10 years ago. Typically I would buy a bottle and then when it was empty I would wait a few months before buying more. 
 
A few years ago I started taking it more often, sometimes 500 mg daily for long stretches.  
 
I had my ferritin level checked 2014-08-01 and it came in at 88 ug/ml (lab range 24-444 ug/L). Not bad. 
 
I also decided to start donating blood about a year ago. Not just to reduce iron, but also because I think it's the right thing to do. I've made 3 donations in the past year. 
 
Today I've just gotten some blood test results back and my ferritin is now low. Too low. From my lab report: 
 
Ferritin 11 (FLAGGED), range 24-444 ug/L
 
  Adults: <15: diagnostic of Iron Deficiency
  15-50: Probable Iron Deficiency
  51-100: Possible Iron Deficiency
  >100: Iron Deficiency unlikely
  persistently >600: Test for Iron overload
  
 
So obviously that's enough IP6 for awhile. And I'll be skipping the next blood donation I had planned as I'm sure that given a choice most people would rather not receive low-iron blood. 
 
I'm physically active and I've been eating mostly paleo for the past couple of years, meaning lots of red meat, mostly lamb, plus a reasonable number of veggies, including spinach a few times a week. IP6 seems to have over-powered all of that. 
 
But I'm not too worried, as I think it should be easy to bring my ferritin levels back up once I stop IP6, but just something for people to keep in mind, another data point, this is one of those supplements that actually does what it says it does, at least with regard to chelation.

 

 

Oh yes!  I ran into the same issue donating blood as often as allowed at the blood bank while taking IP6.  Chelation and bloodletting, when done together can drain iron reserves quite quickly.  

 

One of the nice things about IP6 is that it allowed me to reduce my donation schedule to only 2-3 times a year instead of going in every other month.  I cycle off the IP6 a couple weeks before donating and for a month after.  My ferritin does rebound swiftly to my personal sweet spot around 50-60 using this protocol.  I keep ferritin out of triple digits for optimal health.  See attached pdf for a good rationale for keeping ferritin in double digits. 

Attached Files


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#10 sativa

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Posted 11 June 2016 - 08:27 AM

I found out yesterday that calcium also binds to both forms of iron.

So, Polyphenols and calcium to inhibit iron absorption. (I'm ~27 and am eating a fair bit of nutritional yeast, daily, which is fairly high in iron - 0.6mg/10g)





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