# Lifestyles & Discussion > Personal Health & Well-Being >  Can draining blood cut cholesterol and ward off cancer?

## Keith and stuff

Can draining blood cut cholesterol and ward off cancer?
By KATE WIGHTON
PUBLISHED: 23:34 EST, 3 December 2012 | UPDATED: 23:35 EST, 3 December 2012




> There may soon come a day when a visit to the GP involves having blood drained from your body  not for a blood test but to help reduce your risk of disease.
> It seems astonishing, but bloodletting  long-regarded as a gruesome and misguided practice and largely abandoned since Victorian times  is now emerging as a possible way of reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and even preventing cancer. 
> Meanwhile, a form of bloodletting is being used in NHS hospitals to treat bowel conditions such as ulcerative colitis.
> 
> A study of 60 overweight people found that bloodletting reduced blood pressure, as well as levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol and increased 'good' HDL cholesterol
> For centuries bloodletting was performed in order to reduce the risk of illness, explains Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, a medical historian from Queen Mary, University of London.
> The thinking was that too much blood in the system could lead to sickness. 
> 'Bloodletting came to be expected  rather like people expect antibiotics when they go to the doctor today.
> Today, bloodletting is regarded more as a possible preventative than a treatment.
> ...



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...rd-cancer.html
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## Acala

I wouldn't worry about blood cholesterol.  But iron accumulation IS a problem for men.  Take up a dangerous hobby.  I find that woodworking results in a slow, steady loss of blood.

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## AFPVet

Blood letting isn't bad for you, but I have read studies—and found from personal experience—that it actually increases iron absorption. So long as men don't have a genetic problem, less iron is absorbed as time progresses since the body no longer requires it.

For women, they need more iron since they menstruate monthly; however, men would have to blood let monthly in order to have the same need. This is perhaps why women need more iron—they are simply losing iron faster than they can absorb it. 

If men don't blood let monthly, but only do it every couple of months, their iron absorption rate may surpass what it lost in the blood letting process. Of course, this will eventually normalize after a few months of not blood letting. For example, when I donated blood every two months, my iron count was 18; however, when I waited a few months in between, my iron count was 14. So you can see the difference here. 

The body has amazing properties that regulate things like this.

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## donnay

> I wouldn't worry about blood cholesterol.  But iron accumulation IS a problem for men.  Take up a dangerous hobby.  I find that woodworking results in a slow, steady loss of blood.



I definitely agree.  Men should *not* ever take an Iron supplement.  Iron definitely accumulates in the liver and can cause serious problems.

Women during menstruation-- fine  Women who are in menopause it is no good.

That includes cooking in cast iron.  The iron leaches out into your food.

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## RockEnds

I was recently reading testimony from a trial in the 1840s, and the old men were talking about what was said when they went over to the other's house to get bled.  So, this article is alleging that these old fellas weren't crazy; they were just preventing hemochromatosis?  'Cause it seemed like a crazy idea to me!  I suppose the connection to iron makes sense.  But eww.  I mean really, eww!

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## sailingaway

I'd be worried about the diseases the leeches carry, if nothing else....

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## TonySutton

Can't you just give blood at the local blood bank?  This way you get rid of a little blood and in return get cookies and juice

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## AFPVet

If your body doesn't need the additional iron, don't take a supplement, but as far as eating foods with high amounts of iron or cooking with iron skillets, this may only be a problem for people who have a certain genetic disorder that interferes with the regulation of iron absorption. For example, you should avoid _excessive_ iron intake for a month or so after donating blood because your body's iron absorption rate will be high. This is the time when you may want to limit cooking with iron skillets or eating high iron foods. Obviously, you will still want to get iron, since you need iron to build new cells and ensure good blood oxygen, but this is the time when you should watch your iron intake.

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## ZENemy

Wow, eat a balanced diet and make sure you move around steadily every day. There really isn't much more to it. 

http://www.amazon.com/How-Eat-Move-B.../dp/1583870067

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## Todd

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7m...oric-of-yo_fun

Theodoric of York: What's wrong with your friend here?

Hunchback: He broke his legs.

Drunkard: I was at the festival of the vernal equinox, and I guess I had a little too much mead.. and I darted out in front of an oxcart. It all happened so fast. They couldn't stop in time.

Theodoric of York: Well, you'll a lot better after a good bleeding.

Drunkard: But I'm bleeding already!

Theodoric of York: Say, whos the barber here?

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## dannno

> Can't you just give blood at the local blood bank?  This way you get rid of a little blood and in return get cookies and juice


Not only that, you'll be a hero.

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## Acala

> That includes cooking in cast iron.  The iron leaches out into your food.


Contrary to what Dr. Mercola says (while pitching his ceramic pans) food cooked in a properly seasoned iron skillet never touches iron.

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## RockEnds

The genetic disorder is not uncommon especially among people of European descent.




> Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), also known as iron overload disease or "genetic iron poisoning", is the most common genetic disease in the U.S.A. according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. One in 8 are "silent carriers" of the single HH gene mutation and 1 in 100-200 have the double mutation putting them at high risk for developing full blown HH. HH can affect men, women and children at any age. Most of the 33 million Americans who have the HH gene mutation don’t know it but it can be diagnosed easily and quickly.


http://www.americanhs.org/whatisit.htm

It wouldn't be all bad to have it checked out before going crazy with the cast iron.  It's not at all unusual to at least be a carrier of the mutation.  I am.  One of my kids has two mutations.  I steal his cast iron cookware.  I've told him, and he doesn't listen, so I take his cast iron skillets.  They're in the garage.

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## georgiaboy

Reduce blood pressure?  Don't think so.  Every time I've donated, my bp drops for the first few minutes afterwards, but the body restablilizes back to 'pre-donation' levels.

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## Keith and stuff

> Can't you just give blood at the local blood bank?  This way you get rid of a little blood and in return get cookies and juice


Every time I donate, I'm told I save 3 lives.

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## donnay

> Contrary to what Dr. Mercola says (while pitching his ceramic pans) food cooked in a properly seasoned iron skillet never touches iron.






> Health effects
> 
> Cast iron cookware leaches small amounts of iron into the food, a few milligrams per dish.[4][5] Anemics, and those with iron deficiencies, may benefit from this effect. [6]


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast-iron_cookware




> Actually, cast iron cookware does "leach"iron into food and that can be an advantage, not a disadvantage, particularly for pre-menopausal women who often don't get the 18 mg of iron they need daily. A study published in the July 1986 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that cooking in cast iron skillets added significant amounts of iron to 20 foods tested. For example, the researchers reported that the iron content of three ounces of applesauce increased from 0.35 mg to 7.3 mg and scrambled eggs increased from 1.49 mg to 4.76 mg of iron.


http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA364217




> Cast Iron Nutrition:
> 
> Studies show that cooking in cast iron can leach iron into food. Foods that are high in moisture, very acidic, or are long-cooked leach the most. For many people the extra iron is beneficial, but for a small minority of people who are sensitive to iron it can be harmful. The most quoted study on the effects of cast iron cookware on iron levels is the July 1986 study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The pan used in that study had only been seasoned by daily usage for a couple of weeks prior to the study. As the study pointed out, better seasoned pans leach less iron. There are no data on iron leaching in decades-old pans.


http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/02...-iron-cooking/

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## Deborah K

> Can't you just give blood at the local blood bank?  This way you get rid of a little blood and in return get cookies and juice


As Amy says:  I like the cut of your jib!

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## MelissaWV

Drain it all and you're not likely to have cholesterol problems ever again?

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## Acala

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast-iron_cookware
> 
> 
> http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA364217
> 
> 
> http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/02...-iron-cooking/


Can you link any of the original studies?  I'm betting they used new iron cookware.  I will agree that new iron cookware will leach iron into the food.  But properly seasoned iron cookware forms a layer of baked-on carbon between the food and the iron so your food is actually being cooked on hot carbon, not iron.

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## donnay

> Can you link any of the original studies?  I'm betting they used new iron cookware.  I will agree that new iron cookware will leach iron into the food.  But properly seasoned iron cookware forms a layer of baked-on carbon between the food and the iron so your food is actually being cooked on hot carbon, not iron.


Here is a Cornell study that says cooking in cast iron does leach into food.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/gene...t_Malnutrition

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## AFPVet

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast-iron_cookware
> 
> 
> http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA364217
> 
> 
> http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/02...-iron-cooking/


As I have said before, for the majority of people who don't suffer from the genetic iron disorder, this really isn't a concern. If you 'seal' your skillet with oil, this may prevent leeching as well. Just remember that if you donate blood every two months, you have a much higher iron absorption rate. Just don't go overboard on the whole grains and such for a few weeks if you are more sensitive to it. 

Keep in mind also that regardless of male/female anatomy, everyone needs iron in order to make new red blood cells and increase their blood o2 levels. If you are into sports, you definitely need the extra iron1. You get plenty of iron in food—with or without the skillet  *Never take an iron supplement!*

1http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/n...n/a/012604.htm

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## Acala

> Here is a Cornell study that says cooking in cast iron does leach into food.
> http://www.sciencenews.org/view/gene...t_Malnutrition


That isn't the study.  That is a media blurb about the study.  I need to see the study itself in order to determine if they used new iron cookware or seasoned iron cookware.  That's the salient point.

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## heavenlyboy34

> I definitely agree.  Men should *not* ever take an Iron supplement.  Iron definitely accumulates in the liver and can cause serious problems.
> 
> Women during menstruation-- fine  Women who are in menopause it is no good.
> 
> That includes cooking in cast iron.  The iron leaches out into your food.


I cook eggs in an iron pan because AFAIK it doesn't leach into food as much as teflon.

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## Dr.3D

> I cook eggs in an iron pan because AFAIK it doesn't leach into food as much as teflon.


That, and a well seasoned pan will hardly leach any iron into the food.  All I use is iron pans and griddles in my kitchen, they distribute the heat better than anything else I have tried.

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## AFPVet

> That, and a well seasoned pan will hardly leach any iron into the food.  All I use is iron pans and griddles in my kitchen, they distribute the heat better than anything else I have tried.


It's not hard to keep the thing oiled  Olive, coconut, peanut, avocado are all good sealing oils.

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## heavenlyboy34

> That, and a well seasoned pan will hardly leach any iron into the food.  All I use is iron pans and griddles in my kitchen, they distribute the heat better than anything else I have tried.


Indeed.  The downside is the pan stays hot for quite a while after it's taken of the burner. :/



> It's not hard to keep the thing oiled


+1 Olive oil works great.

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## georgiaboy

> That, and a well seasoned pan will hardly leach any iron into the food.  All I use is iron pans and griddles in my kitchen, they distribute the heat better than anything else I have tried.


Enamel-coated cast iron can remedy the leaching effect also.

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## RockEnds

> If you are into sports, you definitely need the extra iron1. You get plenty of iron in food—with or without the skillet  *Never take an iron supplement!*
> 
> 1http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/n...n/a/012604.htm


That's how my son got into the cast iron cookware.  He's always been into sports.  Now that he's grown, he still lifts weights on a very regular basis.  He eats like I can't even imagine.  If I ate like that, I'd weigh a ton.  He has a minimum number of calories that he eats each day.  He shows absolutely no symptoms of any hereditary iron problems, but he's still under 30.  The fact is, he sent his DNA off, and I'm looking at the results and trying to tell him that he needs to have his iron levels checked before he cooks his big steak on a cast iron skillet because that may not be the smartest move for him.

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## donnay

> I cook eggs in an iron pan because AFAIK it doesn't leach into food as much as teflon.



Oh Teflon is bad news.  Not to mention when you cook on it the fumes you breath in are bad for your lungs.

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## donnay

> It's not hard to keep the thing oiled


If you use anything, it should be lard or coconut oil.

Although my jury is still out on the fact that iron that leeches in your food from cast iron is actually good for men and women going through menopause.

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## Acala

> Oh Teflon is bad news.  Not to mention when you cook on it the fumes you breath in are bad for your lungs.


Agreed.  Teflon in cookware is yet another instance of Americans trading a likely impairment of health for a tiny amount of convenience.

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## AFPVet

> If you use anything, it should be lard or coconut oil.
> 
> Although my jury is still out on the fact that iron that leeches in your food from cast iron is actually good for men and women going through menopause.


Coconut would be one of the better ones. Avocado and peanut oils actually have the highest smoke point though... but coconut is still up there.

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## heavenlyboy34

> Oh Teflon is bad news.  Not to mention when you cook on it the fumes you breath in are bad for your lungs.


while we're on this subject...it's also important to get good spatulas and tools.  I once had a crappy one that melted a bit while I was making eggs. :P

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## Acala

> while we're on this subject...it's also important to get good spatulas and tools.  I once had a crappy one that melted a bit while I was making eggs. :P


I use my bare hands.  It's more paleo.

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## heavenlyboy34

> I use my bare hands.  It's more paleo.


lolz  You must have some mighty calluses, young fella!

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## Kotin

this is stupid. 


yes... draining your toxic blood is "good" but it will not fix why it is toxic in the first place.

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## RockEnds

> I use my bare hands.  It's more paleo.


How do you turn the eggs?  I've had trouble with that.

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## heavenlyboy34

> I wouldn't worry about blood cholesterol.  But iron accumulation IS a problem for men. * Take up a dangerous hobby.*  I find that woodworking results in a slow, steady loss of blood.


full contact MMA is also good for that.

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## Acala

> full contact MMA is also good for that.


Or bobcat wrestling

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## Zippyjuan

Sounds like you prefer your eggs scrambled.

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## The Free Hornet

> Wow, eat a balanced diet and make sure you move around steadily every day. There really isn't much more to it. 
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/How-Eat-Move-B.../dp/1583870067


According to your link, there is more to it:




> Follow this proven four-step program that has helped thousands of people look and feel their best.
> 
> Step 1. Fill in the Questionnaires.
> 
> Step 2. Develop a Unique Eating Plan for YOU.
> 
> Step 3. Build a Personalized Exercise Program that Fits YOUR Needs.
> 
> Step 4. Fine-tune a Healthier Lifestyle that Fits YOUR Routine.


Wow indeed.

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## tttppp

> Can draining blood cut cholesterol and ward off cancer?
> By KATE WIGHTON
> PUBLISHED: 23:34 EST, 3 December 2012 | UPDATED: 23:35 EST, 3 December 2012
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...rd-cancer.html
> Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook



This is extremely stupid medicine. Despite what doctors think, you actually need your blood. Try cleaning the fat out out of your system without losing blood.

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## Seraphim

A consistent but small drain of a blood will improve a man's health.

It has been stated in this thread already. IRON levels in the blood, in this case, high levels of iron are highly correlated with artery and heart healthy.

Woman have a bio mechanism, menstruation - that flushes the dirty out...It's an evolutionary necessity for humans to exist. If those toxins are not regularly flushed out the baby is weaker, every time.

Men require no such function to survive and fucntion as men.

But it slowly chips away at our health and cuts us a few years shorter than the girls.

IF you eat badly it comes at any time and usually a lot sooner.

In short, YES...a SMALL amount of consistent blood letting will improve a man's health.

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## tttppp

> A consistent but small drain of a blood will improve a man's health.
> 
> It has been stated in this thread already. IRON levels in the blood, in this case, high levels of iron are highly correlated with artery and heart healthy.
> 
> Woman have a bio mechanism, menstruation - that flushes the dirty out...It's an evolutionary necessity for humans to exist. If those toxins are not regularly flushed out the baby is weaker, every time.
> 
> Men require no such function to survive and fucntion as men.
> 
> But it slowly chips away at our health and cuts us a few years shorter than the girls.
> ...


Thats completely incorrect.

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## Kotin

> A consistent but small drain of a blood will improve a man's health.
> 
> It has been stated in this thread already. IRON levels in the blood, in this case, high levels of iron are highly correlated with artery and heart healthy.
> 
> Woman have a bio mechanism, menstruation - that flushes the dirty out...It's an evolutionary necessity for humans to exist. If those toxins are not regularly flushed out the baby is weaker, every time.
> 
> Men require no such function to survive and fucntion as men.
> 
> But it slowly chips away at our health and cuts us a few years shorter than the girls.
> ...


Lol.. Nope.

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## Acala

> Thats completely incorrect.


Says the man who thinks zero dietary fat is healthy.

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## amy31416

What the hell is going on here?

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## MelissaWV

> What the hell is going on here?


Vampires have gotten very clever with their marketing?

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## amy31416

> Vampires have gotten very clever with their marketing?


Now it makes sense. Thanks.

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## jj-

> Originally Posted by Seraphim
> 
> 
> A consistent but small drain of a blood will improve a man's health.
> 
> It has been stated in this thread already. IRON levels in the blood, in this case, high levels of iron are highly correlated with artery and heart healthy.
> 
> Woman have a bio mechanism, menstruation - that flushes the dirty out...It's an evolutionary necessity for humans to exist. If those toxins are not regularly flushed out the baby is weaker, every time.
> 
> ...


What part is incorrect? I believe it's one of the most accurate, helpful, and life-saving posts ever written at RPFs.

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## jj-

> Teflon in cookware is yet another instance of Americans trading a likely impairment of health for a tiny amount of convenience.


Teflon toxins can also be reduced through bloodletting, because a big part of it accumulates in the blood. That's why women have significantly less teflon toxins than men, but we can catch up to them through bloodletting.

It's true that extracting a lot of blood at once can increase iron absorption in the future, but I don't see why one couldn't remove it in small amounts, but more times

You can move some of the teflon toxins from the gallbladder to the blood by eating fiber, like a carrot, half an hour before the blood extraction. Having more of the toxins in the blood -as opposed to other parts of the body-, allows you to remove more toxins when you extract blood.

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## jj-

*Breast Cancer & Iron*




> Breast cancer in women has been
> associated with elevated iron for the past
> thirty years. For example, ...


Source

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## Zippyjuan

Bumping two year old thread?

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