Examining animal models, the researchers found that high dietary iron intake, equivalent to consuming large amounts of red meat, inhibited the hormone leptin, which regulates appetite.
In this study, it was shown that food intake was increased in animals with high levels of dietary iron. In humans, high levels of iron, even in the normal range, as an effective factor in many diseases such as diabetes, Fatty Liver And Alzheimer’s is known. As a result, this is another reason not to consume too much red meat because the iron in this meat is absorbed more easily and more than the iron in plant products.
In this study, male mice were fed diets rich in iron (2000 mg / kg) and low in iron (35 mg / kg) for 2 months. Blood leptin levels in mice fed high iron levels were 42% lower than the other group. In fact, the higher the iron intake, the greater the likelihood of a decrease in leptin, which is an important regulator of appetite, energy intake, and metabolism, resulting in increased overeating.
Source: sciencedaily
Translated and edited by Sanaz Motalebi Khamenei, nutritionist and dietitian
