Peat Archive

Ray Peat identified excess iron as a significant and underappreciated health risk. He argued that iron accumulates with age (especially in men and post-menopausal women), catalyzes lipid peroxidation of stored PUFAs, damages mitochondria, and promotes cancer, heart disease, and liver disease. He noted that the body has no active mechanism for excreting iron — it can only be lost through bleeding, which is why pre-menopausal women (who menstruate regularly) have lower rates of heart disease.

Peat recommended avoiding iron-fortified foods, limiting red meat intake (or balancing with dairy and eggs), drinking coffee/tea with iron-rich meals (the tannins block iron absorption), and considering blood donation as a practical way to reduce iron stores. He noted that ferritin levels (stored iron) rise with age and inflammation and should be monitored.