The article entitled “Eating Iron” in last month’s issue of Eating for Health reported that a recent study found a correlation between high levels of iron in the diet and an increased risk of heart disease. Further, it is well established that there is a link between large amounts of red meat in the diet and heart disease, and red meat is high in iron. On the basis of the study and the well-established link between red meat and heart disease, we can conclude that the correlation between high iron levels and heart disease, then, is most probably a function of the correlation between red meat and heart disease.

In the above argument, the author has given reference of an article entitled “Eating Iron” in the last month’s issue of Eating for Health, which reported a correlation between high levels of iron in the diet and an increased risk of heart disease. On the basis of this correlation and the well established link between red meat and heart disease, the author has concluded that the former correlation is a function of the correlation between red meat and heart disease.

Though there is a possibility of increased risk of heart disease due to red meat because of its high level of iron content, such a conclusion can not be made with certainty in the wake of merely the above references.

Increased risk of heart disease has been related to large amounts of read meat. Since, no reason has been attached to it, one can not be affirmative about its cause. There can be a number of reasons resulting in more heart problems due to excessive consumption of red meat. The various minerals present in red meat may be the cause or may be it is due to the presence of some microorganisms that do not get killed even on cooking. It is likely that excess energy required in chewing and digesting red meat may be doing the damage. Besides, there could be a release of some chemical substances on the consumption of red meat that react with other body chemicals and give rise to heart disease. As, no scientific study has yet confirmed the reason for increased heart diseases due to large amounts of red meat, it is not wise to blame the high iron content of red meat for heart problems.

Even the recent study that establishes a correlation between high levels of iron in the diet to an increased risk of heart diseases does not support the author’s view. The study simply points out at excessive intake of iron rich food’s link with heart diseases. For instance, spinach and other leafy vegetables are known to be rich sources of iron and have been prescribed for good health by doctors since ages. The result of the recent study does not target vegetarian or non- vegetarian or any other food specifically. All it emphasis on is, that excess of iron intake can cause heart diseases.

Thus, there has been a correlation established between high iron content in the diet to increased risk of heart diseases and studies have even linked intake of large amount of red meat to the increase in heart diseases. However, no scientific study has proved or even linked the high iron level and heart disease to be a resultant of the correlation between red meat and heart disease.

Therefore, the author has simply jumped to a conclusion in haste. He should have waited for some scientific study to establish the link claimed by him, before arriving at any conclusion. Hence, in the wake of the above discussion, the above stated argument is rejected, till any substantial scientific ground is established for it.