Iron Supplementation and Accelerated Aging: The Inflammatory Link and Dietary Mitigation

Highlight

– Excess supplemental iron intake is linked to accelerated phenotypic aging via inflammatory pathways.
– A U-shaped relationship exists between total iron intake and aging, with a protective effect below a threshold and harmful effects beyond it.
– Dietary iron alone does not accelerate aging, highlighting risks associated with supplement-driven iron overload.
– Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich diets can counteract the pro-aging effects of iron overload.
– Inflammation mediates a significant portion (15.5%-25.6%) of the aging acceleration associated with excess iron supplementation.

Study Background and Disease Burden