Do people with hepatitis C have high iron levels and what foods with iron should be avoided?
Les Davis A: There are three liver diseases that are associated with high iron levels. They include alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and chronic viral hepatitis especially chronic hepatitis C. Elevated iron studies occur in about 40 to 50 percent of people with one of these underlying liver disorders. However, since these people do not have hereditary hemochromatosis – a genetic disease of iron overload, their intestines do not absorb an overabundance of iron. Thus, excessive iron deposition in the liver occurs only about 10 percent of the time in this particular group. Furthermore, the degree of iron deposits in the liver is mild compared to that found in people with hemochromatosis. Why people with these three liver disorders have high iron levels remains an area of speculation and debate among medical researchers. It is believed, but not conclusively proven, that some of these people may be heterozygotes for hemochromatosis (carriers of one mutant g
