Episode 032: Morley Robbins, Iron and Magnesium Revisited, What is Really Being Taught in Medical School?

In Episode 032 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Well Being I welcome back visionary researcher and the man behind the Magnesium Advocacy Group: Morley Robbins. From start to finish, this conversation is another whirlwind of mineral metabolism, our second dive back into the fascinating world of magnesium, iron and copper.

In this conversation, Morley quickly get us up to speed on iron and its primary role in the body as the structural center of the oxygen carrying molecule hemoglobin, and then quickly pushes us forward into a fascinating exploration of blood and the red blood cell.

What do we mean when we say blood?
How many red blood cells do we really have?
Where do they come from and what is their primary role?
Where does iron and oxidative stress enter the picture?

We then discuss a surprising discovery by Morley, an iron metabolism and pathology module from very own medical school!

Together we deconstruct what I was taught as a second year medical student and perhaps the pieces of the story that were missing from my education.

Morley then leads us into a discussion of the reticuloendothelial system and the life cycle of a red blood cell. What role does iron, and magnesium play in the function and shape of our red blood  cells? Are our cells living as long as they should? What can we learn from sickle cell anemia and other disorders of the red blood cell membrane when it comes to iron and magnesium metabolism?

Changing gears, Morley gives us a wonderful description of our primary energy production system: the electron transport chain, the role of reactive oxygen scavengers and anti-oxidants, and the interplay of copper and magnesium to produce energy and ultimately protect us from free radical damage.

We end the discussion with a little thought experiment exploring the implications of iron fortification and compare the amounts and forms of iron found in animal foods vs fortified cereals. We trace the journey of excessive and poorly absorbed iron into our colon, exploring the resulting gut dysbiosis and immune activation that can ensue from this excessive oxidative load.

Morley gives us hope at the end of this discussion as he describes his food based root cause protocol designed to restore the intricate balance of these minerals in our bodies.

Morley’s curiosity is unparalleled and I am thankful for his desire to research deas at the edge of science, sharing his findings with us all.

I encourage you to spend some time with this conversation, as you will likely need to listen 2, 3 or 4 times to pick up all the insights and wisdom discussed.

And lastly, If you enjoyed this conversation, we would really appreciate it if you would take 2 minutes to leave a review in I-Tunes so more people can find our podcast and its curious explorations.

And with that let’s dig into the show!

ERRATA: In the podcast I mistakenly describe hereditary spherocytosis as a primary issue of hemoglobin. It is not an primary issue with hemoglobin but an issue with red blood cell membrane proteins. Sickle cell anemia is a primary hemoglobinopathy or issue with hemoglobin that results in deformation of the red blood cell membrane, causing the cells to appear sicked in shapre. I apologize for the error in the podcast and hope you find this explanation helpful.

Catch up with our last episode with Morley using this link:
https://www.amedicinalmind.com/podcast-wisdom-and-well-being/episode-023-morley-robbins-the-magnesium-man-an-exploration-into-human-mineral-metabolism-and-the-implications-for-your-health

University of Virginia School of Medicine Iron Metabolism Module: Dr. Innes, MD
https://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/courses/path/innes/nh/iron.cfm
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Got Mag: http://gotmag.org

Root Cause Protocol: http://gotmag.org/the-root-cause-protocol/

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