Famous runner, Aran Gordon, had finished the Marathon des
Sables for the second time. It was reported that just five years ago, Gordon’s
death was predicted.
Gordon has hemochromatosis, which is a genetically inherited
mutation that causes an excess buildup of iron in the blood stream.
As Dr. Sharon Moalem had stated, “Aran Gordon was rusting to
death.”
Hemochromatosis a genetic mutation that causes the excess
buildup of iron in the bloodstream and if it remains untreated, in major organs
and joints.
In order to find purpose for this genetic mutation, Dr.
Moalem researched hemochromatosis and found that excess iron is distributed
everywhere except for a type of white blood cell called macropages. Bacteria
use the iron in macropages to reproduce and survive. With deficit levels of
iron in hemochromatic macropages, bacteria could not stay alive long enough to
infect the body.
So, hemochromatosis was useful at some point in time, but
now how do you prevent it from killing you? There is a way to prevent it, but
its archaic medicine. It’s bloodletting, or in other words purging blood.
Blood purging had been given a bad reputation throughout the
years, especially since before there was any scientific means of medicine,
almost all illnesses were treated through blood purging.
Blood purging actually works with hemochromatosis and Aran
Gordon is living proof of that.
So congrats to Aran Gordon for finishing the Marathon des Sables
for the second time and overcoming hemochromatosis.
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