Through a blend of genetics, evolutionary biology and medicine, the authors reveal how certain genetic conditions like hemochromatosis persist because they once offered lifesaving advantages. Take Aran Gordon, a financial executive and athlete training for the Marathon des Sables, a brutal 150-mile race across the Sahara.
Instead of experiencing peak athletic performance, he suffered fatigue, joint pain and heart irregularities. After years of misdiagnoses, doctors discovered he had hemochromatosis – a genetic disorder causing excessive iron absorption.
Left untreated, hemochromatosis leads to liver damage, diabetes, heart failure and premature death. Essentially, the body rusts from within. Yet despite its dangers, hemochromatosis is shockingly common in people of Western European descent – with roughly one in three carrying the gene.
Why would such a harmful mutation persist? The answer lies in iron's double-edged role in survival. While essential for oxygen transport and energy, iron is also exploited by bacteria and parasites to thrive...<<<Read More>>>...
