Iron levels are regulated by losses (of around 1 mg iron per day in the shedding of epidermal and gastrointestinal cells with additional losses in females of 0.5 to 1 mg/day from menses), which are balanced by dietary iron intake (1). In those without hemochromatosis, a liver-derived peptide (hepcidin) is upregulated when iron stores rise (2). This inhibits ferroportin, preventing excessive iron absorption (2). Hemochromatosis is an overload of iron deposits in the tissues due