Guelph scientist fights anemia with help of a cast-iron fish
AGuelph scientist is working on easing the incidence of anemia worldwide by replacing iron pills, the usual treatment, with a cast-iron fish that can be used over and over again.
According to a 2008 World Health Organization study, 1.62 billion people worldwide were affected by anemia, a disease that impairs the ironbinding capability of hemoglobin in red blood cells. Those affected by the disease need to take iron pills to supplement the deficiency.
Lucky Iron Fish was created by Gavin Armstrong, a 29-year-old University of Guelph graduate in biomedical science. His idea came from the work of Guelph researcher Chris Charles, who created a cast-iron fish that gave off small doses of iron when it was released into boiling water — gradually adding the necessary element to the diet of the person consuming the water.
Armstrong took the idea further after Charles went on to pursue medical studies. He improved the amount of iron being released from the iron fish, effectively upping it to 75 per cent of the recommended daily dose.
For proper use, the metal fish is put in a litre of boiling water, with a squeeze of lime juice, for 10 minutes. The small level of acid “will allow the iron to leach off the iron ingot and be absorbed into the liquid,” Armstrong said.
Those efforts earned Armstrong an award last week from Best for the World, presented by an international group of businesses to honour practices that have positive social effects.
The idea to use a fish shape, he said, came from Cambodian culture, where fish are a symbol of hope and good luck. Cambodia has a high rate of anemia because of a diet that’s low in iron. Armstrong lived in Cambodia from 2012 to 2016, doing the clinical research on anemia for his PhD, as well as research for his company.
The Lucky Iron Fish used to be produced in Cambodia, but “unfortunately, finding a secure supply of high-quality iron wasn’t sustainable for the volume we needed,” Armstrong said. Now, the fish are produced in Bowmanville with the intent of creating local jobs.
The company also has a production site in Pune, India, and makes the packaging in Cambodia with local artisans.
Lucky Iron Fish hires Cambodians through a co-operative that helps artisans with disabilities — mostly victims of landmines left by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s.