For Cambodia Anemia Crisis, The Limits Of A 'Lucky Iron Fish'

 

PHNOM PENH — Lucky Iron Fish were once a common sight in many Cambodian cooking pots. Villagers threw the fish-shaped, cast-iron ingots into their food as a way to treat anemia, a condition — characterized by a lack of enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to the body's tissues — that is frequently caused by iron deficiency.

With rates at 56% among children aged 6–59 months and 45% among women 15–49 years old, according to the 2014 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey, Cambodia's anemia problem is significant. And this seemingly simple solution (a Lucky Iron Fish can slowly release about 7 mg of iron into whatever is being cooked) was heralded as a way to dramatically reduce incidence of the condition.

But there's just one problem: Iron deficiency is not the primary cause of anemia in Cambodia, according to researchers. The Lucky Iron Fish, in other words, addresses an issue that doesn't exist — at least not in this specific setting. And while it may be useful elsewhere, experts warn that in Cambodia, the Lucky Iron Fish may undercut efforts to address the actual causes of anemia.

Missing the mark

Lucky Iron Fish was the brainchild of Christopher Charles, who was shocked to discover while working in Cambodia, in 2008, just how widespread anemia is. With the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting iron deficiency to be the primary cause of anemia, the University of Guelph science graduate came up with an idea to modernize the age-old method of introducing iron to the diet by cooking in cast iron pots.

Kate Mercer, Lucky Iron Fish vice president of marketing and communications, told News Deeply, "We've done several studies in Cambodia and have found that although some results are inconsistent, overall there is great scientific support for using the Lucky Iron Fish as an easy and affordable way of increasing the dietary iron in food."

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