Iron deficiency is a key health problem that can affect performance and productivity, stunt growth, and cause distress. It is important that we consume foods containing it.
The start-up Ironic is developing more bioavailable iron compounds through precision fermentation. It aims to help allay some of these negative health effects.
Iron is found attached to globin proteins, which transport oxygen around our bodies, Nélida Leiva Eriksson, CEO of Swedish biotech start-up Ironic, told FoodNavigator. In the muscles and blood, these proteins are hemoglobin and myoglobin, respectively.
Iron also contributes to the normal functioning of other proteins and biomolecules important for energy production, the immune system, and a range of other things.
Foods naturally containing an abundance of iron include red meat, beans, nuts and dried fruit, according to the UK’s national Health Service (NHS).
How does iron deficiency led to ill health?
Without iron, a human being may suffer significant health consequences. For example, according to the NHS, they may develop tiredness or lack of energy, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or pale skin. One consequence of iron deficiency is anaemia.
Iron deficiency and anaemia can also cause dizziness, headache, and fainting. A person suffering from it, Eriksson suggested, may be more likely to experience depression or mental distress.
The problem lies not just in these more generalised symptoms. Iron deficiency can affect certain groups in particular, such as women, the young and the very old. Women, according to lecturer in nutritional science Jeannine Baumgartner, need more iron due to losses from menstruation.
“In children, iron deficiency anaemia causes delayed physical growth and poor intellectual development,” Eriksson says.
It is also, she told us, a leading cause of gaps in performance between men and women, and women with iron deficiency are more likely to give birth to children with autism or ADHD.
“IDA is not only a debilitating condition but exemplifies gender inequalities in health and a shameful loss of human capital, as it causes up to 30% impairment in physical work capacity and performance. The functional consequence of IDA has negative economic implications for society (motor and mental impairment in children and low work productivity in adults),” Eriksson says.
How does the start-up produce more bioavailable iron?
Ironic Biotech produces iron through precision fermentation. “Using microorganisms we are producing haem proteins commonly found in edible plants but without the iron absorption inhibitors typically found in plant-based foods,” Eriksson says.
“The bioavailability of iron depends on different factors; first, iron must be in organic form, meaning it must be attached to a biomolecule such as a protein; Second, iron should not be surrounded by inhibitors that can prevent the body from absorbing it.”
According to Eriksson, much naturally sourced iron comes from animal-based foods, the iron within which do not have iron absorption inhibitors found in plant-based food. By producing haem proteins, which are commonly found in plants, with precision fermentation, the start-up was able to circumnavigate the issues created by such inhibitors.
“When we compared the bioavailability of iron from our iron proteins to iron proteins from animal-based foods, we found that both have comparable levels of absorbed iron. Therefore, we can conclude that the bioavailability of Ironic´s proteins are similar to those in iron proteins from foods of animal origin.”
The proteins developed by Ironic can work well for fortifying food with iron, as they are already found in vegetables and don’t come with a whole lot of off-taste.
The proteins “can be used to fortify foods because our proteins are already consumed as they are found in very common vegetables. On top of that, our proteins are tasteless and have low oxidation rates, meaning they won't affect the flavour of food and won't make it rancid.”
