Chinese scientists use genetics to boost iron content of corn, offer hope to anaemia sufferers worldwide

Gene-based method can more than double the iron content compared to existing corn varieties, team behind study published in Science says

Iron deficiency, the most common cause of anaemia, affects more than 40 per cent of children under five and a third of expectant mothers globally

Reading Time:2 minutes

While people in 161 countries eat corn, this is markedly more common in low and lower-middle income countries and in Africa. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 6:30pm, 10 Dec 2023Updated: 8:19pm, 10 Dec 2023

A new method to boost the iron content of corn could potentially address deficiencies of the essential mineral worldwide, Chinese scientists behind the development said.

The fortified grain was being grown in trials in the central province of Henan, offering hope for high-yield, iron-rich future harvests, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.

According to the researchers, their gene-based method helped to increase the iron content of corn kernels to 70.5 mg per kg, or more than double that of existing varieties.

The team from the Institute of Crop Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science and Henan Agricultural University published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Science last week.

Iron is a key nutrient for development and cell growth in the immune and neural systems, as well as in regulating energy metabolism. The US National Institutes of Health recommends that men take 8mg and women 18mg of iron daily.

Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia, a condition when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. It can result from inadequate intake of dietary iron, increased need during periods of growth and blood loss from parasitic worm infection or menstruation in adolescence.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x