Among all the interesting, attractive but not really vital developments emerging on the market, a project turns up occasionally that can actually make a valuable contribution to world health – as in the case of this small iron fish.
Iron deficiency is a problem that affects about 3.5 thousand million people, including about half of the population in Cambodia. This can lead to health problems such as anaemia, weakness and compromised physical development in children.
The Canadian physician Dr. Christopher Charles has come up with a simple but ingenious solution, namely a small iron fish that is simply boiled with soup or in hot water for ten minutes, after which a little lemon juice is added to foster absorption of the iron in the digestive system. The small iron fish can cover up to 75 percent of an adult's daily iron requirements in this way.
The little iron fish is already proving its worth in Cambodia, where several hundred villagers have been using it; twelve months later, it was found that nearly half were no longer anaemic. Around 2,500 Cambodian families now have the iron fish, and the manufacturer has distributed a further 9,000 to hospitals and non-governmental organisations in the country. A great idea, as the Lucky Iron Fish shows.
Among all the interesting, attractive but not really vital developments emerging on the market, a project turns up occasionally that can actually make a valuable contribution to world health – as in the case of this small iron fish.
Iron deficiency is a problem that affects about 3.5 thousand million people, including about half of the population in Cambodia. This can lead to health problems such as anaemia, weakness and compromised physical development in children.
The Canadian physician Dr. Christopher Charles has come up with a simple but ingenious solution, namely a small iron fish that is simply boiled with soup or in hot water for ten minutes, after which a little lemon juice is added to foster absorption of the iron in the digestive system. The small iron fish can cover up to 75 percent of an adult's daily iron requirements in this way.
The little iron fish is already proving its worth in Cambodia, where several hundred villagers have been using it; twelve months later, it was found that nearly half were no longer anaemic. Around 2,500 Cambodian families now have the iron fish, and the manufacturer has distributed a further 9,000 to hospitals and non-governmental organisations in the country. A great idea, as the Lucky Iron Fish shows.
