Lucky Iron Fish

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The lucky iron fish

Lucky Iron Fish (German: Glückbringender Eisenfisch ) is a bar made of cast iron in the shape of a fish, which is sold worldwide by the commercial company of the same name to prevent iron deficiency , in particular iron deficiency anemia .

The bars are cooked with the food in the saucepan. Iron dissolves during cooking and thus enriches the water and the food with iron.

history

A biomedical doctoral student from the Canadian University of Guelph , Christopher Charles, worked for some time in Cambodia to find solutions to the iron deficiency problem there , with the support of the Canadian International Development Agency .

It has long been known that cast iron cookware releases iron into the food and can thereby improve the iron values ​​in a medically meaningful way. However, such saucepans are too expensive for the population in Cambodia, as are iron-containing foods such as red meat, legumes and food additives.

His research group then tested the acceptance of cast iron metal disks that are placed in the saucepan during the preparation of soup and rice. However, almost no one used these disks, although the usefulness of these iron pieces was explained. Further attempts with cast iron lotus flowers also failed. The breakthrough came when Charles learned in conversations with village elders that a certain type of fish - the "try kantrop" - served as a symbol of luck . Since then, these iron fish have not only been produced locally from scrap, but also commercially produced in large numbers by the Lucky Iron Fish company. By mid-2015, 9,000 ironfish had been distributed to non-governmental organizations and hospitals .

use

The Lucky Iron Fish is 7.6 cm long and weighs around 200 grams. It is recommended to boil the ironfish in water or soup for 10 minutes to loosen the iron from it. Then some lemon juice is added. Citric acid and the vitamin C contained in lemon promote the absorption of iron through the intestine.

Regular use of iron fish during the preparation of soups, rice, stews and other dishes should ensure 75% of the daily recommended iron requirement for an average family for up to five years. However, a 2011 study came to a different conclusion and found no significant long-term effects. This was attributed to the use of well water containing manganese and arsenic, which blocked the absorption of iron. The "lucky fish" has no FDA approval.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Good-Luck Charm That Solved a Public-Health Problem (accessed June 17, 2015)
  2. ↑ a b Iron Deficiency: How a Small Fish Helps , Kurier , May 27, 2015
  3. ↑ "One Lucky Iron Fish can provide an entire family with up to 75% of their daily iron intake for up to 5 years. All you have to do is cook with it. It's a simple, affordable, and effective solution anyone can use. " Http://www.luckyironfish.com/ (accessed June 17, 2015)
  4. ↑ Christopher V. Charles, Cate E. Dewey, William E. Daniell, Alastair JS Summerlee: Iron-deficiency anaemia in rural Cambodia: community trial of a novel iron supplementation technique . In: European Journal of Public Health 21 (1) . 2011, pp. 43-48 ( online ).
  5. ^ "Claims made by Lucky Iron Fish are derived from our published clinical trials and have not been evaluated by the FDA or other federal agencies. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. " (Legal disclaimer) ( Memento of the original from June 24, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.luckyironfish.com