Fortification of drinking water to control iron-deficiency anemia and other micronutrient deficiencies. We’re essentially creating devices to be attached on top of faucets, RO purifiers, earthen pots and pet water bottles as add-ons with a unique system that would first filter and then meter out tiny, calibrated portions of our formulated fortificant solution into the stream of passing water. Water is an essential nutrient for all known forms of life and the mechanism of fluid and electrolyte homeostasis significantly contributes to overall health and wellbeing in humans. These fluids are in continuous balance, being turned constant by water intake and output. Worldwide, the most widespread micronutrient deficiencies are iron, iodine, zinc, vitamin A and folate, four of them soluble in water. Even though it contains no calorie content, water is the medium for most chemical and physical reactions in the body, especially those metabolic reactions involved in energy production and transportation of nutrients. The two traditional responses to these nutritional deficiencies are Nutritional Supplementation and Food Fortification, both of which have not been very successful in India. Nutrient supplements and medications have always been the primary solution but these solutions are not accessible to everyone and there is always an issue of allergic reactions, drug safety for a mass population and of course, compliance issues.It’s very difficult to get adequate nutrition from one’s diet, let alone when you’re facing extreme poverty. No matter what, people consume water every day, more than any other staple. Humans ingest plain drinking water which containsseveral electrolytes including calcium, chloride, fluoride, magnesium, potassium, and sodium which in turn helps in digestion and absorption functions and lubricates mucous membranes in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.Direct absorption of minerals from the water makes it a much more reasonable choice for a fortification medium than food owing to its homogeneous and universal nature.
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