With a life expectancy of 50 for men and 60 for women perhaps Prahok is not as healthy as it seems. I heard second-hand that a local Doctor in Siem Reap warned about eating Prahok, he said, ‘it is like poison and anything can happen’. Prahok is a fish paste, a muddy paste similar to Garum: http://mesubim.com/2013/11/04/garum-campania

While Khmer cuisine, like its people, has shown remarkable resilience, I tend to eat more rice, eggs, and hot peppers, lots of them to make life pass by more easily. Frankly speaking I stay away from most red meats in Cambodia, and especially if they are local. The hygiene here is not what we are used to in the west, and unless you have a strong immunity, watch out.