Eskimos

[ludwig]

Until fairly recently they must have lived on a diet of just fish and animal fats. Why didn't they die out from malnutrition or all get bowel cancer? What's all this guff we're told about having to eat 98* portions of fresh fruit and veg a day in order to stay healthy? (*slight exaggeration)

[becks]

Agree, think fresh fish is the way forward, apparently the japanese don't even have the words for breast cancer in their language as it just doesn't exist and it thought to be becuase of their fishy ricey diet. Think it's all a load of twaddle and the daily mail is the WORST for it, one day red wine will kill you, the next you'll die if you don't drink red wine etc, and it's the same for EVERY DIET. i just eat what i want in moderation and it suits me just fine.

[pinus]

The Inuit also have meat - caribou & seal for instance - A Google search on inuit diet vegetable produces many references, most to sites pushing one diet regime or another. This site addressesthe interesting question of how they avoid scurvy. http://www.mindspring.com/~dougkalb/eskimos.htm

[WoWo]

becks, do we have a word for breast cancer :) yeah 2 breast and cancer, I'm assuming they have breasts and cancer in Japan. Just did a quick google and there's plenty of it in Japan (Breast cancer that is).

[becks]

hence "don't even have the words" and apparently.

[becks]

Breast Cancer Rates On The Rise Among Asian Americans Japanese-American Women May Be Hardest Hit Article date: 2002/08/01 Breast cancer rates among Asian Americans have traditionally been lower than those of other Americans, but that may be changing. The rates of breast cancer among some women of Asian-American descent, particularly Japanese Americans, may be approaching those of white women, according to new research. University of Southern California researchers examined the trends in Los Angeles County and reported their results in the International Journal of Cancer (Vol. 99: 747-750). Traditionally Lower Rates Of Breast Cancer Among Asians Asian women have some of the lowest breast cancer rates of any group in the world, while the rates are highest in countries such as the US. Much of this has been linked to differences in lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, body weight, and choosing to have children later in life (or not at all). Ethnicity and national origin are among the strongest known predictors of breast cancer risk, the authors said. These factors are thought to affect a woman's risk even more than those associated with menstrual periods and childbearing. But breast cancer rates have risen sharply in recent years in some Asian countries such as Japan, where women have adopted more "Westernized" lifestyles. In fact, breast cancer is expected to soon become the most common cancer among women in Japan, the authors said. It has also been known for some time that the risk of breast cancer increases among generations of Asians who migrate to the US. But experts say this risk is still low compared to other groups such as whites and African Americans. Actually. So ok, they do have words for it and as you pointed out, they do have it, but it is at a much lower rate, and now women are adopting Western lifestyle, the rate has risen. smart arse.

[smudge]

Oh, I'll be alright then, I take an Omega 3 capsule every day!

[tartanwiz]

The Inuit (Eskimos) are used to their diet, their ancestors having adapted to it hundreds of thousands of years ago, so their bodies have 'evolved' accordingly. We Europeans could not live on an Inuit diet as our bodies are not suitable.

[FelixtheDog]

The Eskimos ate much more than just fish & animal fat! & so sould you. The Eskimos diet included seaweed, various grasses, seeds & berries when in season & available (growing in rocky outcrops) They also ate the stomach contents of the animals (deer etc)they hunted, which was mostly partially digested vegetable matter & very high in fibre and certain vitamins & minerals (iron, calcium, sodium etc)This was used by freezing solid & cutting off bits when needed to add to soups, & broths. Basically, you do need to eat fruit & vegetables in your diet if you want to still be healthy beyond say 65