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"Eskimo Diet" Lacks Support For Better Cardiovascular Health
jones_supa (887896) writes Monthly Prescribing Reference reports that the "Eskimo diet" hypothesis, suggested as a factor in the alleged low incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Greenland Eskimos, seems not to be supported in the literature, according to a metastudy published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology (abstract). Researchers found that only one study directly assessed the prevalence of CAD or CAD risk factors, and that study showed that CAD morbidity was similar among Inuit and American and European populations. In most studies, the prevalence of CAD was similar for Greenland Eskimos and Canadian and Alaskan Inuit and for non-Eskimo populations. The original studies from the 1970s that formed the basis of the supposed cardioprotective effect of the Eskimo diet did not examine the prevalence of CAD. "The totality of reviewed evidence leads us to the conclusion that Eskimos have a similar prevalence of CAD as non-Eskimo populations," the authors write. "To date, more than 5,000 papers have been published studying the alleged beneficial properties of omega-3 fatty acids not to mention the billion dollar industry producing and selling fish oil capsules based on a hypothesis that was questionable from the beginning."
Isn't that a fairly racist term? I thought the prefered nomenclature is Inuit or Aleut.
half the arguments people use in support of wacky theories like the paleo diet. Or theories like carbohydrates causing heart disease independent of body weight.
Amazingly, a single study counts when it does support their claims, but when it doesn't, you could point them to a thousand studies and they'd just say it's a global medical conspiracy.
A fool and his hard drive are soon parted.
A diet with all its componets is very different than supplement pills.
My guess (without reading 5000 papers) is that if there is some kind of benefit from an "Eskimo diet" it would be from it being devoid of flour and sugar, and generally low in carbohydrates and industrially processed polyunsaturated fats.
My personal experience is that by focusing on eating natural sources of fats and eliminating most carbohydrates (especially refined carbohydrates) for the last 8 months, I've lost a lot of exceess fat (60 pounds so far) and gained enough excess energy that I'm now regularly running in 5ks and even started competing in triathlons.
I take vitamins because they are relatively cheap, but I'm not sure I see the point of fish-oil capsules, especially with the bad breath and indigestion that comes with them.
As for CAD risk, I'm not sure. But by adopting a low-carb/high-fat diet (LCHF or "keto"), my cholesterol numbers (for what they're worth) have improved dramatically. My HDL is higher by a few points and my triglycerides are lower by more than 20 points, compared to when I used to be on a statin.
after so much BS over the years, I think we should disregard any further studies proclaiming great health benefits of (____) and just rely on common sense.
Common sense tells me that the best things to eat for an animal species is what it's evolved to eat in its natural habitat. Pomegranates might be awesome food but not for lions.
For humans, that would be 2 million years of eating nuts and fruits and clams and fish and some red meat on occasion.
The big change in western diets, where fat was demonised and everyone started stuffing themselves with vast amounts of carbohydrates, happened in the mid-80s.
So comparisons with western diets from the 70s has no relevance to modern diets. The fact they made that comparison suggests they are either rather stupid, or are being deceptive.
Here is the article:
http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/polop...
NB: The message above might reflect my opinion right now, but not necessarily tomorrow or next year.
Yes, and many of those studies confirmed the beneficial effects of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Many of these later studies focused on the Mediterranean diet.
Furthermore, the omega-3 essential fatty acids are not called essential just for fun and profit. They are proven to be needed by the human body, in dosages that most Western citizens don't get.
NEWSFLASH! JUST IN!
Classic Eskimo diet only suitable for classic eskimo climate!
Brilliant new scientist team finds out that 10 bazillion calories-per-day and lets-eat-tons-of-raw-meat-because-we-have-no-other-source-of-micronutrient-iron-and-vitamin-c-out-here-in-a-countryside-made-of-pure-ice escimo diet suitable for an arctic climate with regular temperatures of -30 Celsius and lower actually isn't suitable or very healthy at temperatures around +15C and raises risk of CADs.
Gees, what an insight. How would've thunk? ...
Seriously, how do these guys get funding?
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
(excessive) Insulin *forces* calories you eat to be stored as fat (and inhibits the mobilisation of fat for energy) so you become fat and are lethargic because the energy isn't available because it's being stored. At a cellular level your body is literally starving: you feel HUNGRY.
So you eat more. Repeat.
By far and away the biggest trigger for increasing your blood insulin levels is consumption of carbohydrates: not fat, not protein.
So reducing carbs, reduces weight and reduces your need to consume excessive calories.
In 2003, a thorough analysis of the incidence and available mortality statistics among Inuit populations in Greenland, Canada and Alaska by Bjerregaard et al, also concluded that the totality of evidence from various Northern areas makes a strong argument for high presence of CVD in Eskimos (Appendix A in Supplementary Materials).
Is the current Eskimo diet the same as the traditional Eskimo diet?
Do the Inuits in Greenland still eat blubber and not eat pizza, sugary drinks, hamburgers and chocolate whatsoever.
If saturated fat CVD theory were right, the Eskimo diet would have significantly more CVD than the general population. However, it seems about the same. So, the saturated fats is bad for you part is still questionable even. Now, the whole Omega-3 is heart healthy is the one being put on question.
Slashdot
I thought this website was computer-science specialized...
I hear they favor the Eskimo diet too
Racist By Default.
Germans, like all Europeans which are all fucking inbreds ...That privilege makes all whites racist by default and the only good racist is a dead one.
Irony... like goldy or silvery, but made of iron?
... lipid hypothesis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...
So I get that the "Eskimo Diet" doesn't improve cardiovascular health. But then it doesn't degrade it either. Then why all the "heart smart" low-fat, no-fat, low-cholesterol propaganda we're constantly bombarded with?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U...
It seems Uffe Ravnskov may be right. Dietary cholesterol very likely has little or no bad effects on health. It is probably "good" for you. In fact, statin drugs used to treat CAD are far worse for your health.
Proof: If statins actually were effective against CAD, then the ads on TV could make that claim. If you listen carefully, they don't make any claim that they lower the incidence of CAD. Their sole claim for "effectiveness" is that they lower your blood cholesterol numbers. It would be more compelling if they could claim health benefits of course, but their is no compelling evidence for this.
I'm on the Ubangi diet. I just cram the whole plate in my mouth.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Have gnu, will travel.
The natives who follow this diet often die early due to liver failure, esp. the men. I think it is due to iron loading in the liver from over consumption of game meat and protein.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
If a fatty diet with little vegetables is no worse than a regular diet, that is interesting enough on its own.
Native people of the extreme north really have sort of a miracle going on. And it depends upon how we view their situation. Before the Europeans had much contact these folks were very short on fruits and vegetables and grains of all kinds. So just how does a culture survive such a radical environment and have the energy to hunt and defend against the elements and predators while eating blubber and fish almost exclusively? The rest of us are told we have all of these great needs for a variety in our diets as well as supplements. And the demands for energy in our way of life are nothing at all compared to the energy required to survive in a very cold environment. The situation seems to suggest that we don't have a clue as to what is really important in a diet.
Good to read this insightful article, because it means I can quit clubbing seals now. I never really enjoyed it, but I wanted to have better cardiovascular health, so I turned on the air conditioner, put on my parka, and clubbed the little suckers so I could have some authentic Eskimo food.
That's mighty white of you.
Try living & surviving out in bitter fucking cold. It takes an ass-ton more effort and energy. It is this extra effort that makes for stronger cardiovascular health.
For comparsion look at Phelps's diet while training for the Olympics. If you tried that diet without the crazy amount of training, your cardiovascular health would suffer.
It is simple.... eat good food and then move & exercise as much as possible.
This looks similar to the see-food diet: See food, eat it.
Even if this eskimo diet does work, I can't imagine there are enough of them to go around.
how many pairs of boxer shorts should you own?
"To date, more than 5,000 papers have been published studying the alleged beneficial properties of omega-3 fatty acids not to mention the billion dollar industry producing and selling fish oil capsules based on a hypothesis that was questionable from the beginning."
But, as it turns out, fish oil without the PCBs, fertilizers, and incecticides is better for you other studies have shown..
This has been my personal experience as well. In the last several months since I was found to be allergic to wheat and that it was causing severe inflammation in my GI tract and causing poor absorption of many vitamins and I stopped eating all refined flour products like bread etc I've lost nearly 60lbs without even trying just by eating almost solely meat and vegetables (while never being hungry). In the mean time lowering the refined carbohydrates and actual sugar that I'm taking in increased my energy levels drastically because it lowered the amount of insulin being dumped into my bloodstream constantly.
Fresh Hot Videos - http://freshwapi.com
By the '70s, the Eskimos were already eating Twinkies like the rest of us. The important study of aboriginal diets, including Eskimos, was that of Dr. Robert Price in the early 1900s. This study was conducted when Eskimos were still consuming traditional foods. You can learn more about this at the still vibrant Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation ( http://ppnf.org/ ).
In addition, you may wish to read the cover story of Time magazine which says to Eat Butter. Dr. Atkins advised this over 30 years ago and 30,000,000 people benefited by following his advice. Eat fat, avoid carbohydrates- simple advice but the medical establishment still supports General Mills, Kellogg, and the Wonder Bread lookalikes.
...omphaloskepsis often...
"To date, more than 5,000 papers have been published studying the alleged beneficial properties of omega-3 fatty acids not to mention the billion dollar industry producing and selling fish oil capsules based on a hypothesis that was questionable from the beginning."
Next up .... global climate change (warming, cooling, whatever it's called this week)
If the comparison showed similarities to CAD in the 1970s then it's a huge step up from our current mainstream diet.
And it makes all the sense in the world: Ketonic diets have never been found to be healthy.
And even in the case that the Inuit's CAD incidence were lower it still could have been caused by special genetic adaptations to their diet... yet these guys have the same CAD incidence as the rest.
Well, now the best part: Poking fund at the idiots who follow the paleo-diet, bwahahaaaa!!!
-- 29A the number of the Beast
Well, yes, but it's quite a mess since they changed to the Western diet. Specially the Canadians are said to produce a lot of gases and high cholesterol levels.
-- 29A the number of the Beast