Diets of African Tribes (gurus take a look)

[nathan101085]

I posted this in response to the Atkin's post but I would really like to get this out in the open and hear some opinoins

Dr. Weston Price visited Africa in 1935. His journey into the interior began in Mombasa on the east coast of Africa, inland through Kenya to the Belgian Congo, then northward through Uganda and the Sudan.

Africa also afforded Dr. Price the opportunity to compare primitive groups composed largely of meat eaters, with those that were mostly vegetarian. The Masai of Tankanika, Chewya of Kenya, Muhima of Uganda, Watusi of Ruanda and the Neurs tribes on the western side of the Nile in the Sudan were all cattle-keeping people. Their diets consisted largely of milk, blood and meat, supplemented in some cases with fish and with small amounts of grains, fruits and vegetables. Rich in animal fats, these diets provided large amounts of the fat-soluble vitamins Price discovered to be so necessary for proper development of the physical body and freedom from disease. The Neurs especially valued the livers of animals, considered so sacred “that it may not be touched by human hands. . . It is eaten both raw and cooked.”2

These tribes were noted for their fine physiques and great height—in some groups the women averaged over 6 feet tall, and many men reached almost seven feet. Examinations of their teeth revealed very few caries, usually less than 0.5%. Nowhere in his travels had Price yet found groups that had no cavities at all, yet among the cattle-herding tribes of Africa, Dr. Price found six tribes that were completely free of dental decay. Furthermore, all members of these tribes exhibited straight, uncrowded teeth

Largely vegetarian Bantu tribes such as the Kikuyu and Wakamba were agriculturists. Their diet consisted of sweet potatoes, corn, beans, bananas, millet and Kafir corn or sorghum. They were less robust than their meat-eating neighbors, and tended to be dominated by them. Price found that vegetarian groups had some tooth decay—usually around 5% or 6% of all teeth, still small numbers compared to Whites living off store-bought foods. Even among these largely vegetarian tribes, however, dental occlusions were rare, as were degenerative diseases.

Many investigators have mistakenly claimed that Bantu groups consumed no animal products at all. Some tribes kept a few cattle and goats which supplied both milk and meat; they ate small animals such as frogs; and they put a high value on insect food. “The natives of Africa know that certain insects are very rich in special food values at certain seasons, also that their eggs are valuable foods. A fly that hatches in enormous quantities in Lake Victoria is gathered and used fresh and dried for storage. They also use ant eggs and ants.”3 Other insects, such as bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies, moths, cricket, dragon flies and termites are sought out and consumed with relish by tribes throughout Africa.4 These insects are rich in the fat soluble factors found in blood, organ meats, fish and butterfat. It is significant that the vegetarian groups practiced the feeding of special foods during gestation and lactation. Apparently carnivorous groups found no need to supplement the diet, as it was already rich in the factors needed for reproduction and optimum growth.

The healthiest tribe that Price studied was the Dinkas, a Sudanese tribe on the western bank of the Nile. They were not as tall as the cattle-herding Neurs groups but they were physically better proportioned and had greater strength. Their diet consisted mainly of fish and cereal grains. This is perhaps the greatest lesson of Price’s African research—that a diet of whole foods, one that avoids the extremes of the carnivorous Masai and the largely vegetarian Bantu, but incorporates both nutrient dense grains and seafood, ensures optimum physical development.

Drs. Williams and Gelfand stress that the likely culprit in the slow emergence of dental caries and diabetes is not animal fat, but refined sugar. Nevertheless, their articles form part of a collection whose editors are firmly committed to the lipid hypotheses, namely that animal products and saturated fat contribute to the Western plague of atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension and obesity. While Weston Price’s Nutrition and Physical Degeneration moldered in obscurity, Western Diseases: Their Emergence and Prevention, edited by H.C. Trowell and D.P Burkitt received widespread recognition. Price noted that all healthy African groups had good sources of animal fat, and that the healthiest groups consumed less, not more, of plant foods; Burkitt and Trowel, however, postulate that the increase in Western diseases among Africans is due to a reduced consumption of plant foods containing dietary fiber. Heart researcher George Mann’s work is conspicuously absent from Burkitt’s Western Diseases. Mann studied the Masai tribes and came to the politically incorrect conclusion that their high fat diet did not predispose them to heart disease.

But Burkitt and Trowell are firmly committed to the McGovern Committee’s dietary goals, namely the replacement of animal products with grains, as a way to “prevent cancer and heart disease” and to “forestall world hunger.” Burkitt’s writings on dietary fiber led to calls for increased amounts of whole grains in the American diet in order to prevent colon cancer and other diseases of the intestinal tract. Dietary fiber soon became a household word, and America embraced the oat bran fad.

What Burkitt and Trowell failed to recognize is that Africans do not eat their grain foods as we do in the west, in the form of quick rise breads, cold cereals, energy bars and pasta, but as a sour or acid porridge. Throughout Africa, these porridges are prepared by the fermentation of maize, sorghum, millet or cassava. Preparation “at the homestead” begins with washing the grains, then steeping them in water for 24 to 72 hours. The grain is drained and the water discarded. Soaked grains are wet milled and passed through a sieve. The hulls or leavings in the sieve are discarded. In other words, the Africans throw away the bran. The smooth paste that passes through the sieve may undergo further fermentation. Soaking water that rises to the top is discarded and the slurry is boiled to make a sour porridge. Sometimes the slurry is allowed to drain and ferment further to form a gel-like substance that is wrapped in banana leaves, making a convenient and nutritious energy bar that can easily be carried into the fields and consumed without further preparation.7 Often sour porridges are consumed raw as “sorghum beer” a thin, slightly alcoholic slurry that provides lactic acid and many beneficial enzymes.8

Acid porridges made from grains are far superior to western grain preparations. Fermentation increases mineral availability by neutralizing phytic acid, increases vitamin content, predigests starches and neutralizes enzyme inhibitors. Insoluble fiber can cause pathogenic changes in the intestinal tract unless properly soaked in an acid medium.9 Oat bran, which is high in phytic acid, as well as related bran products can cause numerous problems with digestion and assimilation, leading to mineral deficiencies, irritable bowel syndrome and autoimmune difficulties such as Crohn’s disease. Case control studies indicate that consumption of cereal fiber can be linked with detrimental effects on colon cancer formation.10

In his lectures, Burkitt was fond of pointing out that the typical African stool specimen was large and soft, and that stool transit times were rapid, compared to the puny hard fecal deposits and slow transit times of hapless Europeans. The large amount of fermented food, easy to digest and contributing to the health of intestinal flora, is the most likely explanation for this phenomena—fermented dairy products in European groups and fermented fish among the Eskimos accomplish the same results.

Many traditional African foods are for sale at the Oyingbo Market in Hyattsville, Maryland—shrimp pastes, ogi flour (made from fermented millet), palm oil, dried shrimp and fish, peanuts, vegetables, liver and calves feet. But most of the shelf space is filled up with newfangled foods—BisQuick, Wesson oil, Cheerios, margarine, sugar, white bread, cookies, pasta and soft drinks. Only recent African immigrants buy the traditional items, the ones with the fine physiques and beautiful straight teeth. Younger Africans, and those who were born here, have opted for the displacing foods of modern commerce. . . and it shows. Their children are either thin or overweight and have narrow faces and crooked teeth. Modern medicine may palliate the numerous health problems that accompany such physical degeneration, but only a return to traditional foods and preparation techniques can ensure optimal health for future generations of Africans, both in America and in their home continent.


+Let me note that the Masai drank A LOT of fat each day in their milk, however this was by no means of a low carbohydrate level. On top of that the carbohydrates would be primarily consisting of sugar, lactose. Also let it be noted the Masai and other tribes were EXTREMELY active which I BELIVE had more impact on them than any dietary variable. They would walk 30 miles EACH DAY while herding animals\foraging for food. So what do you think, How much fiber could the Masai really have gotten rid of in the fermenting process on top of that what DID they die of\what was their life span. Does anyone know more about this topic?

--in refernce to the Dinka, the author fails to note or mention the fat content of the fish. In general is very low fat, and this diet resembles that of the Japanese before a lot of western influence ie. Rices and fish.

www.westonaprice.org/traditi..._of_africa.html

but they were physically better proportioned and had greater strength. Their diet consisted mainly of fish and cereal grains.

[LordNeon]

The short version: Weston Price was a quack.

The long version:

http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...isticdent.html

'Much of "holistic dentistry" is rooted in the activities of Weston A. Price, D.D.S. (1870-1948), a dentist who maintained that sugar causes not only tooth decay but physical, mental, moral, and social decay as well. Price made a whirlwind tour of primitive areas, examined the natives superficially, and jumped to simplistic conclusions. While extolling their health, he ignored their short life expectancy and high rates of infant mortality, endemic diseases, and malnutrition. While praising their diets for not producing cavities, he ignored the fact that malnourished people don't usually get many cavities.

Price knew that when primitive people were exposed to "modern" civilization they developed dental trouble and higher rates of various diseases, but he failed to realize why. Most were used to "feast or famine" eating. When large amounts of sweets were suddenly made available, they overindulged. Ignorant of the value of balancing their diets, they also ingested too much fatty and salty food. Their problems were not caused by eating "civilized" food but by abusing it. In addition to dietary excesses, the increased disease rates were due to: (a) exposure to unfamiliar germs, to which they were not resistant; (b) the drastic change in their way of life as they gave up strenuous physical activities such as hunting; and (c) alcohol abuse.

Price also performed poorly designed studies that led him to conclude that teeth treated with root canal therapy leaked bacteria or bacterial toxins into the body, causing arthritis and many other diseases. This "focal infection" theory led to needless extraction of millions of endodontically treated teeth until well-designed studies, conducted during the 1930s, demonstrated that the theory was not valid.'

[nathan101085]

So what about the High saturated fat content as compared to the low\no appearance of Heart Desiese.

[LordNeon]

Originally posted by nathan101085
So what about the High saturated fat content as compared to the low\no appearance of Heart Desiese.

Well, undernourished people don't usually have a lot of heart disease. It's much more common among the obese.

[nathan101085]

According to other research I read they were far from onder nourished... a typical Masai warrior will consume up to 10 quarts of whole, raw cow's milk a day. The Masai are noted for their tall stature and great endurance. Heart disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer are unknown to the Masai. Besides Masai constitute fewer than 3% of Kenya's people. I am interested to find out the typical life span of a Masai warrior but cannot.

This also intrigues me... The amount of saturated fat in the American diet remained the same between 1935 and 1974--the period of greatest increase in heart disease.

[wolfX7]

wow.. thats pretty interesting to read...

but it makes me think.. for the group of tall 6 - 7 footers club.. they eat mostly meat.. but LOTS of ppl eat LOTS of neat and arent talll..


i dont see the connection behind the 2 things...

maybe there great 10 to the power ot 1000000 grand da was a tall person, as with th emother...

just like chinese ppl are very short/skinny..

[SmitM]

or maybe they have incest and keep the TALL genes in the group ... (Not trying to sound TOO immature)

[John Benz]

Originally posted by LordNeon
The short version: Weston Price was a quack.

The long version:

http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...isticdent.html

Weston Price is well-known for his travels and studies of primitive diets. He doesn't claim definitive proof, just very interesting comparisons.

My question is—who are his detractors, Stephen Barrett, M.D. and William T. Jarvis, Ph.D., and what have they ever accomplished except to offer criticism? Their opinion against Weston's? I'll take Weston's! Good read Nathan.

[shazz]

I grew up in Kenya so I was fortunate to be able to meet Masai and have seen examples of their diet, such as bloodshakes (mixture of cows blood and milk, served in a horn).
Regardless of their rather carniverous appetite, I would think that their height is not solely down to their diet but rather their genes. As far as I know about the Masai, they reproduce with other Masai (This does not mean to say they are an incestious people. They most likely only produce offspring with non-related Masai or other tribes). As a result those genes are passed down from generation to generation. I guess its down to natural selection, they do afterall have to be very strong and fast as they hunt with rather obsolete tools - handmade bows and arrows, sharp rocks, stones and blades.

An amazing people, can't wait to go back and visit in July next year (my family live in Nariboi )

[Canarian Roy]

Originally posted by nathan101085

This also intrigues me... The amount of saturated fat in the American diet remained the same between 1935 and 1974--the period of greatest increase in heart disease.

increase in refined carbohydrates.

[LordNeon]

Originally posted by Canarian Roy
increase in refined carbohydrates.

Not necessarily. There was an increase in overall CALORIES. We just eat more now. And heart disease is much more likely to happen if you're fat.

[nathan101085]

Well my question is this then... Since there are other cases of this such as Native Americans\Eskimo's\Masai, the diets were by todays standards EXTREMELY high in saturated fats, like the milkfat of the Masai or the seal blubber eaten by eskimos, or the fact that Native amercians used\ate the WHOLE animal and the fat was prized for eating. Yet CHD still was not an issue, granted overall lifespan was still shortened but people today die ealier of CHD than the average life-span of some of these tribes, so it cant be simply "they didnt live long enough". The government tells us that saturated fats cause CHD.. So why do all these simply not have CHD until exposed to modern foods... Saturated fat simply doesnt seem to serve as a good enough explination. Very likely it could be calories but still wouldnt not active members of tribes such as elders\children who were not out burning tons of calories hunting be dying of CHD? Very perplexing...it seems in America anyway there is an idea that saturated fat GIVES you CHD and I have never questioned it till I came upon this.

[Canarian Roy]

Originally posted by LordNeon
Not necessarily. There was an increase in overall CALORIES. We just eat more now. And heart disease is much more likely to happen if you're fat.

yes, but a diet high in refined carbs makes you more hungry, which is why you eat more. Have you tried going in a high fat-low carb diet? you dont feel hungry at all and your energy levels are constant (providing you dont starve down on calories).
So refined calories are the cause of increased calories, couple this with a decrease in physical activity, and BOOM, CHD higher than ever.

[L0neFreeRanger]

can confirm, high fibre is a scam. my stomach and overall digestive health is much better when eating low fibre

[Former300lber]

I was 12 when this thread was made.

[AFC96]

can confirm, high fibre is a scam. my stomach and overall digestive health is much better when eating low fibre

I think theyve figured it out after 11 years. Thanks for the "update" for the 11 years though.

[cumminslifter]

I was 12 when this thread was made.

i was 8 o_0

[ilove2run]

I was 12 when this thread was made.

i was 8 o_0

lol'd

[WonderPug]

I was 36

[Hulkenberg82]

22nd of November 2003 was the last time I was in New York City. It was raining and a homeless dude called me a snob at JFK because I didn't give him money.

[BeauFlexington]

40th anniversary of JFK's assassination.

[loganhart]

At 7:00am on 23 November, 2003, I was 16, probably smoking something funny while waiting for the bus to school.

[MichielN]

i was 12 and what is this