Food: Cultural Diversity of Human Diet Traditions

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Cultural Diversity of Human Diet Traditions
Tuesday, December 12, 2006

It was around the middle of the 20th century that scientists carrying out research on diet concluded that eating simple foods, and not rare or expensive dishes, is the most conducive to health. A study of the cultural diversity of food across the globe reveals that many traditional foods are some of the healthiest ever eaten among human populations. People living close to agricultural lands benefit more fully from these foods, based mostly on grains, fruits, vegetables, peas and beans, and a minor proportion of dairy products. In affluent societies and affluent classes of a society, people tend to abandon grains and beans in favor of cheese and meat-foods rich in calories and fat. Hence, modern urban inhabitants of many western societies suffer from many diseases rooted in unhealthy food choices. Different ethnic populations have their distinct cuisine with many healthy traditional foods, but some harmful diets also.

Japanese Foods

Most of the traditional Japanese foods are low in fat and hence health friendly. These include soybean products (tofu and miso, for example, made of fermented soybeans), fish, vegetables, rice, and noodles. Meat serves as garnish rather than an entree in Japanese foods. Seaweed, which is rich in nutrients, is used by the Japanese as lettuce. These healthy food choices have contributed to the low rates of heart diseases in Japan and high life expectancy (78 years, the world's longest). Then there are traditional Japanese foods that are salty, smoked, and pickled. These underlie the two most serious health problems of Japanese people i.e. stroke and stomach cancer. Stroke is the result of high sodium intake in the form of salty foods which cause high blood pressure. Stomach cancer is the result of both salty and smoked foods.

Chinese Foods

Chinese diet shows a great diversity of food species, comprising over 2000 different vegetables. Chinese people love vegetables and consume them mostly in season. In some regions tubers like sweet potatoes are relished and consumed in great quantities. In the southern region, rice is the core diet of the Chinese. In the temperate northern region, noodles, bread, and dumplings of wheat are preferred. Food is usually prepared by quick frying in a lightly oiled hot wok and by steaming. These methods of cooking do not destroy the food's nutritional value. On the average, Chinese diet consists of about 70 % carbohydrates, 20 % fat, and 10 % protein. These proportions are recommended by nutritionists, especially by some who consider them working best for reducing cancer risk.

Mexican Foods

Corn, beans, fish, poultry, and vegetables make the core of Mexican diet. However, the food offered by Mexican restaurants in the USA (fatty dishes like beef burritos in melted cheese) is different from that eaten in Mexico. Rich meat dishes are made in Mexican cuisine only for holiday feasts. Corn and beans are the cherished items. Corn is usually soaked in limewater and this enriches the grains in vitamin niacin. Corn is used in tortillas, steamed in corn husks for making tamales, or eaten as hot gruel. Beans are rich in proteins that are not obtained from corn. Mexicans also love hot chili peppers that are rich sources of vitamins A and C.

Eskimo Foods

The healthiest Eskimo food habit is eating fish regularly. Some Eskimos, especially in the first half of the 2oth century, were reported to eat a diet consisting entirely of seal, whale, and fish. They also consumed minor quantities of caribou, berries, and other plants. While this diet is not the healthy choice, a few fish dishes each week is conducive to health, especially against cardiovascular diseases. Cold-water species like mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring, trout, and sardines are especially good for a healthy heart.

Southern Italian Foods

Pasta, bread, olives oil, fruits, and vegetables are the choice foods of southern Italians. Pasta forms the core of the Italian diet and Italians eat six times more pasta than North Americans. Three times more bread is consumed by southern Italians than Americans. However, the bread is not buttered.

Early Human Food

Early human groups living from 40 000 to 10 000 years before now got their food from hunting wild animals and gathering plants. These foods were free from pesticides and additives. Their diet has been revealed as high in dietary fiber and low in fat and sodium. While this appears to have some health advantages, our ancestral populations were more prone to parasites living in their uncooked food, contamination of grains with mold, and some toxic metals (lead for example) that leached out from decorated pottery. Certain poisonous tubers and roots may have caused a number of deaths among them. In any case, their diet was simple.

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