Tag: Indigenous foodways

During European colonization, thousands of sailors perished from scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, yet Native Americans were largely unaffected. The answer to how did Native Americans not get scurvy lies in their deep understanding of the local landscape and sophisticated dietary practices that provided a consistent intake of the vital nutrient.

An average paper plate-sized portion of traditional fry bread can contain upwards of 700 calories and 25 grams of fat, highlighting why its health implications are a subject of significant discussion. The seemingly simple fried dough has a complicated history and an even more complex relationship with modern nutrition and Indigenous health.

Historically, Native American and Alaska Native people had low rates of obesity and diabetes, a stark contrast to current health trends. This shift highlights why understanding what is the best diet for Native Americans today is crucial for addressing systemic health disparities and promoting wellness through cultural reclamation.

It is estimated that about 60% of the world's current food supply originated in North America, with many foods first cultivated by Indigenous peoples. This rich agricultural and culinary heritage provides insight into what Native Americans ate in the 1700s, a diet that was deeply connected to seasonal cycles and diverse regional ecosystems.

Approximately 65% of adults worldwide are lactose intolerant, a condition resulting from the body's inability to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk. This percentage is significantly higher among many Native American populations, a fact rooted in a deep evolutionary history without dairy farming.

It is estimated that about 60% of the current world's food supply originated in North America, with edible plants domesticated by Native American tribes becoming staples for people worldwide. However, the notion of 'bread' in Native American diets is a complex topic that differs greatly before and after European contact.

Unlike the standardized meal schedules common today, the eating frequency for Native Americans was highly dynamic and influenced by ecological, seasonal, and tribal factors. The question of how many times a day did Native Americans eat does not have a single, universal answer but reveals a rich tapestry of pre-colonial foodways.

Despite the persistent myth of a carbohydrate-free existence, traditional Inuit diets did contain fiber, sourced from both land and sea. Understanding how Inuits get fiber requires looking beyond Western dietary norms to their ingenious use of native plants and the contents of the animals they hunted.

Unlike European explorers who infamously succumbed to scurvy, Native Americans maintained robust health through a deep knowledge of their local food systems, naturally answering the question, "how did Native Americans get vitamin C?". Their rich and diverse diet, drawn from the bounty of the land, included numerous wild plants and animal products that were packed with ascorbic acid, the active form of vitamin C.