Harriet V. Kuhnlein

Dietary Nutrient Profiles of Canadian Baffin Island Inuit differ by Food Source, Season, and Age

OBJECTIVE To compare the effect of food source (traditional or market), season (six seasons), and age (five age groups) on dietary nutrient patterns of Inuit living in Baffin Island, Canada. DESIGN Twenty-four-hour recall interviews of all residents who had lived > or = 3 years in this one community in each of six seasons. Foods that were recalled were divided by source. SETTING/SUBJECTS The study took place in the Inuit community of Qikiqtarjuaq, which harvests the highest quantity of wildlife per capita of all Baffin communities. Three hundred sixty-six residents contributed a total of 1,410 recalls: 401 from nonpregnant, nonlactating adult women, 74 from pregnant women, 301 from adult men, 451 from children aged 3 to 12 years, and 183 from teenagers aged 13 to 19 years. Participation was voluntary and averaged 65% to 75% of residents. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Energy, total dry weight of food, and dietary nutrients (ie, carbohydrate, protein, total fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, vitamin A, iron, copper, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium) were measured by food source, season, and age. Nutrient density (nutrient per 1,000 kcal) was calculated in traditional and market food sources. Selected nutrients were computed in total diets, and compared with Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED Tests for normality of the distribution of nutrient intakes (ie, Shapiro-Wilk statistic) were performed followed by nonparametric analyses (ie, Wilcoxon paired-sample t test, Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance, and adjustment for Bonferroni inequalities resulting from multiple comparisons). RESULTS Most nutrient intakes were significantly different by food source (P < .05). Traditional food contributed more protein, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and vitamin A for several age groups. Market food contributed greater amounts of dry weight, energy, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, and sodium for most age groups. Seasonal variation (P < .05) existed for nutrients coming from traditional and market food. Of the 10 nutrients assessed for nutrient density, all except calcium and sodium were present in greater amounts in traditional food than in market food (P < .05). Calcium and vitamin A intakes fell below 66.6% of the RDAs for more than 60% of the population. CONCLUSIONS The comprehensive view of nutrient profiles, food source, and seasonality of Inuit diets will assist health professionals in developing nutrition promotion and education programs for all age groups of this population. Traditional food is an essential source of the total annual dietary nutrient intake of Inuit. Results indicated, however, that calcium and vitamin A intake must be improved.

Mutagens in feces from vegetarians and non-vegetarians

Mutagens in water extracts from feces of persons in 3 different diet groups were measured with the fluctuation test for weak mutagens using Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98 as tester strains. The 3 diet groups were ovo-lacto vegetarians (N = 6), strict vegetarians (N = 11) and non-vegetarians (N = 12). All subjects were from the urban area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. On TA100 ovo-lacto vegetarians and strict vegetarians had significantly lower levels of fecal mutagens than non-vegetarians (P less than or equal to 0.025 and P less than 0.010, resp.). The same pattern, although less significant, was obtained with TA98. Correlation studies between mutagenicity on TA100 and TA98 and between the pH of the fecal homogenate and mutagenicity indicate the presence of 2 or more major fecal mutagens.

Camas (Camassia spp.) and riceroot (Fritillaria spp.): Two liliaceous “root” foods of the Northwest Coast Indians

Two species of camas (Camassia quamash [Pursh] Greene and C. leichtlinii: [Baker] S. Wats) and two species of riceroot (Fritillaria camschatcensis [L.] Ker‐Gawl. and F. lanceloata Pursh) were important root foods for the Indians of the Northwest Coast of North America. Camas and the latter species of riceroot were used predominantly in the southern part of the region, whereas F. camaschatcensis was used as far north as Alaska, as well as on the Aleutian Islands and the Kamchatka Peninsula. The bulbs of camas were an article of trade, and their harvesting and cooking were often large‐scale communal enterprises. Nutritional analyses show that these species would have provided meaningful quantities of fiber, nitrogen, trace elements and energy, if thoroughly cooked.

Two important “root” foods of the Northwest Coast Indians: Springbank clover (Trifolium wormskioldii) and Pacific silverweed (Potentilla anserina ssp. pacified)

Two edible “root” species, springbank clover (Trifolium wormskioldii), and Pacific silverweed (Potentilla anserina ssp. pacifica), are described and their use as food by Northwest Coast Indian peoples documented. Descriptions of traditional harvesting, cooking and serving, and storage techniques for these foods are provided, and their future potential as a food source along the Northwest Coast is discussed.

Nutritional significance of two important root foods (springbank clover and pacific silverweed) used by native people on the coast of British Columbia

The roots of Pacific silvenveed (Potentilla anserina spp. pacifica) and the rhizomes of springbank clover (Trifolium wormskioldii) are two foods known to have been used extensively by native groups of British Columbia. Reported here are nutrient content and scores on acceptability of these foods gathered and prepared with two methods used by the Nitinaht and Nuxalk (Bella Coola) Indians. It was found that silverweed and clover “roots” have excellent contents of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn in comparison to the potato, which is the modern replacement food in the Indian diet. Steaming or pit‐cooking did not appreciably change the contents of six minerals studied. Overall mean acceptability scores on a 5‐point hedonic scale were 3.0 and 3.5 for pit‐cooked and steamed silverweed roots and 4.1 and 3.7 for pit‐cooked and steamed clover rhizomes.

Determining the availability of traditional wild plant foods: An Example of Nuxalk foods, Bella Coola, British Columbia

Forty‐two plant foods known to have been used in the past by native people of the Nuxalk Nation, Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada, were studied. To estimate the availability of the most prominent plant food resources, field estimates were made using modifications of standard techniques for quantifying plant species. Assessments of accessibility, abundance and frequency of food species were made. In addition, harvesting efficiency of 24 species was determined. Twenty species were selected as being the most readily available food resources, and therefore good candidates for nutritional research and promotion. These included the trees: Populus trichocarpa, Pyrus fusca, Tsuga heterophylla; the shrubs: Amelanchier alnifolia, Ledum groenlandicum, Ribes divaricatum, Rosa nutkana, Rubus idaeus, R. parviflorus, R. spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Vaccinium ovalifolium, V. parvifolium, Viburnum edule, and the herbs: Cornus canadensis, Epilobium angustifolium, Heracleum lanatwn, Maianthemum dilatatum, Potentilla...

Dietary nutrients of Sahtú Dene/Métis vary by food source, season and age

This article reports nutrient intake from traditional and market food of Dene/Metis people from 2 communities of the Canadian sub‐Arctic. Dietary intake was assessed during 2 seasons for children and adult men and during 3 seasons for adult women. A total of 709 24‐hour recalls were evaluated. Dietary nutrient intake is shown to vary by source of food as well as by age, gender and season. Traditional food provides a large proportion of the total energy intake and is the major source of multiple nutrients, iron and zinc in particular. Market food is the major source of carbohydrate, fat, sodium, calcium and vitamin A. The respective nutrient densities of traditional and market food consumed are presented. Comparison of individual intakes to Canadian RNIs shows calcium and vitamin A to be the nutrients most likely to be at risk.

Nutrient values in indigenous wild berries used by the nuxalk people of bella coola, British Columbia

Abstract The nutrient composition for 23 different species of wild berries used for food by native Indian people of Western British Columbia, Canada, are reported. Proximate composition includes moisture, protein, lipids, ash, and computed carbohydrate and energy values. Neutral detergent fiber values are given. Mineral values are given for calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and strontium. Vitamin determinations are given for thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, ascorbate, carotene, and folate. This is the first comprehensive report for any of these species and the first report of any nutrient data in edible portions of Cornus canadensis, Ribes bracteosum, Ribes laxinorum, Shepherdia canadensis, Vaccinium alaskense, and Vaccinum membranaceum. It is the first report on strontium, folate, and neutral detergent fiber in edible wild berries of the west coast of North America.

Traditional and contemporary Nuxalk foods

Abstract It is generally thought that the improvement of nutritional status of native people in North America should be accomplished with maximum utilization of locally-available foods traditional to their culture. Prior to initiating a program to enhance food use by the people of the Nuxalk Nation of coastal British Columbia, this research was carried out on the traditional and contemporary Nuxalk foods. The array of foods reported by elderly Nuxalk people to be used in former times is given with Nuxalk names, common names and scientific notation, as well as, with seasonal availability and frequency of use. Household interviews were used to document contemporary patterns of use of both traditional and marketed foods for reserve-resident (RR) and urban-resident (UR) families. In general, traditional food use was greater for RR than for UR families, with more fish and berries being used than foods in other categories. Nutrient analysis of one-day summer dietary recalls of young adult RR women revealed low intakes by many for folate, calcium, vitamins E and D, ascorbate, iron and copper. It was concluded that nutrient-rich traditional foods could be utilized to improve Nuxalk diets.

The trace element content of indigenous salts compared with commercially refined substitutes

Commercially refined salt has replaced many indigenous substances which formerly provided flavor and minerals to the diet of native peoples. Although the refined product provides ample, perhaps excessive, sodium and chloride in modern diets, the effect of the loss of minor nutrients from the diet due to this substitution is not known. Reported here are values for 16 trace elements, potassium and calcium in 45 salts categorized as commercial refined, commercial special (marketed sea salts, “health salts”, etc.) or indigenous (used by native groups before commercial salt was available). The highest levels of all trace elements analyzed were in the indigenous salts. Iron was present in all samples and in greatest quantity (up to 1.1 percent) in indigenous salts of plant origin. Combined essential and nonessential trace elements were higher in indigenous than in commercial special or commercial refined salts.