Jorma K. Miettinen

The diet of Finnish Lapps

SummaryA dietary survey by the interview method was undertaken on the Finnish Lapps in 1960. Data on the food consumption of 135 families including 812 persons in all was collected.The average energy intake varies from 2250 to 2775 kcal in the different Lapp groups, when estimating the waste and refuse at approximately 15% of the total food consumed. The intake of energy may be considered adequate, since the Lapps are of normal physique according to height, weight, and skinfold measurements.The intake of some essential nutrients is scarce, especially that of calcium of the Skolt Lapps, which after deduction of waste is only 370 mg per day. The daily intake of ascorbic acid in the nomadic Mountain Lapp and Skolt groups is as low as 30 mg. Considering the losses of ascorbic acid in food preparation, the intake of this vitamin is very low in both these groups.Of the groups studied, the food of the Skolt Lapps is clearly the poorest.

Excretion of Iodine by Perch (Perca fluviatilis)

Abstract The biological half-time of iodine in perch (Perca fluviatilis) was determined at 13 and 25 C using iodine-131 and whole body counting. Iodine excretion followed a two-exponential function. At 13 C the fast component showed a half-time of 1.5 days, the slow one 9 days. At 25 C the half-times were 15 hrs and 5 days, respectively. It is assumed that the fast component mainly represents plasma clearance, the slow one clearance from the thyroid organs.