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Masai Tribe Diet

Mar 29, 2011 | By Gord Kerr
Masai Tribe Diet
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The Masai, also spelled Maasai, migrated from the Upper West Nile in the 1600s to the East Africa area near what is now the Kenya-Tanzania border. Their high-fat diet and low cholesterol levels have contradicted medical science's opinions of the relationship of dietary fat to heart disease. As a result of Masai tribal integration into modern societies, changes in diet have brought about health repercussions.

Traditional Diet

The traditional Masai diet consists of blood, milk, fat, honey and tree bark. Meat includes beef, goat and mutton; wild animals, chicken, fish and salt are forbidden. Cow's blood was sometimes taken warm or mixed with milk or drunk with bark soup. Salt was obtained from blood. Milk was consumed exclusively for 10 days, with meat and bark soup eaten for several days in between. The preferred diet for warriors was meat, blood and fat for strength, according to Everyculture.com.

Today's Diet

In the 1880s, the Masai lost 80 percent of their cattle to a disease introduced by the British. Later, the Masai were moved onto a reserve in southern Kenya and encouraged to adopt European ways. Due to population growth, drought, famine, economic development and a shortage of land, the raising of cattle has declined. Although they choose herding above other forms of livelihood if given the opportunity, today Masai grow corn and raise Guinea fowl and ostriches. Traditions have given way to more modern-type diets.

Adaptation

Research published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" found that the Masai demonstrate some unique biological characteristics. Despite their high-fat diet, they have consistent low levels of cholesterol and lipoprotein with no indication of atherosclerosis. The study suggested that the Masai possess a cholesterol-absorption control that compensates for dietary cholesterol. An absence of cholesterol gallstones was also noted. The study concluded that these positive realizations may reflect a long-term biological adaptation of the tribe.

Coronary Disease

A survey published in the "Journal of Atherosclerosis Research" investigated reasons for Masai tribe subjects having low levels of serum cholesterol with little or no evidence for atherosclerosis and heart disease, despite continuous consumption of meat and milk. It was suggested that perhaps freedom from emotional stress or large quantities of physical exercise may be responsible for the incongruity with animal fat intake to coronary disease rather than diet fat being a contributing factor.

Blood Pressure

Analyses performed on subjects from tribal and non-tribal Masai found differences in physical characteristics, pulse rate and systolic blood pressure, as published in "Annals of Human Biology." The nontribal sample had significantly higher blood pressure than the tribal members. The tentative conclusion was that blood pressure is affected by change in environment, and the effect on cholesterol levels may be longer-term.

The Effect of Milk

The University of Southampton researchers assessed the very high milk intake of the Masai diet and their low cholesterol levels. Findings published in "Atherosclerosis" suggested a "hypocholesterolaemic factor" in milk that attributed to a genetic adaptation.

Comparison Then and Now

Studies from London, published in "Atherosclerosis," found cholesterol levels in the urban population of Masai was much higher than in the rural Masai, with no significant difference in triglyceride or diastolic blood pressure. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels were significantly higher in a control group of Europeans than in either of the Masai groups.

References

Article reviewed by demand12324 Last updated on: Mar 29, 2011

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