Heart disease is a term for illnesses of the heart and its blood vessels and typically stems from atherosclerosis, plaque buildup in your arteries that makes it more difficult for blood to pass. Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease in the United States. Eskimos have one of the lowest rates of coronary artery disease in the world, despite having major risk factors for heart disease.
Diet
Eskimos get approximately 50 percent of their calories from fat, according to an October 2004 article published in "Discover" magazine. Eskimos traditionally consume lots of fatty meats and fishes, including freshly caught seal, whale, walrus, reindeer, caribou and duck. Fruits, vegetables and dairy are absent from an Eskimo's diet. The Eskimo diet is becoming less traditional, however, as fast food and processed foods become more available to them.
Risk Factors
High fat diets are associated with heart disease, specifically diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Both saturated fat and cholesterol are common in animal products such as meat, and high meat diets are also associated with heart disease. Eskimos have low rates of coronary artery disease, despite consuming a high fat and high meat diet. Overweight and obesity also increase your risk of heart disease. Eskimos have rates of overweight and obesity that are similar to the rest of the U.S. population, according to Dr. Zeina Makhoul of the University of Alaska. Researchers have several theories about the remarkably low rate of heart disease among Eskimos, despite their obesity and high fat diet.
Fats
Dr. Eric Dewailly of Laval University in Quebec notes that fat in wild animals is different from the fat of farm-raised animals and the fat contained in processed foods. Meat from wild animals and sea mammals, like seals and whales, is rich in unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. Eskimos, therefore, may not be consuming as much saturated fat as other people might when consuming a diet rich in meats and fish.
Omega-3s
Eskimos consume 20 times more omega-3 fats than most Americans. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, omega-3 fats decrease blood cholesterol, decrease blood pressure and prevent clogged arteries, all of which reduce your risk of developing heart disease. A 2011 study published in the online edition of "The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" studied the risk factors for heart disease in Alaska's Yup'ik Eskimos, 70 percent of whom were obese. The researchers concluded that obese Eskimos with high blood levels of the omega-3 fats had similar lipid and inflammation markers as normal-weight people. Dr. Makhoul cites the omega-3 content of the Eskimo diet as the likely reason for low heart disease rates among Eskimos.
References
- Medical News Today; Eskimo Study Suggests Diet Rich in Omega-3 Fats May Reduce Risk of Obesity-Related Disease
- "Discover Magazine"; The Inuit Paradox; Patricia Gadsby; October 2004
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Heart Disease
- Centers for Disease Control: Prevention
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Online"; Associations of Obesity With Triglycerides...; Zeina Makhoul, PhD, et al.; March 23, 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
