Traditional Inuit diet

First, however, we need to consider the overall status of proteins in relation to fats and carbohydrates. For most societies, protein is the expensive treat in the diet. Only in hunting communities, like traditional Inuit in the Arctic regions, would protein be abundant enough to be a major part of the calorie intake. Also we caimot... 

Pinnipeds (e.g., seals, walruses) are a key link in many marine food webs, in that they are commonly found, predate on fish, and are hunted in turn by sharks, polar bears, and Arctic Inuit peoples as part of their traditional diet. In these roles, pinnipeds play a significant role in bioaccumulating POPs and in transferring these contaminant burdens to higher trophic levels. Thus, an understanding of POP dynamics in pinnipeds is important in exposure and risk assessment, and an enantiomer-specific understanding is vital given that pinnipeds bioprocess POPs enantioselectively. 

Interest in EPA and DHA does not only stem from the molecules formed from them. They have direct effects as well they lower the levels of fats in blood. They are also found in brain tissue, so there is good reason to assume that they have an important function in the brain. Many other additional benefits are described as well, the most well documented is a decrease in the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This was recognized as early as the 1920s, when studies of the usual diet of Inuit people highlighted the connection between consuming a lot of (o-3 fatty acids and the absence of heart diseases in their society. Inuit who did not follow their traditional diet did not experience similar protective effects. 

Genetic lack of sucrase—isomaltase is very common among the Inuit of North America. On their traditional diet this caused no problems, as they had no significant sources of sucrose or isomaltose. With the adoption of a more Western diet, sucrose-induced diarrhoea has become a significant cause of undernutrition among infants and children. 

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