Animal foods in traditional Australian aboriginal diets: Polyunsaturated and low in fat

Abstract

Australian Aborigines develop high frequencies of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases when they make the transition to an urban lifestyle. The composition of the traditional diet, particularly its lipid components, is a most important aspect of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle that would bear on the risk of these diseases. We have examined the fat content and fatty acid composition of a variety of animal foods eaten traditionally by Aborigines from different regions of Australia. The muscle samples of the wild animals from all over Australia were uniformly low in fat (less than 2.6% wet weight) with a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (greater than or equal to 20% PUFA). Liver samples had a higher range of fat content (5-10% wet weight) but were also rich in PUFA (33-42%). Depot fat samples varied widely in their PUFA content (5-40%). In terms of their PUFA composition the foods tended to fall into three groups: (i) those rich in both n-3 and n-6 PUFA, which included land-based, coastal and freshwater animals; (ii) those rich in n-3 PUFA, i.e., marine species; (iii) those rich in n-6 PUFA, mainly land-based species. The results of these analyses suggest that even when the traditional Aboriginal diet contained a high proportion of animal foods it would have been low in fat with a high proportion of PUFA and thereby could have protected Aborigines against cardiovascular diseases and related conditions through a combination of factors: low energy density, low saturated fat and relatively high PUFA content.

The paradoxical nature of hunter-gatherer diets: meat-based, yet non-atherogenic

“…In her study of Australian Aborigines temporarily reverting to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, O'Dea showed that animal foods contributed 64% of the total energy producing an overall macro-nutrient distribution of 54% protein, 33% carbohydrate and 13% fat energy (Naughton et al, 1986). Following a 7 week period living as hunter-gatherers in their traditional country in north-western Australia, these 10 diabetic, overweight Aborigines experienced either a great improvement or complete normalization of all of the major metabolic abnormalities of type 2 diabetes (O'Dea, 1984).…”

Review Paleolithic nutrition revisited: A twelve-year retrospective on its nature and implications

“…Much research has focused on Greenland Inuit (Eskimos), for whom n-6:n-3 ratios of 1:40 have been calculated; however, their extensive exploitation of marine resources is at variance with the currently accepted paleoanthropological view of human savanna origins (but see Crawford et al, 1993). The terrestrial food chain provides both linoleic acid (LA 18:2, n-6) and alpha linolenic acid (ALA 18:3, n-3) from plant sources (Simopoulos, 1991) as well as their desaturation/elongation products, arachidonic acid (AA, an n-6 PUFA), eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA, n-3 PUFAs) from animal tissue (Naughton et al, 1986). The prominence of game in typical hunter-gatherer diets produces high levels of AA, EPA and DHA in their plasma lipids relative to those found in Westerners (Sinclair & O'Dea, 1993).…”

Aproveitamento de vísceras não comestíveis de aves para elaboração de farinha de carne

“…Vários desses animais produzem carnes com baixos teores de lipídios totais, mas com desejáveis concentrações de ácidos graxos poliinsaturados, quando comparados a alguns animais domésticos (NAUGHTON; O'DEA; SINCLAIR, 1986;O'DEA, 1990; apud BRESSAN et al, 2004;SCRIBONI, 2006).…”

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Aproveitamento de vísceras não comestíveis de aves para elaboração de farinha de carneThe use of non-edible poultry viscera to produce meat flour Denise Pinheiro Soncini COSTA 1 *, Pedro Fernando ROMANELLI 2 , Elizeu TRABUCO 3

IntroduçãoAtualmente, em alguns países, a carne de animais silvestres é considerada um alimento exótico e desejável, por conter baixo teor calórico.Os animais silvestres, se adequadamente manejados, podem transformar-se em fontes renováveis de produtos de grande rentabilidade, contribuir para melhorar a oferta de alimentos e competir, em custo de produção, com os animais domésticos (GIANNONI, 1998).Vários desses animais produzem carnes com baixos teores de lipídios totais, mas com desejáveis concentrações de ácidos graxos poliinsaturados, quando comparados a alguns animais domésticos (NAUGHTON; O'DEA; SINCLAIR, 1986;O'DEA, 1990; apud BRESSAN et al, 2004;SCRIBONI, 2006).No contexto de consumo de animais silvestres, destaca-se a carne de ratitas (avestruz, ema e emu). A criação de ratitas está surgindo como uma alternativa para a agropecuária, pois tais aves, por utilizarem alimentos de baixa qualidade, existentes em solos fracos, apresentam potencial para transformá-los em proteína animal de alto valor biológico (GIANNONI, 1998(GIANNONI, , 2001).

Nas duas últimas décadas, embora ainda modesta, a criação de emas vem conquistando espaço no mercado brasileiro, especialmente entre os pequenos e médios produtores rurais que buscam lucratividade com um investimento inicial relativamente baixo (GIANNONI, 2001).

No Brasil, a utilização de abatedouros de bovinos adaptados está sendo a opção mais barata para a otimização do abate de avestruz em condições higiênico-sanitárias satisfatórias.

Com o crescente aumento da população mundial, tornase necessária a busca por alimentos alternativos, como forma de suprir a demanda.

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