Implications of market integration for cardiovascular and metabolic health among an indigenous Amazonian Ecuadorian population

et al. 2014

PeerJ

Self Cite

Cassava beer, or chicha, is typically consumed daily by the indigenous Shuar people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This traditional beverage made from cassava tuber (Manihot esculenta) is thought to improve nutritional quality and flavor while extending shelf life in a tropical climate. Bacteria responsible for chicha fermentation could be a source of microbes for the human microbiome, but little is known regarding the microbiology of chicha. We investigated bacterial community composition of chicha batches using Illumina high-throughput sequencing. Fermented chicha samples were collected from seven Shuar households in two neighboring villages in the Morona-Santiago region of Ecuador, and the composition of the bacterial communities within each chicha sample was determined by sequencing a region of the 16S ribosomal gene. Members of the genus Lactobacillus dominated all samples. Significantly greater phylogenetic similarity was observed among chicha samples taken within a village than those from different villages. Community composition varied among chicha samples, even those separated by short geographic distances, suggesting that ecological and/or evolutionary processes, including human-mediated factors, may be responsible for creating locally distinct ferments. Our results add to evidence from other fermentation systems suggesting that traditional fermentation may be a form of domestication, providing endemic beneficial inocula for consumers, but additional research is needed to identify the mechanisms and extent of microbial dispersal.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local domestication of lactic acid bacteria via cassava beer fermentation

Colehour

Meadow

et al. 2014

PeerJ

Self Cite

“…The Shuar are a large indigenous population of 40,000-110,000 individuals inhabiting the neotropical Amazonas region of southeastern Ecuador. Traditionally subsistence forager-horticulturalists, recent development of infrastructure in some regions of Shuar territory has resulted in increased contact with outsiders and varying degrees of integration into the wider market economy (Liebert et al, 2013;Lu, 2007). Many communities now possess schools, electricity, running water, and other modern features.…”

Section: Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many communities now possess schools, electricity, running water, and other modern features. Despite these changes, however, diet among the Shuar remains generally poor and group members, particularly children, continue to face a heavy burden of infectious disease (Blackwell et al, 2010;Cepon-Robins et al, 2014;Liebert et al, 2013). Physical growth at the population level is characterized by rates of childhood stunting of 40% but low incidence of underweight and wasting, a pattern typical of other indigenous Amazonians (Blackwell et al, 2009;Urlacher et al, 2016).…”

Section: Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The application of knemometry to measure childhood short‐term growth among the indigenous Shuar of Ecuador

Urlacher

Snodgrass

American J Phys Anthropol

et al. 2016

Self Cite

Knemometry can be reliably performed in the field, providing a means for evaluating childhood short-term growth among genetically and ecologically diverse populations. Preliminary findings suggest that Shuar weekly LL growth is comparable in mean magnitude but likely more variable than reported for healthy Western children. Future work will further explore these patterns. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:353-357, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

“…The combination of rural, agrarian lifeways and increasing market integration produces a distinct economic and nutritional landscape shared across many Latin American populations (Rivera et al, 2004). Compared to local indigenous groups, such as the Shuar however, Colonos are experiencing a later stage of this economic and nutrition transition (Liebert et al, 2013). …”

Section: Participant Population and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining osteoporosis risk in older Colono adults from rural Amazonian Ecuador using calcaneal ultrasonometry

Madimenos

Cepon-Robins

et al. 2014

American J Hum Biol

Self Cite

Objective Low bone density and osteoporosis prevalence, while well-documented in wealthy nations, are poorly studied in rural, non-clinical contexts in economically-developing regions such as Latin America. This study contributes preliminary osteoporosis risk data for a rural Colono (mestizo) population from Amazonian Ecuador. Methods Anthropometrics were collected for 119 adult participants (74 females, 45 males [50–90 years old]). Heel bone density and T-scores were recorded using calcaneal ultrasonometry Results Approximately 33.6% of the participants had low bone density and were at high-risk for osteoporosis. Four times as many females as males were considered high-risk. Consistent with epidemiological literature, advancing age was significantly associated with lower bone density values (p=0.001). Conclusions Low bone density and osteoporosis prevalence are expected to increase in this and other economically-transitioning populations, yet infrastructure to monitor this changing epidemiological landscape is almost non-existent. Human biologists are uniquely positioned to contribute data from remote populations, a critical step towards initiating increased resource allocation for diagnosis and prevention.