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Q22-I've heard that Eskimos experience very little sickness in their culture. Why?
The Indian word Eskimo means "he eats it raw." The original habits and customs of the Eskimo can give valuable insights on how to achieve a high level of health. For one thing, he practiced conservation of body enzymes by arranging for outside enzymes to help digest his food. Plant food is virtually nonexistent in the far north. The Eskimo had to adapt to what was available and was forced to modify animal flesh in ways to serve not only as fuel but also as a means to maintain excellent health and prevent disease. He did this by using the food enzyme cathepsin found in meat and fish to help both the predigestion and digestion of the meat. Remember cathepsin is an enzyme found in animals that breaks down the tissue of the dead animal. The Eskimo would allow his fish, seals, polar bear, and elk to autolyze (decompose) itself before he would eat it. The food that was left was full of enzymes (lipase, protease, and amylase) which kept the Eskimo from wasting his own digestive enzymes. The secret of the good health of the carnivorous Eskimo is not that he eats meats, but that he does not allow his personal enzymes to digest all of it. We can do the same with proteins, carbohydrates, and fats from plant foods. |
