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Inuits' secret ingredient Beluga whale skin keeps villagers' blood low in cholesterol, despite a =
junk-food heavy diet
=20
Joseph Brean =20 National Post =20
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
=20
CREDIT: Emanuel Lowi=20
=20
Loaded with a chemical that slows cholesterol production, beluga skin is = a favourite snack of
Inuit in Salluit, Que., where death from heart = disease is 50% lower than average.=20
=20
ADVERTISEMENT=20
=20 20
Just living in Salluit, Que., should be enough to give you a heart = attack. Obesity in the village
on Quebec's far northern coast is almost = universal due to a diet heavy in junk food.
Physical exertion is rare, exercise for health unheard of, and = three-quarters of the 1,000
residents smoke heavily.
So there was much surprise at the Universit=E9 Laval when laboratory = analysis of the villagers'
blood showed their cholesterol levels would = be the envy of even a health-conscious jogger in
Canada's warmer climes.
The peculiar health secret of these Inuit, according to investigators, = is maktaaq, the beluga
whale skin that is the snack food of choice in = Salluit and is loaded with a chemical that slows
down cholesterol = production.
Inuit hunters skin the whales themselves and sell the maktaaq for about = $10 a kilogram at the
local store. Its popularity -- raw, pickled or = fried -- has meant mortality from heart disease in
Salluit is 50% lower = than the Quebec average.
Dr. Robert Hegele, an endocrinologist at the Robarts Research Institute = and an expert in heart
disease among natives, called it a "tantalizing" = find.
Researchers have known for several years that heart disease is less = common among Inuit, but
understanding exactly why is a work in progress. = Perhaps, as many doctors believe, Inuit possess a
special genetic gift = that renders them almost immune to heart disease, or perhaps it is the =
invigorating effect of perpetually cold weather, or perhaps it is = something else altogether.
Common medical wisdom holds that, in large part, a diet heavy on fish = and seafood is a key factor
because it provides fatty acids to fight = cholesterol. But the Canadian government, realizing that
fish caught in = oceans and streams can be heavy in toxic industrial chemicals, most = notably
mercury and PCBs, has long urged restraint in how much fish = Inuit consume.
A seafood diet was dealt a large blow in the 1980s, when Finnish = researchers found a link between
mercury in fish and cardiovascular = disease. They theorized mercury promotes the conversion of good
= cholesterol into bad and might outweigh the good effects of fish.
There is no better place in Canada to study the effects of mercury = poisoning than in aboriginal
villages. From Northern Ontario reserves = downstream from mining operations to the fishing
communities of the = Arctic, mercury is an unwanted but pervasive ingredient in the fish and = other
sea life that makes up much of the traditional aboriginal diet.
"They are very highly contaminated with mercury ... 10 times more [than = the average Canadian],"
said Marie-Claire Belanger, an author of the = study.
Levels of PCBs, an industrial toxin, in these Inuit are similarly = elevated, by about 15 times over
the average.
Ds. Belanger, a student at Laval who is a co-author on the research = paper with several other
senior scientists, took blood and hair samples = from 117 Salluit villagers and tried to
recreate the Finnish results, = but failed.
"I didn't find anything," she said yesterday at the Canadian = Cardiovascular Congress in Toronto
after presenting the findings.
Stuck with a set of blood samples that would otherwise go to waste, she = decided to measure blood
lipids, starting with LDL molecules, the = so-called bad cholesterol.
Much as a plate of butter left out of the fridge turns rancid when = exposed to the air for a few
days, so do greasy LDL molecules bond with = oxygen in the blood to become a goopy mess. This can
stick to the walls = of blood vessels and cause them to block up, so any molecule that helps = this
reaction along, like mercury, is a potential health hazard.
But as the Laval researchers found, anti-oxidant molecules can have the = reverse effect.
Maktaaq, they realized, is loaded with the anti-oxidant selenium, and = for a population that eats
so much of it, a link was obvious.
The finding, while provocative, might end up meaning very little for = government policy. Across the
Arctic, food is increasingly canned, = loaded with preservatives and deep-fried. Among younger
people, the = trend away from traditional foods is particularly strong, so the Laval = research
might simply be documenting the effects of a diet that is = doomed to the history books.
As fast food catches hold and fish gets passed up, "it becomes harder to = do these studies," Dr.
Hegele said.
In 1990, a majority of Inuit ate fish from traditional sources at least = three times a week, but
today they are a dwindling minority. Studies = suggest this change is for the worse.
However, the fact that results continue to show lower heart disease = among Inuit even as their diet
changes suggests some other factor may be = at play, either heredity or another environmental trait.
"There's some kind of complexity that is not easily explained," Dr. = Hegele said. "There's not a
simple smoking gun."
Most of the people in the study, 82 of 117, were women, who are known to = develop heart disease
later than men. Men were generally reluctant to = participate, and this may have skewed the results.
Overall, Dr. Hegele said, the study is not the last word on the matter, = but a significant clue
that the traditional Inuit diet holds important = secrets for preventing heart attacks.
[email hidden]
=A9 Copyright 2003 National Post=20
=20 20
=20 20
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<DIV><A=20 href=3D"nationalpost.comstory.htmlOpen ↗ 3B-C989-4D2C-8016-
58FB8DADF8CA"><STRONG><FONT=20
size=3D1>nationalpost.comstory.htmlOpen ↗ 83B-C989-4D2C-8016-
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<><STRONG><FONT size=3D4></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<><STRONG><FONT size=3D2>Inuits' secret ingredient<BR>Beluga whale = skin keeps=20 villagers'
blood low in cholesterol, despite a junk-food heavy = diet<BR> =20 <BR>Joseph
Brean <BR>National Post = </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3D4>
<><BR><FONT size=3D2>Tuesday, October 28, 2003<BR> <BR>CREDIT: = Emanuel=20 Lowi <BR>
<BR>Loaded with a chemical that slows cholesterol = production,=20 beluga skin is a favourite
snack of Inuit in Salluit, Que., where death = from=20 heart disease is 50% lower than average.
<BR> <BR>ADVERTISEMENT=20 <BR> <BR> <BR>Just living in Salluit, Que., should be
enough = to give=20 you a heart attack. Obesity in the village on Quebec's far northern = coast
is=20 almost universal due to a diet heavy in junk food.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Physical exertion is rare, exercise for health = unheard of, and=20 three-
quarters of the 1,000 residents smoke heavily.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>So there was much surprise at the Universit=E9 Laval = when=20 laboratory
analysis of the villagers' blood showed their cholesterol = levels=20 would be the envy of even
a health-conscious jogger in Canada's warmer=20 climes.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>The peculiar health secret of these Inuit, according = to=20 investigators, is
maktaaq, the beluga whale skin that is the snack food = of=20 choice in Salluit and is loaded
with a chemical that slows down = cholesterol=20 production.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Inuit hunters skin the whales themselves and sell = the maktaaq=20 for about $10
a kilogram at the local store. Its popularity -- raw, = pickled or=20 fried -- has meant
mortality from heart disease in Salluit is 50% lower = than the=20 Quebec average.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Dr. Robert Hegele, an endocrinologist at the Robarts = Research=20 Institute and
an expert in heart disease among natives, called it a=20 "tantalizing" find.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Researchers have known for several years that heart = disease is=20 less common
among Inuit, but understanding exactly why is a work in = progress.=20 Perhaps, as many doctors
believe, Inuit possess a special genetic gift = that=20 renders them almost immune to heart
disease, or perhaps it is the = invigorating=20 effect of perpetually cold weather, or perhaps
it is something else=20 altogether.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Common medical wisdom holds that, in large part, a = diet heavy=20 on fish and
seafood is a key factor because it provides fatty acids to = fight=20 cholesterol. But the
Canadian government, realizing that fish caught in = oceans=20 and streams can be heavy in
toxic industrial chemicals, most notably = mercury and=20 PCBs, has long urged restraint in how
much fish Inuit = consume.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>A seafood diet was dealt a large blow in the 1980s, = when=20 Finnish
researchers found a link between mercury in fish and = cardiovascular=20 disease. They
theorized mercury promotes the conversion of good = cholesterol into=20 bad and might outweigh
the good effects of fish.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>There is no better place in Canada to study the = effects of=20 mercury
poisoning than in aboriginal villages. From Northern Ontario = reserves=20 downstream from
mining operations to the fishing communities of the = Arctic,=20 mercury is an unwanted but
pervasive ingredient in the fish and other = sea life=20 that makes up much of the traditional
aboriginal diet.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>"They are very highly contaminated with mercury ... = 10 times=20 more [than the
average Canadian]," said Marie-Claire Belanger, an author = of the=20 study.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Levels of PCBs, an industrial toxin, in these Inuit = are=20 similarly elevated,
by about 15 times over the average.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Ms. Belanger, a student at Laval who is a co-author = on the=20 research paper
with several other senior scientists, took blood and hair = samples=20 from 117 Salluit
villagers and tried to recreate the Finnish results, = but=20 failed.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>"I didn't find anything," she said yesterday at the = Canadian=20 Cardiovascular
Congress in Toronto after presenting the = findings.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Stuck with a set of blood samples that would = otherwise go to=20 waste, she
decided to measure blood lipids, starting with LDL molecules, = the=20 so-called bad
cholesterol.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Much as a plate of butter left out of the fridge = turns rancid=20 when exposed
to the air for a few days, so do greasy LDL molecules bond = with=20 oxygen in the blood to
become a goopy mess. This can stick to the walls = of blood=20 vessels and cause them to block
up, so any molecule that helps this = reaction=20 along, like mercury, is a potential health
hazard.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>But as the Laval researchers found, anti-oxidant = molecules can=20 have the
reverse effect.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Maktaaq, they realized, is loaded with the = anti-oxidant=20 selenium, and for a
population that eats so much of it, a link was=20 obvious.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>The finding, while provocative, might end up meaning = very=20 little for
government policy. Across the Arctic, food is increasingly = canned,=20 loaded with
preservatives and deep-fried. Among younger people, the = trend away=20 from traditional foods
is particularly strong, so the Laval research = might=20 simply be documenting the effects of a
diet that is doomed to the = history=20 books.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>As fast food catches hold and fish gets passed up, = "it becomes=20 harder to do
these studies," Dr. Hegele said.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>In 1990, a majority of Inuit ate fish from = traditional sources=20 at least
three times a week, but today they are a dwindling minority. = Studies=20 suggest this change
is for the worse.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>However, the fact that results continue to show = lower heart=20 disease among
Inuit even as their diet changes suggests some other = factor may be=20 at play, either
heredity or another environmental trait.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>"There's some kind of complexity that is not easily=20 explained," Dr. Hegele
said. "There's not a simple smoking = gun."</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Most of the people in the study, 82 of 117, were = women, who=20 are known to
develop heart disease later than men. Men were generally = reluctant=20 to participate, and
this may have skewed the results.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>Overall, Dr. Hegele said, the study is not the last = word on=20 the matter, but
a significant clue that the traditional Inuit diet holds =
important secrets for preventing heart attacks.</FONT></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><A href=3D""][email hidden]"><FONT=20
size=3D2>[email hidden]</FONT></A></DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<><FONT size=3D2>=A9 Copyright 2003 National Post <BR></FONT> =20
<BR> </DIV>
<> </DIV>
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