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Weight & Disease
The Ethnic Equation

Are some ethnic groupshealthier than others?

And are they healthier because of their ethnicity or because of the diet they follow?

For years, health experts have been studying the diet of the French who consume rich creams, fatty cheeses, and luscious desserts yet the French have a low incident of heart disease.

The 'Wine Equation' was brought into the picture including more intense studies to see if there was a connection in wine consumption and heart disease.

But after all these studies, and all these analysis, does wine really cut heart disease risks? Or is the low risk of heart disease inherent in the French people? Could it be a simple case of ethnicity?

There is a long list of disease and health issues that appear to be more brutal to some ethnic groups than others. Blacks are more susceptible to sickle cell anemia than other ethnic groups.

Some ethnic groups tend to accumulate more body fat than others, while some ethnic groups remain razor-thin on the whole.

There are a lot of questions that have yet to be answered, and we may never know all the right answers. However, health studies are changing the way we interpret and construct health data on a continuous basis. Like the Mediterranean Diet.

Health & The Mediterranean Diet Connection

While the ethic groups that embrace this daily diet experience a decreased risk and rate of coronary heart disease, they experience more strokes. The Mediterranean Diet discourages consumption of red meat - recommending that it be limited to a few times per month. Both sweets and eggs reside right beneath the red meat serving recommendation. The Mediterranean Diet suggests they be enjoyed a few times per week.

Cheese and olive oil is listed towards the upper tier. The eggs, the cheese, the oil - could these be the culprits for an increased risk for stroke? Yet we have experts claiming that olive oil offers healthy benefits based on science and health studies. Thereby, adding to the maze of confusion and mystery.

What resides in that great chasm which separates the decrease in heart disease while increasing risk of stroke?

Sodium Consumption Related to Ethnic Heritage

Sodium intakes even vary among ethnic groups.

For example, Black Americans consume about 3,250 milligrams of sodium per day while White Americans consume 3,500 milligrams or more.

Excluding Alaskan natives, the remaining ethnic groups average approximately 3,300 milligrams per day. Alaskan natives average over 4,500 milligrams per day.

Health Summary

The differences in the daily diet of the vast culture of Earth's citizens, health is impacted at times in a vast manner.

These differences hold keys to longevity. The health benefits that a specific culture may receive from their daily diet may OR may not offer the same health benefits when an identical diet is embraced or practiced in other cultures.

We should all be proud of our heritage and learn as much about our roots as possible.

For some individuals, it is a much easier task than others. Many citizens of the United States are a mix of several ethnic groups, making it more difficult to determine a daily diet that works best for them - that would give them optimum health benefits and perhaps, a longer life.

If you are one of these individuals, try to pinpoint the central ethnic group of your roots. For example, if your lineage is populated with Hispanic, Irish, English and Scottish roots - but is most populated with Hispanic heritage, then examine this ethnic daily diet and see how well it impacts your over-all health and feeling of well-being.

One final health note; be certain to embrace traditional ethic diets as these have revolved significantly over time, containing far too much fat, sugar and sodium than they did in their early days. Many times, the old ways are best.

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