Hungry Planet - Chad

This is the Mustapha family (9 members) living in the village of Dar Es Sallam with 210 inhabitants (from the book Hungry Planet by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio).

Hungry Planet - Mali

For us, living in the civilized world, this is a bit of an extreme example of a diet. Here is the Natomo family, from the book Hungry Planet.

Salt - Is it the Cause of Hypertension?

Today, it is a common assumption that excess salt consumption leads to high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Hypertension is very common in obese and diabetic patients.

The Fiber Myth

The fiber hypothesis is based on the study of a single investigator named Denis Burkitt, former missionary surgeon in Uganda. He proposed that a diet high in fiber, as he observed among native populations in Africa, is the key to prevent chronic diseases especially colon and rectal cancer.

Diseases of Civilization - Africa

The eyewitness testimony from missionary and colonial physicians lead to two observations:
1. Diseases of civilization were rare to non-existent among isolated populations.
2. These diseases appeared only after populations were exposed to Western foods, in particular sugar and white flour.