Diabetes and African&Native Americans?

Does anyone know why African & Native Americans are likely to have diabetes rather than caucasian people do?

When you think about a while it's really simple.

1. There is the history of both. There was a lack of refined food which would lead to an over weight population.

2. Most of their foods were raw and meals were prepared for each sitting. Not a real lot of seasonings that were not raw as well. Grocery store or frozen perpared foods are something diabetics should consume with moderation.

3. Most of both people were on the move or at least they got a lot more exercise than we do on our active days. When we get older and slow down some of our health problems are because we slow down with age and body parts are worn out. Both people could be taller because of increased milk intake, but, other organs could still reduce function as life span increases because the live much longer overall.

4. Then those of both people who were weak do not live long. We have a lot more people living today because our science can support less healthy population. Mixed blessing.

5. Then there is the developed biology of the body that certain people around the world can consume different foods tthat would make us sick or reduce our life span. Eskimos used to eat a lot of blubber/fat to survive. High energy for the demands of cold weather. Today that would clog our arteries in not time. Any stored meat for both African or Navtive Americans would have been smoked or jerked. Again lots of fat content.

6. I don't know if anyone has done a study for links to diabetics, but they have as why we are taller than three generations ago, as well why teeth are stronger, and why body parts seem to have a definite life function age.

Not much science here just free flow thinking.

Best Wishes.

Not off the top of my head, no. I think I might have learned about that in Human Evolution last year, but I don't have my notes with me (and even then, it was 1 page on it out of at least 100), and checking an Anthropology anthology, all that explains is why blacks are more susceptible to hypertension.

If I had to mix what little I remember with educated guessing, I'd say it's because diabetes is a disease that's only really a disease when a person has excess food. When food isn't always available and famines are more frequent, those with diabetes are more likely to survive than those without. Native Americans formed civilizations centuries after Mesopotamians and Europeans, so they wouldn't have had the benefits of civilization which would give a steadier supply of food, so diabetes would probably still be in the best interest of some of the individuals. Similarly, African American slaves were often underfed to save money, so diabetes would have been good for them too. So my guess is that races that have historically been more prone to famines are more likely to have diabetes in the modern age, whereas races that were historically rather well-fed (often the result of more advanced farming techniques, and the sort of animal domestication that was impossible in the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa), diabetes would have become a liability for them early on, and would have lead to early deaths for those with diabetes. Similarly, in the well-fed global North countries of today, diabetes will probably get weeded out too, though more slowly than before because synthetic insulin makes diabetes less harmful than it was in the past.

But, that's just my guess. I'm sure you can probably find a scientific source someplace. :-)

It has to do with the foods their ancestors ate and evolved around. Look up "Pima Indians" sometime. They have the highest incidence on the planet. They also were introduced to the typical western diet of way too many refined carbs after centuries of eating healthy foods. If your ancestors evolved from a high fat, high refined carb diet, your chances of getting type two are far less.

im not sure every race has its own heath issues.... my uncle went to try to study native american health issues.... i myself am native american and just found out friday i also have a little african heritage as well after a dna geneolgy test my uncle took.... diabetes runs in my family... as does heart disease but im not sure why certain things effect others more
thanks
~Cherokee74