subsaharan africa Flashcards
south africa
namibia, bostwana
central africa
cameroon, democratic, republci of congo, angola
western africa
nigeria, mali, mauritania
south mediterranean/north africa
algeria, libya, egypt
east africa
ethiopia, kenya, tanzania
summary of african foods
flat bread (chapatti, injera)
grains: sorghum (sourdough-like), millet, teff, corn, wheat, rice
veg: okra, leafy green, squash(pumpkin)
starches: plantain + tuber
oil: palm(half SFA), peanut (healthier profile
diary: few tribal groups drink fresh milk (most ppl lactose intolerant)
meat: cow, lamb, goat, poultry, game/bush meat
legumes: peanut, cowpea, black bean
seeds: squash
generalities about african food culture
main meal is lunch.
stew, soup, sauce w carb, plantain, unleavened wheat bread, fermented teff/sorghum flat bread.
10 most popular foods in Africa
tagine fried wheat bread meat stew w peanuts south african chile sauce ugali/sadza - stiff porridge from maize fufu: stiff porridge from pounded cassava, yam, plantain rice pilau injera: spongy sourdough fried plantain meat roasted over charcoal
african cereals
sorghum, millet, teff = native, grow in harsh enviro.
gluten free
= flat bread + porridge.
sorghum + millet make beer
=more successful crops. efficient grains.
corn
introduced cereal (from Central America) - corn has b1-nyasin but not bioavailable.l
- low B1 in diet = pollegra
what are consequneces of pollegra
death
dermatitis
diarhhea
dementia
what are other sources of b1
peanuts, animal meat
what is cassava
tuber - first cultivated in South America
cassava + cyanide
-> ? and how to avoid?
raw cassava = cyanogenic glycosides. can cause cyanide poisoning.
makes tapioca.
lots of carbs, lots of calories from 100g.
perrenial.
-> boil leaves, process roots
what are symptoms of cyanide poisoning
impaired thyroid function, nerve function, paralysis + death
-> leg paralysis
how to process cassava root
peel
soak (water 48-60 hrs)
cook (boil, roast, bake)
pair with protein (protein detoxifies when eaten together) = need to bound down cassava a lot
yams
tuber. important for central/west african ppl
labor-intensive + physically demanding to harvest
not good source of amino acids
-> high prevalence of kwashiorkor (protein deficiency) in areas where eaten
NOT sweet potato
palm oil
native to Africa cheaper than healthier peanut oil high in beta-carotene + tocotrienols (vitE form) flesh palm oil = 50% sat fat kernel (pit)palm is 80% sat fat
whos more susceptible to cyanide poisoning?
women - prepping food.
poor nutrition status = more likely to experience toxicity.
eat lots of cassava.
those with low protein. protein can help detoxify.
difference in cal + VitA precursors in yam + sweet potatoes
yam = 116kcal’ 6mg/100g
sweet potato: 76kcal/100g + 787 mg per 100g
RDA of VitA = 700F and 900M
VitA - deficient bc?
not enough carotenoids, or not enough retinols.
night blindness.
palm oil + our planet
- most widely consumed.
- in cosmetics + soap.
- grown in Africa, asia, south america.
- forest cut down for palm oil = deforestation = death of animals due to habitat loss.
west africa type of diet
heavy in starch
low in meat
generous with fat
cooked in one pot
in what dish is okra used??
gumbo = highly mucilaginous
staple food?
fufu - pounded yams or cassava
sometimes from grain.
fufu generally served with soup/stew
how to make fufu?
lots of pounding, use pestle and mortar. put cooked root into there + pound some more.
origin of okra
African origin
religions in eastern Africa, influences from?
east indian (chapatti, samosa) eastern orthodox - if adherent, vegan/vegetarian during fast. food developed to eat during this time. christian muslim local religions
what is injera?
flatbread.
ethiopia: make sourdough batter, leavened with local yeast in environment. tast of injera reflect taste within environment. each batch of bread, piece of dough taken out as starter - inoculate next bread. bread bubbles = due to fermentation of batter due to yeast.
use teff = type of fine flour
south africa -
blended cuisines - african, euro, south asian influences - make wines use maize + sorghum for porridge - lactose tolerant = soured/fermented milk/products
what is kwashiokor?
protein deficienncy.
need animal protein for nyasin.
protein help protect from cyanide poisoning
health of traditional African diet
- compare African American to Rural African. % of nutrient groups
colon cancer - lower risk due to traditional diet.
- > african american: 15% protein, 35% fat. 75% of protein from animal source. 14g fibre
- > rural african: 11% protein, 16% fat, 66% from plant sources. 66g fibre
African Diet Swap Study
swap rural and African American diets.
small study, short period
-> swapped for 2 weeks.
-> before + after diet swapped colonoscopy to sample bacteria in colon, check for biological markers of colon cancer.
_> half american had polyps, no africans had
-> african american - no variety, low veg, meat 3x a day.
-> rural african: high grain,0–1x a day for meat.
-> colonoscopy after. african diet, american had less inflammation, less risk factors for colon cancer. africans on american diet had greater markers for cancer,
-> overall change in bacteira in gut. African diet = increase production of butyrate (fermenting fiber to make short-chain FA ) if no fiber, cant make butyrate. butyrate is likely healthy = less inflammation in gut, stops pathogen from crossing gut -> body. american diet = decrease butyrate production
implications of study
short, limited number of respondents.
implied that lower risk of colon cancer by changing diet (more veg, less meat)
problem: bc african diet becoming more westernied = may see emergence of colon cancer
