Topic 3 - Cross-cultural health beliefs related to food Flashcards
Food as Medicine
Almost all cultures use dietary practices to maintain health or to treat illness
Cultures that view food as medicine: A_____, C______, South _______, Latin Americans.
Arabs, Chinese, South Asians, Latin Americans
Health Canada - Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion
2007 food guide included the 4 food groups
1) Vegetables and fruit
2) Grain products
3) Milk and alternatives
4) Meat and alternatives
1) Vegetables and fruit
2) Grain products
3) Milk and alternatives
4) Meat and alternatives
The Nutrition Facts Table seeks to help to _______ information about healthy eating practices, increase ____________ of the links between nutritional health and well-being, and help people reduce the risk of chronic nutrition-related diseases.
reinforce information about healthy eating practices
increase understanding of the links between nutritional health and well-being
Health beliefs are ________. Therefore understanding of the cause, prevention, and treatment of disease will differ.
cultural
Health beliefs will impact:
– The ________ a person considers to be a health problem
– Trust or distrust of _________ advice or procedures;
– An individual’s desire to keep a disease __________
– Tendencies toward stoicism or dramatic reactions to discomfort or pain;
– Social support provided by family and community.
– Symptoms – Medical advice – confidential, confidentiality – reactions to discomfort or pain; – Types of social support provided by family and community (Social Capital)
Biomedicine is system of clinical medicine based off of principles of biology, physiology, and biochemistry.
Focuses on internal workings
Disease is seen as a ________ of the body
malfunction
Biomedicine identifies three causes of disease.
1) _________ causes: bacteria, viruses, toxins, tumors, injury
2) _________ causes: smoking, high cholesterol levels, glucose intolerance, or nutritional deficiencies
3) _______ causes: hereditary predisposition, obesity.
Biomedicine identifies three causes of disease.
1) Immediate - bacteria, viruses, toxins, tumors, injury
2) Underlying - smoking, high cholesterol levels, glucose intolerance, or nutritional deficiencies
3) Ultimate - hereditary predisposition, obesity.
Evidence-based medicine applies the best evidence from the scientific method to clinical decision making.
Therefore it places placebo-controlled clinical trials at the ____ and conventional wisdom at the _______.
Placebo-controlled clinical trials at the top
Conventional wisdom at the bottom
Traditional medicine (Indigenous medicine or folk medicine)
Describes medical knowledge _______ which developed over centuries within different societies.
knowledge systems
Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.
Traditional Health Beliefs in Mexico
- A holistic system focuses on sorcery, soul loss, and loss of homeostasis between the body’s hot and cold humors;
- Illness can be the result of God’s will, fate, or unnatural (evil) forces;
- Illness cannot therefore always be avoided by the individual.
Fatalistic, deterministic
Health Beliefs in India
- Illness caused by ______: ____ _____ actions affect one’s present life
- Indians may rely on _____ remedies as the principal means of preventing and curing illnesses.
- ________ dietary system of India: Hindus, Sikhs, some Muslims
karma, past life
herbal remedies
Ayurvedic
– Diet, herbal remedies, meditation • 1,400 plants used
– Hot and cold foods and conditions
Traditional Health Beliefs of Southeast Asia
- Typically combine facets of ________ ______ systems.
- May hold beliefs dating back to the ancient religions of the region.
- Many believe in spirits and ghosts of ________ who have the ability to act as guardians against misfortune or who can cause harm and suffering.
- ___/___/____ are believed to cause disease (i.e.; protection from cold wind is important)
- Hot and Cold beliefs prevail
multiple belief systems
spirits and ghost of ancestors
Wind/air/drafts believed to cause disease
Health Beliefs in the Philippines
- Life is __________ God’s will and supernatural forces.
- Illness is a punishment for ______________ against God.
- Illness due to the evil eye, witchcraft and the unhappy ghosts of one’s ancestors.
- Mexican hot-cold theory used to treat sickness
• _________is used to cleanse the body of
impurities or evil forces through vomiting,
perspiration.
Life is controlled
illness is punishments for transgressions against god, and or the evil eye/witchcraft/unhappy ancestors.
Flushing used to cleanse impurities
– Vinegar mixed with water, salt and chile peppers is taken to stimulate sweating.
The Evil Eye (mal de ojo)
- Some Middle Eastern, African , Mediterranean and Latin American countries
- Amulets may be worn to protect from the .
- The _________ is a popular palm-shaped amulet used throughout North Africa and the Middle East to ward off the evil eye.
worn to protect from the “evil eye”
Khamsa
Response to illness is based on
belief in its cause…
- Personal responsibility
- Fatalistic attitude
• Sickness is considered a punishment for the
violation of religious laws, or is part of God’s plan.
– Illness caused by actions of gods, spirits, or the ghosts of ancestors
Ancient Greek Medical System
• 4 elements: earth, wind, fire and water
• Humours: – blood (\_\_\_\_\_\_), – yellow bile (\_\_\_\_\_\_), – black bile (\_\_\_\_\_\_\_), – phlegm (\_\_\_\_\_\_)
When a person is healthy, the four humors are balanced.
– blood (heart),
– yellow bile (liver),
– black bile (spleen),
– phlegm (brain)
Ancient Greek Medical System
– When a person is ill, they should ingest foods with qualities that ______ those of the illness, which is based on the premise that imbalances among the humors could be corrected by administering drugs or foods with appropriately _______ properties
oppose those of the illness
Balance – other systems
- Humoral system of _________ Medicine
- Hot & Cold folk system of Latin America
- Yin (cool) & Yang (hot) system of traditional Chinese medicine
Humoral Islamic medicine
Hot and Cold food beliefs
- Some foods are perceived to be “hot” and some are “cold”.
- Some are neutral.
- These perceptions are based on how foods are thought to affect body functions.
• There is a difference in perception of “hot” and “cold” foods depending on the traditional system of medicine.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Yin
Most ______, _______ and seafoods,
Fish,
Honey,
Oysters Legumes
Mostly fruits, vegetables and fruits
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Yang
\_\_\_\_\_\_ Black or chili pepper Coffee Onions, garlic, ginger Smoked fish Alcoholic beverages
meats
Mexican folk medicine
Cold
_____ and inexpensive meats (chicken, rabbit, goats)
tropical fruits citrus (acidic)
corn products dairy products
Beans
Hot
\_\_\_\_\_ chili peppers temperate \_\_\_\_\_\_ cereal grains goat’s milk oils hard liquor chocolate
beef
temperate fruits
India - Ayurveda
- The body is comprised of three forces (___“___).
- One or more doshas will predominate in every individual.
- The state of equilibrium between the ___“___is a state of health; the state of imbalance results in ______ and _____ disturbance.
doshas - the three forces of the body
imbalance = disease and mental disturbance
• The Ayurvedic physician tries to balance the doshas using different kinds of therapies, including food.
Herbal Medicinal Products in Western Countries
- ↑ sales of Indian HMPs - not just to individuals of Indian origin but to the population at large.
- The US is the largest market for Indian HMP accounting for about __% of the total exports.
50%
• Ayurvedic medicines sold on the Internet were tested for content. Medicines manufactured in the U.S. and India were tested.
_/5 contained detectable lead, mercury,
or arsenic.
1/5 contained heavy metals
Countries like China, India and ______ are practicing a combination of traditional healing practices in addition to Biomedicine.
China, India and Mexico
Worldwide 17%-78% of patients with diabetes use ____________ and _________ medicine (CAM) therapies, including nutritional supplements; herbals; nutritional counseling; spices; plant foods; and such techniques as acupuncture, spiritual healing, Chinese medicine, and mindfulness, often concurrently with conventional healthcare.
complementary and alternative medicine
T2DM is a preventable disease associated with lifestyle.
– Do at least _____ minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise each week (i.e.; 30 minutes, 5 days a week).
– Follow Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide, which includes limiting the amount of fat you eat.
– Maintain a healthy body weight.
150 min/week
South Asian and Chinese Traditional Medicine T2DM Treatments
• Bitter melon and _______ (methi in India)
to lower blood sugar
- Bitter melon (kǔ guā 苦瓜) is yin (cooling)
- Not clear if evidence-
based medicine supports
their use
Bitter melon and fenugreek
Chinese cultural barriers to initiating insulin therapy for diabetes
• Diabetes is believed to be caused by a combination of factors, including _______ stress and worry.
• Distrust of Western medicines.
– Insulin is considered ‘___’
– Western medications are “too _____” for small bodies, so medications are adjusted.
- Greater familiarity with/easier access to traditional medicines.
- Problems with translation between English and Chinese language when seeking treatment.
Emotional stress and worry
Insulin considered “hot”
Western medicine “too hot”
First Nations perceptions of diabetes
- Some see diabetes as coming from the “white man” and the loss of ________ _________ .
- Diabetes may be considered a fact of life. Attitudes are therefore ________.
- First Nation traditional healing practices may be used.
– Persons may not share this fact with health professionals for fear of being ridiculed or because the methods are considered sacred.
traditional lifestyles
fatalistic
– “I guess pretty soon that everybody here on the reserve will be like that.” (Garro 1996)
Mexican Folk beliefs about T2DM
- It is the result of _____ (susto) resulting in the loss of the soul.
- Treatment includes home remedies such as _____ plants (nopalitos), prayer, spiritual healing and massage as complements to hypoglycemic medicines.
- Individuals may consult a ____ (curandero), herbalist or other folk medicine practitioner.
result of fright
cactus plant
consult a healer
