Week 1 Biocultural Perspective of the Human Diet Flashcards
What is nutritionism?
views food only as a vehicle for essential micro-nutrients and value is seen only through its nutrients.
- recommendations for amounts of nutrients in the diet
- mandatory nutrient facts table
- mandatory food fortifications
- vitamin and mineral supplements are a multi billion dollar industry
What is a cuisine?
A cuisine is a style of cooking associated with a specific culture or geographic region. it is characterized by distinctive ingredients, methods of food prep and dishes
How do humans interact with food?
- do not consume pure elements we get them from food
- eating is a social activity and meals
- eating is influenced by social and cultural factors
How is eating a social activity?
- decisions about eating (who, what, when, where, why) are powerfully influenced by social contexts
- meals are central to social structure and group identity
How is eating infleucned by social and cultural factors?
- food is an important part of hospitality
- inviting friends to your house
- food is used in worship to connect people with their deity
- special meals at Christmas time or passover
- food is used to celebrate
- birthday cake, job promotion
- people intentionally choose to without food (religious fasting)
How can humans overcome innate taste aversions and likes?
humans have innate liking for sweet foods and rejection for bitter foods, although the liking of bitter foods can be aquried through repeated exposure, social prompting and social approval. likewise, people may reject sweet foods to lose weight or for health reasons
- right from get go babies drink breast milk which is full of sugar
- bitter foods contain alkaloids which body wants to avoid as child but can overcome that aversion
How are humans unique in terms of eating?
dietary diversity and flexibility
- we like variety which ensures maximal exposure to food to meet our needs. Can live basically pole to pole and we are very adaptable to environments.
What is the controversy with colustrum?
colustrum is a mothers first milk which a lot of people discard because it looks gross and some think it is bad. It is actually essential for the newborn however and is yellow precisely because it has caretenoids.
How does alcohol consumption vary globally?
What is an example of a food that humans eat that is potentially dangerous?
What are examples of how food has symbolic value?
- chinese new year
- lucky iron fish
- Concerned about level of anemia in Cambodia and they are poor and mostly rice and fish. Iron in bodies is about 3-4 grams (American penny) in the Hb of RBC’s and very important. Cook food in cast iron it leeches in the food so gave them a piece of iron to put into the cooking pot and fish symbolized good luck and about 7mg of iron will leech into the food
reccomendations:
men: 8mg a day
Women: 18mg a day
- Concerned about level of anemia in Cambodia and they are poor and mostly rice and fish. Iron in bodies is about 3-4 grams (American penny) in the Hb of RBC’s and very important. Cook food in cast iron it leeches in the food so gave them a piece of iron to put into the cooking pot and fish symbolized good luck and about 7mg of iron will leech into the food
What are examples of food as medicine?
- traditional chinese medicine
- Ayurveda
How si food esthetics improtant to humans?
- food is used as art (Thai food carvings)
- Food can ve artfully arranged on plates
Biological approach to human nutrition
‘biology matters’ this approach focuses on human evolution and how it influences what humans eat
Cultural approach to human nutrition
‘culture matters’ the approach focuses on the cultural explanations for what humans eat
Gene-culture coevolution
Facts abouth human dietary practices
