Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 2, 1 February 1986 — He Mau Ninau Ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He Mau Ninau Ola

. iii i|| ii|i ^ Some Health Questions by Kekur\iBlaisdeHu\M.D.

Ninau; E kauka, I heard that the old Hawaiians' diet was better than ours; that's why they had no heart trouble, cancer or diabetes. But, I also read somewhere that their diet had too mueh salt and not enough ealeium and vitarhins. Whieh is right? Pane: Both statements are partly pololei (correct) and partly hewa (incorrect).

Ka mea'ai (food) of na maka'ainana (commoners) i ka wa kahiko (in pre-Western times), was, in most respects, superior to the usual ka mea'ai of our modern, urban, haoledominated society in Hawai'i nei. The accompanying table contrasts the main, eommon mea'ai of then and now in our islands and provides some approximate quantitative differences. Please note that the maka'ainana diet of old: (1) was mainly i'a (fish), poi and leafy vegetables; (2) usually excluded pua'a (pig) and ilio (dog), except on special occasions; (3) did not include pipi (beef) or hipa (mutton and lamb), lomilomi salmon, chicken-long rice, pineapple, pastry, iee cream, candy, french fries, soft drinks or beer; and (4) was high in starch and fiber, and low in fat and sugar. Careful analysis of the pre-haole native islanders' mea'ai by UH nutritionist Carey Miller in 1974 led her to conclude that "the diet of the ancient Hawaiians was simple . . . but of sufficiently high nutritive value to promote and maintain good heallh." While early 18th and 19th century writers referred to the generous consumption of pa'akai (salt), especially with i'a and poi, modern wahine Hawai'i dietician Claire Hughes-Ho says that heavy use of pa'akai was mainly for preserved i'a for adults, and that kamali'i (children) were given only fresh i'a without pa'akai. Calcium was bountiful in iwi i'a (fishbones), 'opihi (limpet) and other pupu (shellfish), papa'i (crab) and other crustacea, kalo, and limu (seaweed) eaten by po'e kahiko. Vitamins too were ample: vitamin A in i'a viscera, pupu, lau (leaO of kalo and 'uala (sweet potato); vitamin B-complex in kalo, 'uala and 'ulu (breadfruit); vitamin C from kalo (taro), 'uala, 'ulu, mai'a (banana), 'ohi'a'ai (mountain apple), and

ohelo berry; vitamin D from i'a and sunlight; and vitamin K in vegetable lau (leaf). Such fare is similar to other so-called "primitive" diets of non-Western, indigenous peoples in whom the occurence of atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), kokopi'i (hypertension), ma'i'a'ai (cancer) and mimiko (diabetes) is rare. There is some evidence that at least some forms of ma'i pu'uwai (heart trouble), ma'i'a'ai and mimiko probably occurred in pre-Cook po'e Hawai'i, but in low frequencies, except among those at high risk. That is, those who were excessively momona (obese); who ate too mueh fat, sugar and pa'akai; who were kukule (sedentary); and who maladapted to stress. The ali'i of kahiko and too many of us present-day po'e Hawai'i would be in this high-risk category. Thus, ka mea'ai characteristic of modern, Western, industrialized societies, but only of the neh in the old days, appears to be one of the major factors accounting for the prevalence of the above-cited "diseases of civilization" among us lahui Hawai'i i keia wa. For this reason, the recently-completed E Ola Mau report on Hawaiian health needs, referred to in last month's eolumn, proposed that we po'e Hawai'i seek to reverse our adverse health profile by returning to the basic features of the traditional diet of our kupuna (ancestors). Dr. William Connor, professor of medicine in Oregon, has offered his research team's services in such a trial for us po'e Hawai'i. About 20 Hawaiian adults would be provided manuahi (free!) meals of pre-contact Hawaiian mea'ai, as shown in the table, for four weeks while certain blood and lx)dy measurements would be made weekly. The results would be compared to those from another four-week period when the same po'e would eat typical American island-style foods. Similar studies with other indigenous people have shown not only that their physical and ehemieal measurements improved on their "primitive" diets, but their "disorders of civilization" were more effectively controlled and they felt better, so that some natives preferred to continue indefinitely their food ways of their ancestors. Pehea kou mana'o? (What do you think?) Are you ready to volunteer? He mau ninau a me pane from you po'e heluhelu (readers) are weleome and will be discussed in future co!umns.

Table 1. Comparison of Pre-contact Diet to Modern Hawai'i Diet Maka'ainana American-Island Calories 100% 100% Carbohydrate 65% 40% Starch Kalo, 'uala, uhi, 'ulu, pia Rice, potato, noodle Ho'i, mai'a, 'ohi'a'ai Bread, bean, fruit, cereal Vegetable Fiber 50 grams 10 grams Sugar 2% 15% Ko, 'uala, 'ohelo Sugar, candy, pastry Soft drink, ice cream Protein 15% 20% I'a, i'a viscera Beef, pork, lamb, fish Pupu, papa'i, ula, moa Chicken, bean, egg Fat 20% 1 40% I'a, human milk Beef, pork, lamb, sausage Moa, niu Butter, cow's milk, nut Cheese, egg, ice cream Shortening, pastry Minerals Calcium Iwi i'a, pupu, papa'i, lau Cow's milk, leaf, cereal Iron Kalo corm, lau (lu'au) Meat, fish, leaf Sodium Pa'akai Salt, processed food Vitamins A I'a viscera, pupu, lau Carrot, cabbage, leaf B-complex Kalo, 'uala, 'ulu Pork, cereal, legume, egg C Lau, kalo, 'uala, mai'a Orange, papaya, tomato 'Ohi'a'ai, 'ohelo Melon, leaf D I'a viscera, i'a Fish, egg, liver, butter Malamalama o ka la Sunlight K Lau Leaf