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[Rob <becida AT comcast.net>]

The adoption of  a "corn-based diet" is when those people went from 
hunter-gathers to agriculture. Agriculture is a major shift in 
lifestyle & major changes happen for a reason.

FWIW the winter I went to Isle Royale the moose could have walked off 
the island, the wolves were. No idea what that has to do with 
anything but Lake Superior was frozen that year and on the trip up I 
saw wolves running on the ice.

Rob
becida AT comcast.net


At  11/18/2010 09:34 AM,EarthNSky wrote:
> I thought the following article was interesting due to the studies 
> of Native American diets before and after the introduction of 
> maize.  So many people have problems with corn in their diet-I've 
> always kind of thought that it was due to the corn being genetically 
> modified or possibly the pesticides and herbicides used in the 
> culture of corn, but this study seems to point to problems with corn itself..
>
> Bev
>
> By Laurie Saloman
> Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board 
> <http://www.qualityhealth.com/medical-advisory-board>
>
> Have you ever wondered why some people fall prey to osteoarthritis 
> while others enter their middle-aged or senior years as sprightly as 
> ever? A study involving the majestic moose might just offer an 
> answer: early malnutrition.
>
> The latest findings from a more than 50-year study of moose living 
> on unpopulated Isle Royale, which lies off Lake Superior near the 
> U.S.-Canada border, reveal that juvenile malnutrition may predispose 
> one to osteoarthritis later in life. According to /The New York 
> Times/, scientists working on the so-called Isle Royale project, who 
> spend six months out of the year living in isolation with the moose, 
> analyzed the bones of 1,200 moose carcasses and found that more than 
> half had arthritis, usually in the hip. They also noticed that the 
> moose were smaller than average as measured by the metatarsal bones 
> of the foot, which are a good indicator of overall nutrition. 
> Scientists confirmed that the moose were born during a period when 
> food was scarce on the island.
>
> But while the arthritic moose may have passed their childhoods 
> scrounging for edible plants, can we make the same assumptions about 
> humans who develop osteoarthritis? According to experts, there are 
> several human studies that lend support to the 
> malnutrition-osteoarthritis link. For instance, an analysis of bones 
> of Native Americans in the South 500 years ago showed an increase in 
> osteoarthritis after the tribes adopted a corn-based diet instead of 
> relying on fish and plants. An earlier group of Native Americans in 
> the Midwest displayed similar bone traits after they started eating 
> maize. Corn and maize lack certain amino acids and iron, which would 
> account for the nutritional deficiencies leading to osteoarthritis. 
> In more modern times, scientists examined British men born during 
> the 1940s, when World War II caused food shortages, and found that 
> low birth weight was linked to arthritis of the hands.
>
> While being malnourished at any point in childhood isn't a guarantee 
> of osteoarthritis later in life, it's a good idea to take steps to 
> prevent it if you're concerned. Top on the list of things you can do 
> to avoid it is to get to and stay at a healthy weight. Extra pounds 
> put a strain on joints, and losing even 15 pounds can halve your 
> risk of knee pain. Also, follow an exercise plan. Physical activity 
> keeps joints lubricated and flexible. Take care to warm up, cool 
> down, and stretch properly.
>
> --
> EarthNSky Farm  34.498N 85.076W