Kenya’s Turkana people genetically adapted to live in harsh environment, study suggests

[Riftvalley]

​

Kenya’s Turkana people genetically adapted to live in harsh environment, study suggests

Research which began with conversations round a campfire and went on to examine 7m gene variants shows how people survive with little water and a meat-rich diet

www.theguardian.com

 

[Riftvalley]

2 interesting takeaways:


Yet, after years of documenting the Turkana people’s lifestyle and studying blood and urine samples to assess their health, researchers found that, although the community consumes too much purine, which should lead to gout, the condition rarely appears among the Turkana.

Second:


However, as more members of the Turkana community move to towns and cities, the same adaptations that once protected them may now increase risks of chronic lifestyle diseases, a phenomenon known as “evolutionary mismatch”. This occurs when adaptations shaped by one environment become liabilities in another, highlighting how rapid lifestyle changes interact with deep evolutionary history.

When the researchers compared biomarkers and gene expression – the process by which information encoded in a gene is turned into a function – in the genomes of city-dwelling Turkana people with their kin still living in the villages, they found an imbalance of gene expression that may predispose them to chronic diseases such as hypertension or obesity, which are more common in urban settings where diets, water availability and activity patterns are radically different.


I think the second point has some pertinence to Somalis.

 

[Riftvalley]

Genetic study of nomadic herders in Kenya shows what it takes to adapt to desert living - Berkeley News

The Turkana people consume an animal-based diet in one of the hottest, driest places on Earth. Scientists uncovered the genetic variation behind this desert adaptation, and how it leads to problems as the Turkana transition to city life.

news.berkeley.edu

 

[cunug3aad]

2 interesting takeaways:


Yet, after years of documenting the Turkana people’s lifestyle and studying blood and urine samples to assess their health, researchers found that, although the community consumes too much purine, which should lead to gout, the condition rarely appears among the Turkana.

Second:


However, as more members of the Turkana community move to towns and cities, the same adaptations that once protected them may now increase risks of chronic lifestyle diseases, a phenomenon known as “evolutionary mismatch”. This occurs when adaptations shaped by one environment become liabilities in another, highlighting how rapid lifestyle changes interact with deep evolutionary history.

When the researchers compared biomarkers and gene expression – the process by which information encoded in a gene is turned into a function – in the genomes of city-dwelling Turkana people with their kin still living in the villages, they found an imbalance of gene expression that may predispose them to chronic diseases such as hypertension or obesity, which are more common in urban settings where diets, water availability and activity patterns are radically different.


I think the second point has some pertinence to Somalis.

I remember seeing a documentary about these people in southeast asia or oceania who traditionly do spearfishing to get their food and their bodies evolved to help them stay underwater for longer without needing to breath. People bodies and consequently diets is affrcted by their way of life

 

[Riftvalley]

I

I remember seeing a documentary about these people in southeast asia or oceania who traditionly do spearfishing to get their food and their bodies evolved to help them stay underwater for longer without needing to breath. People bodies and consequently diets is affrcted by their way of life

My family who transitioned from the baadiya to the countryside in the post colonial world all have diabetes and the diseases mentioned in the study. I think Somalis are suffering from a large scale epidemic of the evolutionary mismatch described in the study because we have migrated to the west in large numbers and still consume high rates of protein/fat/carbs.

 

[Mohamedamiin120]

2 interesting takeaways:


Yet, after years of documenting the Turkana people’s lifestyle and studying blood and urine samples to assess their health, researchers found that, although the community consumes too much purine, which should lead to gout, the condition rarely appears among the Turkana.

Second:


However, as more members of the Turkana community move to towns and cities, the same adaptations that once protected them may now increase risks of chronic lifestyle diseases, a phenomenon known as “evolutionary mismatch”. This occurs when adaptations shaped by one environment become liabilities in another, highlighting how rapid lifestyle changes interact with deep evolutionary history.

When the researchers compared biomarkers and gene expression – the process by which information encoded in a gene is turned into a function – in the genomes of city-dwelling Turkana people with their kin still living in the villages, they found an imbalance of gene expression that may predispose them to chronic diseases such as hypertension or obesity, which are more common in urban settings where diets, water availability and activity patterns are radically different.


I think the second point has some pertinence to Somalis.

Obviously the Somali people cannot stay in the wilderness forever, so what is the solution here?

 

[Riftvalley]

Obviously the Somali people cannot stay in the wilderness forever, so what is the solution here?

Who said they have to? And those in the baadiya mainly eat carbs, sugar and milk these days. Somali has lost millions of animals over the past decades. We will become one of the fastest urbanising communities in Africa as more and more move from baadiya to towns and cities due to climate change/economic opportunity. The risk is that millions of Somalis will develop gout and diabetes unless there is a cultural shift in attitudes towards exercise and diet.

 

[Zak12]

Hilib is still widely eaten among Somalis and other urban East African groups don't seem to suffer from mass health issues anymore than other African communities do.

Also, stuff like diabetes are mainly genetic meaning it will mostly affect those who have a family history with it.

 

[Riftvalley]

Hilib is still widely eaten among Somalis and other urban East African groups don't seem to suffer from mass health issues anymore than other African communities do.

Also, stuff like diabetes are mainly genetic meaning it will mostly affect those who have a family history with it.

There is deffo rampant diet induced diabetes amongst Somalis.

 

[Zak12]

There is deffo rampant diet induced diabetes amongst Somalis.

Source?

 

[Riftvalley]

Source?

Do you guys need sources and stats for every observable phenomena? You think large numbers of people who barely exercise when they reach a certain age; consume the highest rates of sugary tea in Africa; and, eat more carbs n meat than professional boxers, won’t be susceptible to high rates of diabetes, hyper tension and heart issues? Do we need some little white boy from an NGO to give us pivot charts on everything? Cajiib.

People in Somalia are now even suffering from lack of vitamin D.

 

[Zak12]

Do you guys need sources and stats for every observable phenomena? You think large numbers of people who barely exercise when they reach a certain age; consume the highest rates of sugary tea in Africa; and, eat more carbs n meat than professional boxers, won’t be susceptible to high rates of diabetes, hyper tension and heart issues? Do we need some little white boy from an NGO to give us pivot charts on everything? Cajiib.

People in Somalia are now even suffering from lack of vitamin D.

I looked up some stats myself and Somalia isn't anywhere near the top consumers of carbs and sugar, even in Africa itself.

https://www.isosugar.org/content/memo/syb_2023.pdf?

There are countries like Rwanda that also have high carb consumption.

Countries That Rely the Most on Carbs

Deriving more than 75% of total food energy from carbohydrates is often seen in impoverished nations where access to protein and fat sources are minimal.

www.worldatlas.com

Also here is a study that explicitly explores the topic of dietary changes happening in African countries due to urbanism, Somalia isn't mentioned and instead countries like Estwatini are stated to have the highest sugar intakes.

The Nutrition Transition and the Double Burden of Malnutrition in Sub-Saharan African Countries: How Do These Countries Compare with the Recommended LANCET COMMISSION Global Diet? - PMC

Background: Over the last two decades, many sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have undergone dietary and nutrition transitions fuelled by rapid urbanisation, economic development, and globalisation. The aim of the current study was to examine ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

So while yes countries may suffer health issues due to over consumption of such foods, Somalia currently isn't at risk.

 

[Riftvalley]

I looked up some stats myself and Somalia isn't anywhere near the top consumers of carbs and sugar, even in Africa itself.

View attachment 375999

https://www.isosugar.org/content/memo/syb_2023.pdf?

There are countries like Rwanda that also have high carb consumption.

Countries That Rely the Most on Carbs

Deriving more than 75% of total food energy from carbohydrates is often seen in impoverished nations where access to protein and fat sources are minimal.

www.worldatlas.com

Also here is a study that explicitly explores the topic of dietary changes happening in African countries due to urbanism, Somalia isn't mentioned and instead countries like Estwatini are stated to have the highest sugar intakes.

The Nutrition Transition and the Double Burden of Malnutrition in Sub-Saharan African Countries: How Do These Countries Compare with the Recommended LANCET COMMISSION Global Diet? - PMC

Background: Over the last two decades, many sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have undergone dietary and nutrition transitions fuelled by rapid urbanisation, economic development, and globalisation. The aim of the current study was to examine ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

So while yes countries may suffer health issues due to over consumption of such foods, Somalia currently isn't at risk.

What’s your point, that Somali does not have a diet induced diabetes problem?

 

[Zak12]

What’s your point, that Somali does not have a diet induced diabetes problem?

In Somalia itself? No I don't believe so. That is probably more true for the diaspora however .

 

[NidarNidar]

Stay away from sugary beverages, I've been enjoying sparkling water with lime.

​

Causes and non-genetic risk factors​

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a medical condition in which excess fat accumulates in the liver, but unlike alcohol-related liver disease, this accumulation is not caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

Studies on NAFLD propose the following non-genetic factors as responsible for the disease:

• Overweight or obesity.
• Certain conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome.
• Elevated levels of triglycerides or cholesterol.
• High blood pressure.
• A diet high in fructose, a common sugar used to sweeten beverages and foods. Excess fructose is converted into lipids and exerts a toxic effect on the liver similar to that produced by excessive alcohol consumption.
• Changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiota (a set of bacteria present in the digestive tract that participate in the digestion process).

 

[cunug3aad]

Stay away from sugary beverages, I've been enjoying sparkling water with lime.​

​

View attachment 376001​

​

Causes and non-genetic risk factors​

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a medical condition in which excess fat accumulates in the liver, but unlike alcohol-related liver disease, this accumulation is not caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

Studies on NAFLD propose the following non-genetic factors as responsible for the disease:

• Overweight or obesity.
• Certain conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome.
• Elevated levels of triglycerides or cholesterol.
• High blood pressure.
• A diet high in fructose, a common sugar used to sweeten beverages and foods. Excess fructose is converted into lipids and exerts a toxic effect on the liver similar to that produced by excessive alcohol consumption.
• Changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiota (a set of bacteria present in the digestive tract that participate in the digestion process).

Abow aboow im like sugar merchant i will try live only hilib now