Kathryn Rosenthal wrote: >> I don't know what would make it clearer. The theory predicts >> that the Tarahumara should be dropping like flies from their >> high-carb, corn and bean based diet. But they are >> extraordinarily healthy. >=================================================================== > >Except, of course, for the Tarahumara indians in Northern Mexico who are >starving due to their enslavement by drug lords. The Tarahumara now grow >drugs for the North Am. drug market. It is difficult to get food trucks to >them without bandits robbing the food; children are among the starving (at >least this was true last year). This seems to be the nub of the problem in this discussion. When we talk about "the Tarahumara," as when we talk about "the Inuit," we may be talking about a harshly oppressed and drought-stricken people or we may be talking about those who may have managed to avoid this and stay with their traditions. My mention of the Tarahumara was intended as an example of a people who make extensive use of corn and beans, but whose heart disease rate is low. I did supply a reference for this claim, which is seemingly at odds with the other references to rampant obesity, diabetes, and malnutrition among the Tarahumara, one of which andy supplied. So, until I get some clear information about what the Tarahumara diet and health were like prior to current terrible conditions, I can't draw any conclusion from this case. Thanks for the added information about their situation, though.