Wow. I was lucky enough to not only hear a great lecture from Swedish researcher Staffan Lindeberg but to also enjoy dinner with the Jesus, Mary, Joseph and Pope of paleo nutrition; Mike & Mary Dan Eades, Staffan Lindeberg and Loren Cordain. But I digress. Lindeberg has done extensive research on the Kitava, a native people that inhabits a remote island off the Papua New Guinea coast. They eat a good amount of carbs and relatively low fat, but much of the fat they do consume is saturated (coconuts). While there is no data on the fiber found in fruits and tubers native to this island, researchers do know these plants have a low glycemic index. As expected, these people enjoy outstanding health, even though many of them DO smoke; cigarettes make way to the island through relatives who live on the mainland and come back to visit. No dairy food and certainly no westernized foods. They eat tubers, fruit (mostly papaya) and a number of different fish. Researchers have analyzed their hair, which shows they enjoy 4X the amount of magnesium consumed by Swedes. Their blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, LBM and insulin levels are also significantly lower than the levels seen in Swedes. As usual, accidents, infections (especially malaria) and pregnancy complications are the primary causes of death. Diseases of civilization such as heart disease are nonexistant on the island but almost immediatly problematic for people who leave the homeland behind and move on shore. I should be interviewing Dr. Lindeberg tomorrow and, if so, will share some more info. Fascinating, indeed. Dori Zook Denver, CO _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com