In a new study from New York City’s Health Department, there are varying discrepancies among the health of African/Caribbean immigrants and African Americans living in New York City. According to researchers African/Caribbean Immigrants seem to have fewer health problems, including asthma and obesity, in comparison to African Americans.
Some of the contributing factors may also include American born blacks are more likely to smoke, in comparison to blacks from other countries. Also, 53% of black Americans consider themselves drinkers, while 44% of Caribbeans and 34% of Africans claim to be drinkers. No group exceeded white New Yorkers, who at a rate of 70% , confess to being drinkers.
Although African-Americans have higher rates of obesity, asthma and high blood pressure, diabetes was the one disease that affected all three groups the same, at a rate of 13%.
Even though this is merely research done within the realm of one, very huge city, it is in line with previous research that has been done comparing the Black American diet to the traditional South African diet. In that particular study, issued in 2015, researchers found that when they switched Black Americans to an African diet, and switched Africans to an African American diet, there were some obvious changes. According to the study,
“Researchers performed colonoscopies on both groups and found that those in the African diet group increased the production of butyrate, a fatty acid proven to protect against colon cancer. Members of the American diet group, on the other hand, developed changes in their gut that scientists say precede the development of cancerous cells.”
You can read the entire study here, at ThinkProgress.
These studies, hopefully should come as no surprise to many African Americans, who are battling or currently know someone that is battling some kind of illness, which is more than likely linked to the foods we consume as a culture. Hopefully, with the influence of all of the “black girl magic” and “black power” reigniting itself within black culture, we can correlate that magic into our health and diet.
An organization called Oldways created theAfrican Heritage Diet Pyramid,this food pyramid promotes a diet that we as Black Americans should be partaking. This diet is rich in veggies, fruit, beans, herbs, spices, and traditional sauces.
Hopefully, with continued research and using what we already know about the foods we consume, will lead African Americans to eat like their Ancestors did, prior to slavery.
Sources:
New York Daily News
Think Progress
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