Transition from a hunter-gatherer to a settled lifestyle in the !Kung San: effect on iron, folate, and vitamin B12 nutrition.
In 1969 a group of hunter-gatherer San were studied (Am J Clin Nutr 1971;24:229-42). Their state of hematological nutrition was excellent with a negligible incidence of iron, folate, or vitamin B12 deficiency. A genetically and linguistically similar San community who have been settled for the past 15 yr were the subjects of the present study. Anemia, due in the main to iron and/or folate deficiency, has become more common. Alcoholism has become rife in both sexes and all age groups. Our findings show that a settled lifestyle has resulted in a significant deterioration in the San's hematological nutrition.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001902:Botswana; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007774:Lactation; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009276:Namibia; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012922:Social Change; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D005492:Folic Acid; D007501:Iron; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D014805:Vitamin B 12