Authors: Stuart Harris, Barbara L. Harper

Publication Year: 2020

Journal: Environmental Research

Keywords: Diet; Health Risk

Abstract:

This article highlights that Lead exposure is still a national concern, and it is possible that Native Americans who live on reservations and pursue traditional lifestyles may be at higher risk through both their unique exposure and their potentially greater sensitivity. A major component of the exposure assessment is the diet. For tribal members, traditional lifestyles that include native foods, medicines, and traditional practices have evolved and proven to be the most healthful over many thousands of years of coexistence with the environment. However, a completely traditional diet may not be fully available for a variety of reasons; so, this study considers the adverse health consequences caused by the loss of healthy native foods and medicines, the contamination of remaining native foods, the inability to practice one’s religion, and the possibly lower quality of the substitute diet.

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Source: Link to Original Article.

Source: https://superfund.oregonstate.edu/sites/superfund.oregonstate.edu/files/harris_harper_2001_lead_traditional_lifestyles-envres.pdf