Epidemiological and nutritional research on prevention of cardiovascular disease in China

Abstract

Anthropological evidence suggests that regional differences in eating practices may be characterized by sub-ethnicity. Hakka is one sub-ethnicity who still retain a unique way of life in China. A field survey on diet and health among the Hakka people was undertaken in 1994. Approximately 200 participants were interviewed for their medical history, life-style and food habits. Blood pressure, body mass index, blood sample, 24 h urine and electrocardiogram were collected. The food samples taken from one tenth of the participants were analyzed for the ingredients in their daily meals. From this survey the prevalence of hypertension in Hakka was approximately 10 %. The sodium/potassium ratio was lower than that in Guangzhou and comparable with that in Okinawa, the island of longevity in Japan. For men, taurine level was found to be close to that in Mediterranean countries, where there is low mortality from cardiovascular diseases. For women, the taurine level was even higher, approximating that of Japanese women, who show the greatest longevity and lowest cardiac mortality worldwide. Less obesity was found in Hakka people than that in the US, Canada or Japan. These findings suggest that the following are the major reasons for these positive findings: the Hakka people maintain traditional food habits and maintain active awareness of their health; the major foods are rice, fish, vegetables and fruits; wide use of soybeans; extensive consumption of visceral organs which have rich source of trace elements. These eating practices and nutritional patterns may be beneficial factors for preventing atherosclerosis and hypertension.

Vasorelaxation induced by common edible tropical plant extracts in isolated rat aorta and mesenteric vascular bed

“…Similar outcomes were also observed in countries where animal-based foods are included in the diet but the intake of plant-based foods was high (Liu and Li, 2000). These suggest a potential therapeutic role of edible plants in human health.…”

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Hakka in Guangdong, China

“…These surveys showed Hakka were healthier than other Chinese and Southeast Asian people, probably due to their life style and their food (Liu and Li, 2000;Chien et al, 1992). Medicinal baths, Luica, Bugingca and medicinal soups are essential to their daily lives.…”

Prognostic factors associated with the survival of oral and pharyngeal carcinoma in Taiwan

“…Genetic predisposition and lifestyle habits were seen as key factors in survival differences of ethnic groups with oral and pharyngeal carcinoma [14-16]. From an article review, molecular modifications strongly associate with oral carcinoma, such as p53 or RAS mutations [15].…”