Self-Medicative Behavior in the African Great Apes: An Evolutionary Perspective into the Origins of Human Traditional Medicine

Huffman, Michael A.

doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0651:smbita]2.0.co;2

Cited by 152 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Examples of the latter include refractory fibre (e.g. lignin from plants and chitin from some animal foods), and a range of secondary metabolites that play various roles from toxic defences to essential antioxidants and even antibiotic components that act as medicines (Huffman 2001(Huffman , 2003Villalba and Provenza 2007).…”

Section: Beyond Macronutrientsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The nature of nutrition: a unifying framework

Simpson

Raubenheimer

2011

Aust. J. Zool.

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Abstract. We present a graphical approach, which we believe can help to integrate nutrition into the broader biological sciences, and introduce generality into the applied nutritional sciences. This 'Geometric Framework' takes account of the fact that animals need multiple nutrients in changing amounts and balance, and that nutrients come packaged in foods that are often hard to find, dangerous to subdue and costly to process. We then show how the Geometric Framework has been used to understand the links between nutrition and relevant aspects of the biology of individual animals. These aspects include the physiological mechanisms that direct the nutritional interactions of the animal with its environment, and the fitness consequences of these interactions. Having considered the implications of diet for individuals, we show that these effects can translate into the collective behaviour of groups and societies, and in turn ramify throughout food webs to influence the structure of ecosystems.

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Section: Beyond Macronutrientsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The nature of nutrition: a unifying framework

Simpson

Raubenheimer

2011

Aust. J. Zool.

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“…Studies of apes show correlations between the occurrence of parasite loads and ingestion of anti-parasitic plant secondary compounds or plant parts that enhance mechanical expulsion (Huffman, 2001;Huffman and Caton, 2001).…”

Section: Self-medicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, 'pioneering' animals in a social group -those that learn exclusively based on consequences -must be positioned in the 'right place and at the right time'. Once an individual ingests the 'right foods at the right time' the beneficial effects of the new behaviour may then spread through the group, becoming part of the foraging behaviour of females (Huffman, 2001;Huffman and Hirata, 2004), who can then transmit those behaviours to their offspring.…”

Section: Trans-generational Transmission Of Self-medicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-medication and homeostatic behaviour in herbivores: learning about the benefits of nature’s pharmacy

Villalba

Provenza

2007

Animal

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Traditional production systems have viewed animals as homogeneous 'machines' whose nutritional and medicinal needs must be provided in a prescribed manner. This view arose from the lack of belief in the wisdom of the body to meet its physiological needs. Is it possible for herbivores to select diets that meet their needs for nutrients and to write their own prescriptions? Our research suggests it is. Herbivores adapt to the variability of the external environment and to their changing internal needs not only by generating homeostatic physiological responses, but also by operating in the external environment. Under this view, food selection is interpreted as the quest for substances in the external environment that provide homeostatic utility to the internal environment. Most natural landscapes are diverse mixes of plant species that are literally nutrition centres and pharmacies with vast arrays of primary (nutrient) and secondary (pharmaceutical) compounds vital in the nutrition and health of plants and herbivores. Plant-derived alkaloids, terpenes, sesquiterpene lactones and phenolics can benefit herbivores by, for instance, combating internal parasites, controlling populations of fungi and bacteria, and enhancing nutrition. Regrettably, the simplification of agricultural systems to accommodate inexpensive, rapid livestock production, coupled with a view of secondary compounds as toxins, has resulted in selecting for a biochemical balance in forages favouring primary (mainly energy) and nearly eliminating secondary compounds. There is a global need to create a more sustainable agriculture, with less dependence on external finite resources, such as fossil fuels and their environmentally detrimental derivatives. Self-medication has the potential to facilitate the design of sustainable grazing systems to improve the quality of land as well as the health and welfare of animals. Understanding foraging as the dynamic quest to achieve homeostasis will lead to implementing management programs where herbivores have access not only to diverse and nutritious foods but also to arrays of medicinal plants.

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“…Given the possible social sanctions for disobedience to food taboos, literature indicates that the odds of adherence to food taboo during pregnancy tend to be higher among women, which are teenager while they give birth, prim-gravidi, attained low educational status, and from low-income families [21,22]. In these perspectives, most of the women in Afar region are illiterate, with low socio-economic status, low decision-making power on household income, and face a risk of harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation, early marriage and abduction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foods tabooed for pregnant women in Abala district of Afar region, Ethiopia: an inductive qualitative study

et al. 2017

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Background: Food taboo is contributing substantially to malnutrition for pregnant women by restricting and limiting the frequency and variety of foods most of which are nutritious and easily accessible. The practice is common in developing countries and most of the food taboos in East Africa fall on the women and most unfortunately on the pregnant. Foods of animal products, which are the main sources dietary energy of pastoralist communities, are often prone to the practice of food taboos. Nonetheless, the existence of the practice in Ethiopian pastoralist communities, the communities whose way of life is mostly nomadic and based on tending of herds or flocks, is not investigated yet. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore foods tabooed for pregnant women and the reasons behind the practice if exists in Abala district of Afar region, Ethiopia. Methods: Exploratory qualitative study was conducted inductively involving homogeneous participants in four focus group discussions and eight key informants in individual in-depth interview who were purposively selected in Aballa district from March 1 to 30, 2016. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect the data. The investigators audiotaped focus group discussions and interviews and then transcribed them verbatim. Finally, the transcribed data were imported to Atlas.ti 7 software for coding. Analysis was done inductively. Triangulation and peer debriefing were applied to assure data quality. Results: The study revealed that foods tabooed for pregnant women were 1) Eating a large amount of food of any type, 2) fatty foods like meat, milk and yoghurt, 3) Foods that are not in liquid form such as different types of bread and 4) cool/cold foods such as cold milk, cold meat and cold water. The reasons mentioned to adhere with the foods taboo for pregnant women were to avoid difficulty to deliver the fetus, to prevent disease like Gastritis, Diarrhea, Typhoid and skin discoloration of the fetus. Besides, inconveniences like abdominal cramp were reported as reasons to adhere the foods tabooed. Conclusions: Pregnant women in Aballa district avoid eating numerous accessible foods because the foods are believed as tabooed for them. Further studies that focus on the extent of food taboo and uncovering the understanding on how it is being practiced were recommended.

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Self-Medicative Behavior in the African Great Apes: An Evolutionary Perspective into the Origins of Human Traditional Medicine

Cited by 152 publications

References 42 publications

The nature of nutrition: a unifying framework

The nature of nutrition: a unifying framework

Self-medication and homeostatic behaviour in herbivores: learning about the benefits of nature’s pharmacy

Foods tabooed for pregnant women in Abala district of Afar region, Ethiopia: an inductive qualitative study

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