American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 7, 532-537, Copyright © 1959 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

A Dietary Study of the Pima Indian

¹ From the United States Public Health Service Indian Hospital, Sacaton, Arizona

The Pima Indians are a southern Arizona tribe which has readily acclimatized itself to Western civilization through fairly close proximity to off-reservation urban communities. Their food is bought in trading posts, but it is mostly non-perishable foods that are bought because of long distances traveled and lack of facilities for storage of perishable foods.

A dietary history of fifty-one Pima Indians shows the diet to consist mainly of beans, tortillas, chili peppers and coffee, while oatmeal and eggs are occasionally eaten for breakfast. Meat and vegetables are eaten only once or twice a week.

An analysis of their diet indicates that it fulfills the standards set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council, except that only 16 per cent of the protein consumed is of animal origin, and the intake of calcium, vitamin A and riboflavin is insufficient. No overt evidence of vitamin deficiency has been observed. Twenty-four per cent of the caloric intake is provided by fat which is completely of the saturated variety in the form of lard.

The average serum cholesterol level of 206 ± 65 mg. per cent in thirty-nine patients is within normal range.

The finding of a relatively low fat diet in relation to the low incidence of degenerative heart disease may be consistent with the reported findings in other population groups, except that the type of fat consumed is all of the saturated type.