A comparison of the diets of Siberian Chukotka and Alaska Native adults and recommendations for improved nutrition, a survey of selected previous studies.

Diet plays an important role in the development of common diseases among Northern indigenous people, i.e. heart disease, cancer, diabetes and iron deficiency. Their unique diets may contribute to or protect from these diseases. The diets consumed by Siberian Chukotka Natives (Russia) and Alaska Natives (United States) during the 1980's are described. Traditional foods still play a major role, although the extent of their use varies. Alaska Natives' diets are more "western" than are those of Chukotka Natives. They consumed a greater proportion of kilocalories as carbohydrates and fat than Chukotka Natives. Coastal Chukotka Natives had lower average serum LDL-cholesterol and higher HDL-cholesterol levels than tundra Chukotka Natives, despite their high fat and kilocalorie intakes. Dietary recommendations common to both groups are presented which encourage the use of traditional foods as the foundation of the diet supplemented with western type foods of appropriate quality and quantity.