How did Eskimo's balance their diets?

[Tomcat]

Just a random question I had when watching an Arctic special. Sure, who wouldn’t love the taste of raw seal, but where did they get a balanced diet from? I don’t see most of the other food groups represented in their simple meals (especially fruits and grains). I know some fish oils are high in certain vitamin’s and minerals, but did that cover all of them? It just seems that they would be missing something (like Vitamin C to start).

Obviously they survived for thousands of years, so I assume that they were covered on the vitamins and minerals front. But didn’t they suffer from something because of deficiencies in diet?

Thanks-
-Tcat

[Yeah]

I have heard that they get vitamins from eating the stomach contents of herbivores.

[Yue_Han]

Hey, this is the question on the front page!

Traditionally Eskimos ate only meat and fish. Why didn’t they get scurvy?

Stefansson argued that the native peoples of the arctic got their vitamin C from meat that was raw or minimally cooked–cooking, it seems, destroys the vitamin. (In fact, for a long time “Eskimo” was thought to be a derisive Native American term meaning “eater of raw flesh,” although this is now discounted.) Stefansson claimed the high incidence of scurvy among European explorers could be explained by their refusal to eat like the natives. He proved this to his own satisfaction by subsisting in good health for lengthy periods–one memorable odyssey lasted for five years–strictly on whatever meat and fish he and his companions could catch.

–John

[Tomcat]

I SWEAR I didn’t look at the front page! Total coincidence that I asked this!

I DO feel sheepish now, though…

Thanks-
-Tcat