Prehistoric Pacific Coast Diets Had Salmon Limits

ScienceDaily ^ | April 12, 2021

[nickcarraway]

This seems ridiculous to me. Salmon has the most fat of any fish, up to 50% or so of calories coming from fat.

[nickcarraway]

Ping

[PGR88]

Don’t Eskimos north of the Arctic circle live exclusively on seal meat and blubber?

[frank ballenger]

They eventually discovered Hostess Twinkies and Cheetohs. And were saved.

[BipolarBob]

And live very short lives on that diet?

[SamAdams76]

You could probably live on salmon alone. The Eskimos have survived for hundreds of years on a mostly fish diet.

[grimalkin]

Yes and they do fine. If you eat protein exclusively with no or very little fat, that’s when you’ll run into trouble.

[dainbramaged]

I used to catch a lot of salmon when we lived in Alaska, and the best parts for the smoker are the fattiest, like the belly strips from coho or king which have the most oil. Not something you’d find at the supermarket.

[Pontiac]

Some archeologists have contended for years that prehistoric Northwest people had an "extreme salmon specialization," a theory primarily based on the amount of salmon bone found at archeological sites.

It is hard to believe that anyone let a lone a scientist would believe that any human would be that specialized in their diet.

Humans naturally are omnivores. They crave a varied diet.

As far as protein goes for a hunter gatherer society, yes you would take advantage of dependable salmon runs for your protein.

But you are also going to gather nuts, grains and fruits. You are also going to dig for tubers and other root vegetables.

There is not going to be any available food in your area that you are not going to utilize.

[BobL]

“Prehistoric Pacific Coast Diets Had Salmon Limits”

The 9th Circuit didn’t really start destroying the country until Jimmy Carter doubled its size...and that was LONG AFTER prehistoric days.

So more Fake News, here.

[Fiji Hill]

Don’t Eskimos north of the Arctic circle live exclusively on seal meat and blubber?

Judging from the article, the fat contained in that sort of meat would prevent the sort of malnutrition that comes from eating lean fish exclusively.

[cpdiii]

"Don’t Eskimos north of the Arctic circle live exclusively on seal meat and blubber?"

Correct. You subsist on what is there and supplement it with anything else one can. The tribes on the West Coast of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Northern California thousands of years ago flourished. This article of supposed science is just crap. I am a scientist but do not hold others of such in high regard.

[MikeHu]

Typical vegan article.

Devoid of any facts.

[Rebelbase]

On Lewis and Clark’s return trip from the Pacific coast they stopped at an indian village along the Colombia River and were met with endless racks of salmon drying.

They were so sick of eating salmon they traded for dogs to eat.

[Blood of Tyrants]

They certainly can’t grow much food.

[gundog]

Caribou, birds, fish, beari....

[SunkenCiv]

Thx, will ping soon.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I love the smoked belly meat of spring salmon. Nothing better and far from lean.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks nickcarraway.

[blueplum]

ok, had to look, and it looks like Coho is the highest protein at 37% followed by Sockeye, with King the fattiest

High-fat Pacific Salmon:
King (chinook)
304 calories, 17.7 grams of fat (52%), 33.9 grams of protein
Sockeye (red)
286 calories, 14.6 grams of fat (46%), 36.2 grams of protein

“Low-fat” Pacific Salmon
“Coho (silver)
248 calories, 10.1 grams of fat (37%), 36.8 grams of protein
Pink (humpy)
197 calories, 5.9 grams of fat (27%), 33.9 grams of protein
Chum (keta)
204 calories, 6.4 grams of fat (28%), 34.3 grams of protein

https://www.cookinglight.com/food/in-season/pacific-salmon-varieties#:~:text=Pacific%20waters%20are%20home%20to%20five%20types%20of,grams%20of%20fat%20%2852%25%29%2C%2033.9%20grams%20of%20protein.