Serum Lipids in Three Nomadic Tribes of Northern Kenya

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A study has been made of the serum lipids in male subjects from three nomadic tribes imi northern Kenya. Two of these groups subsist almost entirely on milk, meat and blood from cattle or camels, and the third group has a wider range of dietary intake. The camel-herding group exhibit serum cholesterol and phospholipid levels which resemble those found in western communities subject to coronary artery disease, but the serum triglyceride levels run contrary to the western patterns. The factors which may be responsible for the serum lipid patterns in these groups are discussed, and it is suggested that caloric balance may play a major role in the determination of the serum lipid levels.