Macronutrient Ratios Per Capita

DaveFoster

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Dietary Macronutrient Composition per capita

This chart shows a breakdown of the macronutrient ratios for each country in the world.

Notice:

  • World: 2780 kcal/person/day (Carbohydrates: 63%, Proteins: 11%, Fats: 26%)
  • Developed countries: 3420 kcal/person/day Carbohydrates: 53%, Proteins: 12%, Fats: 34%
  • Developing World: 2630 kcal/person/day Carbohydrates: 67%, Proteins: 11%, Fats: 23%
  • Sub-Saharan Africa: 2240 kcal/person/day Carbohydrates: 72%, Proteins: 10%, Fats: 19%
  • Central Africa: 1820 kcal/person/day Carbohydrates: 75%, Proteins: 11%, Fats: 26%
As food production becomes more efficient, people gravitate to a fat intake between 25-35%.

Very poor countries have low protein intakes.

Protein remains remarkably low. Around 9-15%. On a 4000 calorie diet this sits right around Peat's recommendations.

Carbohydrates remain high for almost all countries, but people do prefer fat over carbs as calorie intake increases.
 

Blossom

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This is interesting Dave. Thanks:hattip
 
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I do look at children from other countries and wonder why some look so much healthier even though they might not be as affluent so this might explain why!
 

michael94

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I do look at children from other countries and wonder why some look so much healthier even though they might not be as affluent so this might explain why!

More likely the lack of concentrated vegetable oils and iron fortification than the macronutrient differences.
 
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Sheila

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In looking at the low protein levels, I wonder whether the pot bellies of overweight western people (blamed on fatty liver/insulin resistance etc), especially where oedema is present, is more about protein deficiency, a mild version of Kwashiorkor. [From Wiki "The defining sign of kwashiorkor in a malnourished child is pitting edema (swelling of the ankles and feet). Other signs include a distended abdomen, an enlarged liver with fatty infiltrates, thinning hair, loss of teeth, skin depigmentation and dermatitis. Children with kwashiorkor often develop irritability and anorexia. Victims of kwashiorkor fail to produce antibodies following vaccination against diseases, including diphtheria and typhoid.[6]]
Obviously the unsat fats, processed food aren't exactly helpful, but lowered protein levels would make all of this much more damaging as the liver is hamstrung without sufficient protein. Just a thought.
Good find Mr Foster, thank you.
Sheila
 
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DaveFoster

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In looking at the low protein levels, I wonder whether the pot bellies of overweight western people (blamed on fatty liver/insulin resistance etc), especially where oedema is present, is more about protein deficiency, a mild version of Kwashiorkor. [From Wiki "The defining sign of kwashiorkor in a malnourished child is pitting edema (swelling of the ankles and feet). Other signs include a distended abdomen, an enlarged liver with fatty infiltrates, thinning hair, loss of teeth, skin depigmentation and dermatitis. Children with kwashiorkor often develop irritability and anorexia. Victims of kwashiorkor fail to produce antibodies following vaccination against diseases, including diphtheria and typhoid.[6]]
Obviously the unsat fats, processed food aren't exactly helpful, but lowered protein levels would make all of this much more damaging as the liver is hamstrung without sufficient protein. Just a thought.
Good find Mr Foster, thank you.
Sheila
I'm doing some research into reproductive strategy, and the main limiting factor for most organisms' longevity deals with nitrogen and protein availability.

In other words, protein is the name of the game and we're well-supplied in our current environment (in developed nations).

Here's another graph about calorie consumption of hunter-gatherers; it shows a very high caloric intake for males.

upload_2016-2-23_23-48-22.png
 

thegiantess

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Fascinating that in much of developing world, and especially in Africa where most people automatically assume there is starvation, people eat more calories on average than the typical American woman who is forever dieting.
 

dfspcc20

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More likely the lack of concentrated vegetable oils and iron fortification than the macronutrient differences.

Also probably not letting much of the livestock animals go to waste, as done in the developed world. Thus getting much more gelatin (skin, connective tissue) and fat-solubles (organ meats).
 

michael94

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Also probably not letting much of the livestock animals go to waste, as done in the developed world. Thus getting much more gelatin (skin, connective tissue) and fat-solubles (organ meats).

Yep very true and it's much more than just the liver/collagen. Animal brains, for example, are very rich in DHA and cholesterol. Both of which protect against omega-6 PUFA toxicity among other things.

Whens the last time you heard of one of your friends eating animal brains? I didn't even know other cultures consumed them regularly until recently.
 

tara

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Fascinating that in much of developing world, and especially in Africa where most people automatically assume there is starvation, people eat more calories on average than the typical American woman who is forever dieting.
There is starvation in Africa - it's not just assumptions, there is lots of empirical evidence. Not all central Africans get to eat their 'average' share of the area's food, and even if they did, it would not be enough.
It doesn't make good sense for western women to emulate the starvation, does it?
 

thegiantess

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There is starvation in Africa - it's not just assumptions, there is lots of empirical evidence. Not all central Africans get to eat their 'average' share of the area's food, and even if they did, it would not be enough.
It doesn't make good sense for western women to emulate the starvation, does it?

Yes I didn't mean to say there was not. What I meant was Africa is likely the first place many people associate with starvation. If you showed people these stats and then had them log their food intake the day, I bet they would be incredulous.

And no. It makes no sense at all.
 

tara

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Yes I didn't mean to say there was not. What I meant was Africa is likely the first place many people associate with starvation. If you showed people these stats and then had them log their food intake the day, I bet they would be incredulous.
OK, I'm with you. :)
 

Blossom

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Fascinating that in much of developing world, and especially in Africa where most people automatically assume there is starvation, people eat more calories on average than the typical American woman who is forever dieting.
I was thinking along the same lines @thegiantess. It was not at all unusual for me to routinely eat 1200-1500 calories/day pre-Peat thinking that was plenty. Looking back now it's no wonder I had health and metabolism issues.
 

Sheila

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Dear Mr Foster
Thank you for your reply, may I ask some supplementaries to understand your response better.
Do you consider 9-15% protein as adequate? And/or but the quality of protein would also matter would it not eg. legumes vs gelatine for example?
Do you mean that the developed world has a good supply on offer, or that we make the most of it at 12% intake?
Thank you for your clarification.
Sheila
 
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DaveFoster

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Dear Mr Foster
Thank you for your reply, may I ask some supplementaries to understand your response better.
Do you consider 9-15% protein as adequate? And/or but the quality of protein would also matter would it not eg. legumes vs gelatine for example?
Do you mean that the developed world has a good supply on offer, or that we make the most of it at 12% intake?
Thank you for your clarification.
Sheila
I didn't mean to miss your response; use the reply feature to notify the member in question of your comment.

Protein needs are somewhat fixed, but greater amounts are needed for protein synthesis in aerobic exercise, and to a lesser extent, anaerobic exercise. Ergogenic benefits cease to occur beyond 0.82 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. This means that for a skinny women of 140 lbs or so, assuming 15% or so body fat, you'd need around 100 grams of protein. This sits right around Ray's recommendation.
 

Sheila

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Dear Mr Foster,
That is interesting, thank you. I have come across very few women in this category who would get 100g of protein a day and many who over exercise as well compounding their metabolic woes in due course.

I am grateful for your reply, but try not to presume on someone else's time - if you (or anyone else) reply, great!, then I have another perspective to consider, if not, for whatever reason, I have found that being stimulated by content to formulate a question can set the wheels in motion for figuring things out myself. Writing things down seems an important part of this, it doesn't work so well for me if it's just a 'thought', perhaps it is only through writing that the ducks get in a row and I can move forward. So sometimes 'missing a response' no matter how un-deliberate, can pay dividends for the questioner too. Thank you again.

Sheila
 

PeatThemAll

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Protein remains remarkably low. Around 9-15%. On a 4000 calorie diet this sits right around Peat's recommendations.

Carbohydrates remain high for almost all countries, but people do prefer fat over carbs as calorie intake increases.

Thanks for starting this thread. Great find.

So for a 4,000 calorie diet, at world ratios (roughly): Protein @ 10% = 100 grams of protein (400 calories), Fat @ 25% = 111 grams of fat (1,000 calories), and the rest in Carbs @ 65% = 650 grams (2,600 calories).

650 grams of carbs. That like one family-sized box of honey-nut Cheerios ... per day.

I seriously need to Cal/Carb the f*** up!

And get past that CRON / Intermittent Fast... er Starving stuff I've read in various Facebook groups :nonono .
 

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