Determining vitamin D status in precontact Western Alaska: a new method for exploring past health and dietary adaptations to high-latitude living

确定阿拉斯加西部接触前的维生素 D 状态：探索过去健康状况和高纬度生活饮食适应的新方法

• 批准号: NE/X012980/1
• 负责人: Kate Britton
• 金额: $ 10.26万
• 依托单位: University of Aberdeen
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FX012980%2F1
• 关键词: Determining; vitamin; status; precontact; Western

This research will use newly-developed archaeological science approaches to target permafrost-preserved human hair from the precontact site of Nunalleq, Western Alaska (1450-1650 AD) in order to empirically-determine seasonal vitamin D status in an archaeological population for the first time. Vitamin D is essential for healthy skeletal growth and cardiovascular health, and deficiency is related to multiple diseases. The most important source of vitamin D in humans is ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced dermal (skin) synthesis of vitamin D3. However, at high latitudes, especially in winter, a lack of ultraviolet light of the appropriate wavelength leads to an increase in the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, and dietary supply or supplementation becomes essential - a major environmental challenge for past and present populations living at high-latitudes today, including in Western Alaska and in the UK. Using novel analytical technology, our aim is to determine vitamin D concentrations in archaeological hair strands preserved at the precontact site of Nunalleq and to compare these new data with existing seasonal palaeodietary data, allowing the relationship between vitamin D status and seasonal dietary habits to be inferred for different individuals at the site.Data generated will provide a baseline for the interpretation of modern and recent-historic (post-1960s) data concerning the relationship between contemporary vitamin D deficiency and consumption of traditional marine foods and allow us to explore the potential of this method in illuminating past human-environmental interactions and adaptations to high-latitude living. The outcomes of this project will lead to a better understanding of precontact lifeways, diet and health in Western Alaska. The results will also help define new pathways in the scientific investigation of ancient diet applicable to other archaeological sites and contexts and help forge new cross-disciplinary links between palaeodietary and palaeoenvironmental studies, and modern nutritional health research. Our results will also feed directly into ongoing public outreach initiatives centred around the Nunalleq site in the community of Quinhagak, Alaska (AK), including adding to an online Digital Museum and learning activities for local school children. These will enhance public understanding of vitamin D health, but will also enhance our understanding of the role of archaeo-health studies in reinforcing positive health practices today in Alaska and elsewhere.

这项研究将使用新开发的考古科学方法，以阿拉斯加西部Nunalleq（公元1450-1650年）接触前遗址的永久冻土保存的人类头发为目标，以首次确定考古人群中的季节性维生素D状态。维生素D对健康的骨骼生长和心血管健康至关重要，缺乏维生素D与多种疾病有关。人体中维生素D的最重要来源是紫外线B（UVB）诱导的真皮（皮肤）合成维生素D3。然而，在高纬度地区，特别是在冬季，缺乏适当波长的紫外线导致维生素D缺乏症的患病率增加，膳食供应或补充变得至关重要-这是过去和现在生活在高纬度地区的人口面临的主要环境挑战，包括阿拉斯加西部和英国。使用新的分析技术，我们的目标是确定在Nunalleq接触前遗址保存的考古头发中的维生素D浓度，并将这些新数据与现有的季节性古饮食数据进行比较，允许维生素D状态和季节性饮食习惯之间的关系被推断为不同的个人在网站上。产生的数据将提供一个基线，为现代和近代历史的解释，（20世纪60年代后）关于当代维生素D缺乏症和传统海洋食品消费之间关系的数据，使我们能够探索这种方法在阐明过去人类与环境的相互作用和适应高纬度生活方面的潜力。该项目的成果将导致更好地了解阿拉斯加西部的接触前生活方式，饮食和健康。研究结果还将有助于确定适用于其他考古遗址和背景的古代饮食科学调查的新途径，并有助于在古饮食和古环境研究与现代营养健康研究之间建立新的跨学科联系。我们的研究结果还将直接反馈到正在进行的以阿拉斯加州Quinhagak社区Nunalleq网站为中心的公共宣传活动中，包括为当地学童增加在线数字博物馆和学习活动。这些将提高公众对维生素D健康的理解，但也将提高我们对考古健康研究在加强阿拉斯加和其他地方积极健康实践中的作用的理解。