“Eskimo” - from “Eskimantsik” - means “eater of raw meat.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo#Etymology
Macronutrients - carbohydrates, fats, alcohol, and proteins - are the sources of all dietary calories. These are the compounds that are converted into energy.
Micronutrients - generally vitamins and minerals - although needed only in trace amounts, are essential for survival.
A visitor to the arctic attempted to become infected with tapeworms from eating raw Arctic char. He removed tapeworm larvae from the fish, and swallowed them in gelatin capsules. He developed three tapeworms from 24 larvae. He then recommended that the fish be cooked to kill the larvae - not realizing that cooking would destroy vitamin B12, the only source of vitamin B available.
Since every animal in the arctic food chain is eating the other raw, the nutrients are preserved, and passed on up the food chain to its pinnacle.
The Arctic Foodchain Turducken Song - to be sung to the tune of “The Bog Down In The Valley-O”:
Oh, Oh, The rattlin’ bog,
The bog up in the arctic-O
Oh, Oh, The rattlin’ bog,
The bog up in the arctic-O
And in that bog there was a kelp,
A rare kelp, a rattlin’ kelp.
With the kelp in the bog,
And the bog up in the arctic-O.
Eating that kelp there was a krill,
A rare krill, a rattlin’ krill.
With the kelp in the krill,
And the kelp in the bog,
And the bog up in the arctic-O.
Eating that krill there was a fish,
A rare fish, a rattlin’ fish.
With the krill in the fish,
And the kelp in the krill,
And the kelp in the bog,
And the bog up in the arctic-O.
Eating that fish there was a seal,
A rare seal, a rattlin’ seal.
With the fish in the seal,
And the krill in the fish,
And the kelp in the krill,
And the kelp in the bog,
And the bog up in the arctic-O.
Eating that seal there was a walrus,
A rare walrus, a rattlin’ walrus.
With the seal in the walrus,
And the fish in the seal,
And the krill in the fish,
And the kelp in the krill,
And the kelp in the bog,
And the bog up in the arctic-O.
Eating that walrus there was a whale,
A rare whale, a rattlin’ whale.
With the walrus in the whale,
And the seal in the walrus,
And the fish in the seal,
And the krill in the fish,
And the kelp in the krill,
And the kelp in the bog,
And the bog up in the arctic-O.
Eating that whale there was a human,
A rare human, a rattlin’ human.
With the whale in the human,
And the walrus in the whale,
And the seal in the walrus,
And the fish in the seal,
And the krill in the fish,
And the kelp in the krill,
And the kelp in the bog,
And the bog up in the arctic-O.
Eating that human there was a bear,
A polar bear, a rattlin’ bear.
With the human in the bear,
And the whale in the human,
And the walrus in the whale,
And the seal in the walrus,
And the fish in the seal,
And the krill in the fish,
And the kelp in the krill,
And the kelp in the bog,
And the bog up in the arctic-O.
The replenishing of nutrients improves health.
The perception of improved health may be experienced immediately.
Most cultures have or had mythologies, rituals, and/or religious ceremonies involving the eating of raw flesh.
It is obvious that a source of the superstitions is a combination of pride and excitement in successful hunting and the relative perception between exhausted nutrition and the sudden onset of an overwhelming sense of health.
