Category: Paleolithic diet

Estimates suggest that Paleolithic hunter-gatherers consumed about 11,000 mg of potassium daily, a stark contrast to modern diets that are often deficient in this mineral. This incredibly high intake prompts the question: where did hunter-gatherers get potassium and how did they sustain such a mineral-rich diet?

Evidence from archaeological remains reveals that Stone Age humans possessed denser, stronger bones and experienced less age-related bone loss than modern populations. This fact prompts the question: how did early humans get calcium in an era before modern agriculture and dairy farming?

Archaeological evidence, combined with studies of modern foraging societies like the Hadza, suggests that hunter-gatherer humans did not adhere to a rigid, three-meals-a-day schedule. Their eating patterns were far more flexible, adapting to the availability of food sources throughout the day and year.

Recent scientific research, including studies on fossilized dental plaque, indicates that early humans consumed starchy carbohydrates, challenging the popular notion of a strictly low-carb Paleolithic diet. Instead of relying solely on meat, our ancient ancestors utilized roots, tubers, and other plant-based sources to fuel their active lifestyles and evolving brains.

Archaeological evidence from a site in northern Israel suggests that hominins were processing and consuming starchy plants at least 780,000 years ago. This remarkable discovery reveals that humans got carbs long before the agricultural revolution and the invention of bread.

An estimated ancestral vitamin C intake was significantly higher than today's recommended intake, with some researchers suggesting early humans consumed up to 600mg per day. While modern humans often rely on citrus fruits, our ancient ancestors, known as cavemen or hunter-gatherers, adapted to get their essential vitamin C from a diverse array of wild plant and animal sources. Their diet was far more varied and less processed than what many people consume today.

While modern diets rely on animal products or fortified foods for this essential nutrient, the question of **how did ancient humans get B12** reveals a fascinating reliance on a much broader and more primitive array of sources. Our ancestors adapted to find cobalamin in ways that would be unsafe or culturally taboo today.