Tag: Human evolution

A 2024 review found that balanced omnivorous diets, encompassing both plant and animal foods, provide a sustainable way for humans to acquire essential nutrients. An omnivorous person is one who consumes both plant-based and animal-based foods, a dietary pattern that has been integral to human evolution for millennia. This flexibility has allowed humans to thrive in a vast array of environments worldwide by adapting their food sources.

Archaeological evidence from dental calculus reveals that Neanderthals ate a variety of plants, challenging the myth of a meat-only caveman diet. So, what was the diet of the distant ancestors, and how did it change over millions of years of human evolution?

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?

According to a study on early human diets, our ancestors' digestive systems were not primarily adapted for large quantities of cellulose-rich grasses. This raises the core question: are humans good at digesting plants, and how have our eating habits shaped our biological functions over millennia?

According to research published in the National Academy of Sciences, cooked meat offers a higher net energy gain than raw meat, challenging the notion that raw is always better. This critical distinction is at the heart of the question: why do humans prefer cooked meat?

Archaeological evidence from human skeletal remains shows a noticeable decline in overall health and stature following the transition to farming. The fundamental dietary shift that happened during the agricultural era involved a move away from the highly varied, protein-rich diet of hunter-gatherers toward a more monotonous, carbohydrate-heavy diet dominated by cereal grains. This change had profound, long-term consequences for human health and society.

According to a CDC report, only 1 in 10 Americans consume the recommended daily amount of vegetables. This statistic is surprising given the widespread belief that vegetables are a crucial part of a healthy diet, raising the question: are vegetables meant for human consumption?.

Contrary to the popular single 'caveman diet' idea, evidence shows that early human diets were incredibly diverse and varied significantly by geography, climate, and season. The question of what was the original diet leads to a complex tapestry of plant and animal foods consumed over millions of years.

Worldwide, it is estimated that about 65% of the adult human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose, yet in some populations, lactase activity persists into adulthood. The most lactose tolerant people are predominantly of Northern European descent, with certain pastoralist groups in Africa and the Middle East also showing high rates of lactase persistence.

In a 1985 landmark study, researchers posited that many modern chronic diseases stem from a mismatch between our current food choices and what kind of diet did our ancestors have, particularly those from the Paleolithic era. The truth, however, reveals a complex picture of diverse and changing ancestral eating patterns that varied dramatically by region and time.