Tag: Hunter gatherers

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?

For some California Indigenous groups, acorns were a dietary staple for over 9,000 years. Yes, Native Americans ate acorns, which served as a crucial and abundant food source across various tribes, though their preparation and importance varied by region.

For many, the routine of three square meals is an unquestioned daily practice, yet this dietary structure is a relatively recent development in human history. Evidence shows that the pattern of three meals a day was not the norm for the majority of human existence, challenging the notion that we have always eaten three times a day.

Evidence of early humans cooking and eating starchy foods, like tubers and rhizomes, has been found dating back over 120,000 years. The idea that humans have always eaten carbs is a myth, but their consumption has deep roots in our history, contrary to some modern diet beliefs.

While it is a popular idea, no known tribe has ever historically or strictly consumed a diet consisting of only meat, although some have come very close out of environmental necessity. This article uncovers the complex nutritional strategies employed by indigenous peoples to survive and thrive on animal-heavy diets.

Archaeological evidence from a cave in Mozambique suggests humans were consuming wild sorghum as far back as 105,000 years ago, challenging the long-held assumption that grain consumption was a much more recent development.

Research on modern hunter-gatherer populations suggests that ancient humans consumed anywhere from 100 to 150 grams of fiber per day, a dramatically higher amount than is typical in the industrialized world today. This reveals a fundamental difference in how much fiber did ancient humans eat compared to our modern dietary habits.