Are Diets from Paleolithic Times Relevant Today?

Abstract

FOOD AND EATING HAVE LONG been studied by anthropologists. Changes in diet are considered key events in human evolution. While no one knows precisely what ancient humans ate on a day-to-day basis, anthropologists have worked to reconstruct the diets of ancient humans based on the available evidence. Evidence from which to infer dietary habits includes human skeletal remains; tooth size and shape; the shape and formation of the jaw bone, which houses the teeth and provides stability and mobility for chewing; stone tools; and the bones of animals and fish consumed. 1 Ungar P.S. Sponheimer M. The diets of early hominids.. Science. 2011; 334: 190-193 Crossref PubMed Scopus (179) Google Scholar Traditionally, the evidence was thought to suggest a diet of fleshy fruits and soft, young leaves, which according to traditional wisdom transitioned over time to a diet of brittle nuts and other harder foods. As with all scientific fields, emerging research sometimes challenges the status quo. New methods of analysis including dental microwear, the study of microscopic wear on teeth, have suggested a surprising diversity and complexity in the diet of our early ancestors. 2 Cerling T.E. Mbua E. Kirera F.M. et al. Diet of Paranthropus boisei in the early Pleistocene of East Africa. Proc Nat Acad Sci. 2011; 108: 9337-9341 Crossref PubMed Scopus (178) Google Scholar Some estimates have suggested they obtained 35% of their dietary intake from fats, 35% from carbohydrates, and 30% from protein. 3 Eaton S.B. The ancestral human diet: What was it and should it be a paradigm for contemporary nutrition?. Proc Nutr Soc. 2006; 65: 1-6 Crossref PubMed Scopus (126) Google Scholar