From the Miocene to Olestra: A Historical Perspective on Fat Consumption

Abstract

Given the extraordinary dietary and geographic diversity of Pleistocene hominids, there is no single “Paleolithic diet” or average pre-Holocene fat intake. Even the Neanderthals initially were scavengers, possibly becoming seasonal hunters of large game at a later period. Fat intakes of greater than 20 g/day (11% of total caloric intake) developed after the domestication of mammals and then by selective breeding of genetically fatter animals in suitably temperate climates. By the late 1940s, the percent of fat in the diet rose to more than 40% in many Western countries (including France), decreasing somewhat to about 35% by the late 1980s in the United States, following reduced consumption of whole milk, fried meats, and other high-fat foods. Overall, fat reductions to less than 30% may be facilitated by no-fat or low-fat substitutes or texturizers or (perhaps more effectively) by increased intakes of fiber and calcium and greater reliance on fats that are poorly absorbed because of their stearate content. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997;97:S54-S57.