The Paleo Diet is based on the idea that the human body is genetically programmed to run on the foods consumed by our Stone Age ancestors. Back then, we were hunter-gatherers, so the theory is we should eat meat—lots of it—as well as fruits and vegetables. Breads, cereals, milks and cheeses didn’t exist, so they shouldn’t be consumed. These days, it’s not just our diets that can be Paleo. There’s now Paleo exercise, Paleo sleeping and even Paleo toilets! They’re all based on the premise that our bodies are more suited for Paleo-era habits.
RELATED: Personalized diet: How to create an ideal eating plan for you
But new research seems to suggest that this Paleo premise may be off the
mark—and that we humans have actually evolved quite a bit, evidently in response to our transition to agriculture:
From the Washington Post:
Over the last year alone, prominent scientific journals have published evidence of genetic shifts in humans over the last 10,000 years … Two relatively recent gene variants help humans survive with deficiencies characteristic of agricultural diets; another genetic shift appears to help fight the dental cavities that arose with farm-based staples; another changes the way humans digest fats; dozens of others help fight the diseases that came with living at higher densities.
RELATED: Science discovers “holy grail” of fat loss and muscle gain
And these findings are in addition to previously known adaptions: After the domestication of milking animals, many humans evolved to digest milk. And we’ve also appeared to have developed better ways to digest the starches characteristic of agricultural diets.
RELATED: Trick your body into thinking it’s had medicine?
These findings don’t disprove the Paleo movement, however. The researchers say that while there may be some ways in which humans have adapted to agricultural diets, those are far outnumbered by the ways in which human bodies are suited for the Paleo era. The jury’s still out, and you’ll probably see more articles on this topic in the coming months.
Curated article from:
Washington Post
