The Ancestral Human Diet

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Proc Nutr Soc. 2006 Feb;65(1):1-6.

The ancestral human diet: what was it and should it be

a paradigm for contemporary nutrition?

Eaton SB.

Awareness of the ancestral human diet might advance

traditional nutrition science. The human genome has

hardly changed since the emergence of

behaviourally-modern humans in East Africa

100-50x10(3) years ago; genetically, man remains

adapted for the foods consumed then. The best

available estimates suggest that those ancestors

obtained about 35% of their dietary energy from fats,

35% from carbohydrates and 30% from protein. Saturated

fats contributed approximately 7.5% total energy and

harmful trans-fatty acids contributed negligible

amounts. Polyunsaturated fat intake was high, with

n-6:n-3 approaching 2:1 (v. 10:1 today). Cholesterol

consumption was substantial, perhaps 480 mg/d.

Carbohydrate came from uncultivated fruits and

vegetables, approximately 50% energy intake as

compared with the present level of 16% energy intake

for Americans. High fruit and vegetable intake and

minimal grain and dairy consumption made ancestral

diets base-yielding, unlike today's acid-producing

pattern. Honey comprised 2-3% energy intake as

compared with the 15% added sugars contribute

currently. Fibre consumption was high, perhaps 100

g/d, but phytate content was minimal. Vitamin, mineral

and (probably) phytochemical intake was typically 1.5

to eight times that of today except for that of Na,

generally <1000 mg/d, i.e. much less than that of K.

The field of nutrition science suffers from the

absence of a unifying hypothesis on which to build a

dietary strategy for prevention; there is no Kuhnian

paradigm, which some researchers believe to be a

prerequisite for progress in any scientific

discipline. An understanding of human evolutionary

experience and its relevance to contemporary

nutritional requirements may address this critical

deficiency.

PMID: 16441938 [PubMed - in process]

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