What our ancestors ate (and how we know it) | Dr. Peter Ungar, PhD

So-called "ancestral diets" have become popular, but what did our prehistoric ancestors actually eat? Paleoanthropology researcher Dr. Peter Ungar takes us on a journey through the origins of our species and how scientists decipher the diets of our distant ancestors.
Dr. Ungar´s Social Media links:
ungarlab.uark.edu/
/ petersungar
profile.php?...
Connect with me:
Facebook: / drgilcarvalho
Twitter: / nutritionmades3
Animations: Even Topland @toplandmedia
References:
1-www.degruyter.com/document/do...
2-onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f...
3-www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073...
4-www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
5-www.nature.com/articles/s4159...
6-www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas...
7-science.sciencemag.org/conten...
8-blogs.scientificamerican.com/...
9-www.pnas.org/content/112/39/1...
10-www.nationalgeographic.com/cu...
11-science.sciencemag.org/conten...
12-www.nature.com/articles/d4158...
13-www.cambridge.org/core/journa...
14-edition.cnn.com/2022/11/22/wo...
15-insider.si.edu/2011/01/starch...
16-www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas...
17-www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073...
18-www.science.org/content/artic...
19-www.sciencedirect.com/science...
20-journals.plos.org/plosone/art...
21-www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073...
22-www.sciencedirect.com/science...
23-www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
24-www.reuters.com/article/us-sc...
25-www.nature.com/articles/natur...
26-www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas...
27-journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/...
28-www.sciencedirect.com/science...
29-journals.plos.org/plosone/art...
30-www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas...
31-blogs.scientificamerican.com/...
32-www.bbc.com/news/science-envi...
33-journals.plos.org/plosone/art...
34-www.nature.com/articles/s4158...
35-www.cambridge.org/core/journa...
36-www.sciencedirect.com/science...
37-link.springer.com/article/10....
38-www.sciencedirect.com/science...
39-www.sciencedirect.com/science...
40-www.amazon.com/Edible-Insects...
41-academic.oup.com/ae/article/6...
42-www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas...
Disclaimer: The contents of this video are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical care. The information presented herein is accurate and conforms to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding any medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in Nutrition Made Simple!.
#NutritionMadeSimple #GilCarvalho
0:00 Highlights
0:25 What did our ancestors eat?
2:15 Is there ONE ancestral diet?
5:47 Diversity & uncertainty
9:01 Did Neanderthals eat whole grains?
10:34 Bone marks, teeth and DNA
17:27 The chemical signature of diet
19:45 Tooth microwear
21:00 Putting the evidence together
29:53 Patterns in human diet evolution
35:19 Fossilized feces
36:25 Omnivores, carnivores or herbivores?
40:08 Hunting vs scavenging
44:31 Eating insects
46:05 Recap & Conclusion

[@alexwood1390]

I loved this. I studied primatology and human evolutionary biology modules as part of my biology degree and the module organiser was a former PhD student of Richard Wrangham, a very respected paleoanthropologist. We were taught, and every credible source I've seen since had corroborated, that there was no single "ancestral diet". If there's one thing that characterises early human diets, it's variation and adaptability. We ate more plants where there were more plants, and more meat when there were less plants. Wrangham is a big proponent of the importance of fire and cooking, which made tubers in particular a very calorically dense food source which could be found all year round. It's refreshing to see someone highlight the distinction between what anatmony suggests an animal is adapted for, and what the animal actually eats. In our case, our anatomy is closer to a herbivore than a typical omnivore, but it's undeniable that our ancestors ate meat when they could get it, helped a lot by our discovery of fire. Thats why I don't like appealing to our evolutionary history to justify one way of eating, because we ate whatever we could get. Far better to rely on the string evidence for what is healthy for us to eat in a modern world, which is the more whole plants the better

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

Wrangham is mentioned in next week's follow up

[@CharGC123]

Makes so much sense that our ancestors didn't share a specific diet, in fact, our ability to utilize and adapt to local food sources is the reason for our success! The whole idea of the much touted "paleo" diet was a joke to me for several basic reasons, the first being the assumption that meat was a primary food just because fossilized bones are preserved... unlike vegetation. Hunting is an energy intensive and dangerous pursuit, certainly not an everyday occurrence, scavenging remains seems more likely. Then the nonsensical notion that grains and legumes are off the table because they aren't ancestral foods but "new" food dated to the beginnings of agriculture. It seems obvious to me that once people realized they could plant seed in a concentrated area of their choice instead of having to forage over a broad range... it follows that they would seek out the seeds of their most cherished, familiar foods to plant. Though intentionally selecting seeds from the best plants over time may have changed some of the plant's characteristics, it didn't change the family! Which brings me to my final chuckle... the fibrous varieties of wild plants that our distant ancestors foraged way back when, were nothing at all like the specialized, tender, hybridized versions of veggies and fruits available today. Neither were foods packaged, blended, frozen, etc., as many paleo recipes called for. About the only redeeming feature of the sham was the focus on a less processed diet.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@alexwood1390]

@Vegan_Semih_Cyprus_33 I know humans can thrive on a plant based diet, and that animal foods (particularly those higher in saturated fat) are a primary driver of modern diseases. But it's also 100% true that humans are omnivores. Yes our anatmony might look like a herbivores, but as mentioned here that's actually only 1 piece of the puzzle. It's a fact that humans have been eating some amount of meat for hundreds of thousands of years. And also as covered here, you can't say with certainty that our ancestors were predominantly plant based. We ate what we could get, and in some places that would have been mainly meat. We need to decouple the argument about what we evolved eating and what is healthiest for us to eat now. Every time vegans argue that we're naturally herbivores (or mostly) that argument is easily countered, which leads people to dismiss the whole argument for veganism

[@zeideerskine3462]

Indeed there is anatomical adaptation to a certain diet but that is not compulsory. Think of pandas and koalas.

[@cirrus645]

Commenting for the algorithm and to express how much I appreciate this video. It can't have been easy to add all the references/sources at the relevant points and to try to anticipate the questions/need for clarification viewers might have, but I think you did an excellent job. This c. 45 min. video is actually material for days to go through. I also love the genuine questions as well as answers! It's so rare to see (in this youtube format anyway) people who ask interesting and pointed questions (with which I don't mean charged - but some of the questions go to the core of "how good is the data really (e.g., in terms of reliability, validity and generalisability)") - and then the answer being an honest "(there are parts that) we don't know". As mentioned elsewhere, unfortunately, such intellectual honesty is scarce, especially in the "Industrial-Dietary-Complex" of meal-plan writers, supplement producers and influencers. Lastly, appreciate the editing; adding in the pictures of the various (pre-)hominids, screenshots of articles, etc. saved me a good amount of googling in order to visualise what was discussed.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnaturThis is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@subliminalfalllenangel2108]

This interview left me with more questions than answers.

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

not a bad outcome :)

[@liberalduh9807]

Most people probably want answers that they want to hear (that’s how political news works today).. Science is our best hope for learning/understanding the reality, but science doesn’t always provide the feel good answers that people want. I don’t know where this came from (maybe from Carl Sagan), that religion has all the answers, and science searches for answers (I wish I could find the quote. I don’t think I got it quite mailed here.. but you can tell what I mean).. “Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of confusion and bamboozle requires intelligence, vigilance, dedication, and courage. But if we don't practice these tough habits of thought, we cannot hope to solve the truly serious problems that face us --- and we risk becoming a nation of suckers, up for grabs by the next charlatan who comes along.” Carl Sagan

[@aisbcatering831]

​@@liberalduh9807literally got nothing to do with religion... You just shoe horned that in

[@stanwaltman4349]

​@@aisbcatering831 yes it does, Lord Satan is everywhere....😈

[@MohseenLala]

@@NutritionMadeSimple Since i'm looking for answers, that's actually a suboptimal outcome.

[@DrAJ_LatinAmerica]

Absolutely agree when he says we know somethings but we don't know everything and to high level details. Plus different people in different areas at different time periods are all eating different things. 100% agree. No one diet for all the past ancestors. This needs to be stressed. Not just vegan or just carnivore !! It was a mixed diet to different % for different areas. Water was very different from a lake or river compared to today's water.

[@ultmiddle4991]

I read the book Water: A Biography, I learned that diets changed with the climate, especially fluctuating rainfall and the meandering paths of major rivers before engineers altered water flow. When in drought with little rain, grassland ruminants were the main source of food; when rain was plentiful, plants were widely available for cultivation and consumption.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@ultmiddle4991]

@@VeganSemihCyprus33 I never claimed to be a good person; I simply claimed to have read a book that gave the history of weather, transition from hunter-gatherer to agriculture, politics, wars, and economic fluctuations in respect to where water puts itself with each passing age. 🖖

[@aluminiumknight4038]

@@VeganSemihCyprus33 just the first sentence makes stop reading

[@johnny7808]

Q: "Is there evidence that they ate 90% plants and 10% meat, or 10% plants and 90% meat?" A: "We have no evidence of one versus the other." Gil seems to always ask the questions I want answered, even if there is no answer.

[@cirrus645]

Which is so refreshing! I prefer someone telling me that they/we don't have the answer over someone who pretends to know and thus misleads. Unfortunately, that kind of intellectual dishonesty is very wide-spread, especially in the "Industrial-Dietary-Complex" of meal-plan writers, supplement producers and influencers.

[@ilyalevin9400]

Exactly, but isn't it what we wanted to hear? Is that actually the state of the science today... we can't tell if early humans in Africa ate 90% plants or 90% meat. Really?! And there is not a case to be made or any supporting evidence to know where >90% of our calories came from?? If you take this at face value, his whole field basically has not delivered any major answers.

[@supersonicdiesel4836]

The Nutrivore just destroyed Carnivore Camaraderie on the same debate proposition , wherein CC suggested 80% meat is optimal etc., but couldn’t cite any evidence when pushed, as is usual for Carnivore quacks

[@oloblish]

What about the most glaring question that I didn’t hear them mention. Why is human’s stomach PH lower than most carnivores? It’s similar to that of most carnivores scavengers. Compare that to the closest primates chimpanzees/bonobo with PH almost neutral like most herbivores.

[@michealfriedman7084]

You have to look at what made the brain development for logical thinking. Hint; It wasn't plants. We ripped apart meat with our canines. When we were starving we were in ketosis, always looking for our next animal.

[@peterz53]

Excellent. More conversations with experts is a great idea. What we had to eat (and what our bodies allowed us to eat) vs what is optimum for health, seasoned with what is ethical in our current world is definitely worthy of thought and discussion.

[@jbarber1016]

My biggest gripe with diet talks is the ethical and environmental aspects are either totally ignored or quickly glossed over as an afterthought. It’s so pathetic that as a culture we will argue tooth and nail about the specifics of diet and nutrition concerning our own well being but most people literally could care less about the impact to animals or environment. And when people start to care its usually about environment because that affects them. We are so selfish as a species concerning how we treat others, both within and beyond our own species.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@johngalt97]

@@jbarber1016 Spoken like a true altruist.

[@jacksparrow3025]

@@johngalt97 Yes. These people that disparage the human race, but continue to be able to comment on forums while using electronics that are bad on the environment confound me.

[@MurrayFCohen]

I’m echoing what everybody else is saying here: amazing guest, amazing interview, amazing information. I love that there are scientists who study and then bring this info to life for us. And Gil, the educator, the searcher, the conduit. Thank you so much.

[@sophiekarnak3936]

You and Chris (PlantChompers) are by far my two favorite KZbinrs, and I'm so appreciative of all the time and effort you put into your videos, especially including all the references!

[@CristinaAcosta]

Same!! I also like Mic the Vegan

[@Nicksonian]

@@CristinaAcosta I don’t put Mic in the same echelon as Chris MacAskill or Dr. Carvalho. Although Mic has some good information, he is too vegan biased as vegans tend to be.

[@toxx1220]

The Nutrivore also is a great source of information, also regarding ethics and debates

[@markcredit6086]

@@Nicksonian not science

[@lucianowillemse8244]

@@Nicksonian this is the reason why I as scientist unsubscribed from Mic the Vegan. Way too biased. This channel and plant chompers are presented by actual scientists looking extensively at the whole scientific data.

[@superfinevids]

The Sweet potato is the food that add the most impact on the development of the human brain. Most animals can't digest starch as well as we can and it provides a year-round supply of sugar and nutrients.

[@Sobchak2]

That's great. Dr Ungar gave a talk at my university a few years ago. I work on a different field, but that was really one of the very best talks i have seen in a long time. Thank you for hosting him on your channel Dr Carvalho, you rock as always.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@neilnewinger3059]

I find more interesting to investigate the differences between primates and us. What is the scientific explanation (if there is any) of the fact that our brain is 3 times bigger than a brain of a chimpanzee? And whether the diet played a major role. Related question would be, why our brains stopped to grow during last 100 thousands of years after the that big growth for several millions of years? Allegedly it even shrank a bit. Another interesting question is why our guts developed over few millions of years differently than guts of other primates? We can live for a very long time with surgically removed colons, but chimpanzees will die of starvation, if their colon is surgically removed. Doesn't that mean that our nutrition did actually changed significantly in the comparison to other primates and what was the biggest difference?

[@gerhardpet1]

Thank you for this excellent interview. Looking forward to part 2

[@Greedman456]

Excellent interview. Waiting for part 2!!! Love the expert interviews, very good analysis and very concise

[@LinusBerglund]

I am so happy you managed to get an interview with Dr. Ungar! I borrowed one of his books from the library some years ago and it was truly fascinating!

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@andreasloffler42]

I have just recently found your channel…you are doing a great job! Keep up the great work. Thank you for what you do!!!!

[@terryjackson9395]

The fact that none of the the profitable paleo gurus ever let a scientist like Dr. Ungar anywhere near their channels tells you all you need to know about their motives. Thanks so much for actually searching for answers.

[@kamerad4212]

As the proverb says, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." The Paleos I know really seem to have the good of others at heart. Ketos and Carnis not so much.

[@12thpls]

@@kamerad4212 I think Keto has its benefits. I was able to lose nearly 50 lbs switching to low carb/keto diet. It's not for everyone but it really works.

[@terryjackson9395]

@@kamerad4212 Thumbs up on that. But as far as the gurus are concerned, I'm not so sure of best intentions. I doubt Chris Kessler, Saladino, Mark Sisson or Sean Baker could write books citing the limited research they do cite, without at least accidentally stumbling on the numerous studies showing plant/tuber consumption by early man. As far as the followers (which I WAS for about 7 years), if they fail to do their own research, that's on them. I did keto for a month just to try it. It was a lot of work trying to stay in ketosis and still get all your magnesium, vitamin K, Folate, etc. Keto is great for short term weight loss but studies show WFPB keeps the weight off long term. I just wish channels like Dr Carvalho were more widely watched. People are so confused now by all the profiteering, and long-term I think their health may be getting thrown under the bus.

[@DrDGr2]

Had a great time watching this one! Thank you :)

[@elcapitanian]

Completely in love with this channel and how it teaches us proper thinking .

[@jasoncalicaveman]

That was such an amazing interview! Thank you kindly! 💪🔥

[@JohnnyWalkerBlack142]

Great channel. Quality content. Objective and unbiased research. Also thank you so much for putting in the effort to number and link sources

[@colorwashcarsandguitars]

I'm glad you made this video. I love the content, keep up the good work.

[@jackpapaya4383]

so fascinating, thank you, part 2 going to be great !

[@sittingfrogleg]

Excellent interview, fascinating topic. Thank you Gil for these nuanced science conversations, they are enormously helpful.

[@aquie4d999]

Really really good Amazing references Amazing content Thank you for bringing this to the public ✨ Amazing channel, one of the best I know of 🌻

[@michaelhoile1369]

Another great video 📹 👏 Looking forward to part 2..cheers 😀

[@wackthegood8884]

Absolutely fascinating!

[@ln3812]

interesting topic! thanks for bringing Dr. Ungar on

[@Schatzie301]

Fascinating presentation. Thanks.

[@TimothyBuerki]

I love how you provide references! Awesome.

[@UnnamedThinkTank]

Take away from this excellent lecture? Our ancestors ate whatever they can lay their hands on. That is what makes the human diet is so wide and varied which is amazing.

[@ceolbeats7182]

Starvation

[@QuaqQuao]

Very good, looking forward to next episode

[@coboarasus]

This was a really interesting interview. Thank you very much and can’t wait for part two. And yes, we want more experts interviewed 😀

[@amyfriedlander7850]

Super interesting. Thank you for educating us to what is known and what is not. I find your videos the most interesting on the subject.

[@julioandresgomez3201]

If it´s about finding the "natural" human diet, children are the best guide. What would babies and little children eat if they are not forced or coerced in any way?

[@kout31]

Mainly fruit I would guess.

[@odderlendsolvang3790]

calorie rich processed foods

[@unitedintraditions]

My Parents and great grand parents are from Portugal specifically Azores. I talked to my parents 84 and 92 years old about their homeland diet it was mostly legumes, root vegetables like taro, potatoes, carrots etc... corn bread (no wheat existed on the island) eggs and fish was their primary protein once or twice a week. No red meats and chicken was in the soup as you had to feed 10 people on one old hen that didn't produce eggs. A pig if lucky was killed once a year in fall and the meat smoked or preserved in its own fat. My health has improved since I've adopted a similar plant based diet.

[@carinaekstrom1]

I hope your parents keep living a long and healthy life 🙂. I wonder what you mean though, about fish and eggs being their primary source of protein if they ate so little of it? Seems like plants would have been their primary source of protein?

[@akgakg2426]

he mentioned "legumes" but probably missed that as a source of protein? I feel people should realise there is protein in "everything" (talking about unprocessed food) and should be looked at what we eat throughout the day comulatively

[@carinaekstrom1]

@@akgakg2426 I agree.

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

What a fascinating subject and presentation! Thank you for hosting Dr. Unfair and posting this excellent video.

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

hahaha it's Dr. Ungar not sure if that's a typo or a dig :)

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

@@NutritionMadeSimple - Hahaha! 😂 I just saw it! #@%* autocorrect...I’ll leave it as testimony to the infallible wisdom of digital technology. Thanks again. Happy New Year & Warmest Greetings from Greece - just subscribed!

[@SynthAims]

Very sober and down to earth! Super interesting video

[@deanfoster9558]

Very good video. Yes more like this would be awesome. Thank you.

[@Articulate99]

Always interesting, thank you.

[@CharGC123]

Loved this, thank you! I can't wait for the next episode to get more insight on diets in context... what we might have eaten in the past to survive long enough to reproduce, vs. what we should eat today for maximum health and longevity...ours, the environment's, and the billions of sentient beings used as food.

[@ingelopez9829]

Excelente! Mais vídeos sobre esse assunto, por favor.

[@jazzluvr87]

Great video! Very interesting information.

[@alfonso365]

Great video!

[@polmestra]

Your channel is the best. Thank you for helping us improve our critical thinking.

[@bluesouth9090]

Superb session !

[@stonemdrmdr8315]

Very educational…worth listening again…thank you

[@jimgillert20]

Please, more experts on this topic. This video needs to go viral.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@user-fk8rb8ue5h]

Just look at the human digestive enzymes, gastrointestinal tract and dentistry. That gives you a fair idea of what we evolved to eat.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

China Study is a must read! Dr. T. Colin Campbell also established decades ago that animal protein causes cancer! Livestock industry wants to hide this information. This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

Thanks mate very well done

[@avivbrina]

All hail the algorithm 🛐 Thanks for this channel Gil!

[@minimal-vegan]

Interesting stuff, thanx! 🌱🖖🏼

[@alvaromartinezmateu2175]

Very interesting interview.

[@Scdoo100]

Fascinating!

[@hiker-uy1bi]

It's amazing how much dangerous misinformation is out there. Thanks for providing science-based clarity. Important work, Gil!

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@charleschristianson2730]

@@VeganSemihCyprus33 Yeah because vegans are so healthy lol.. And what does that have to do with being a "good person?"

[@MattyJames1]

Found your channel yesterday and been watching many of your videos. I'm learning so much and you've busted some myths I had bought into, so thanks for these great videos. I do have a subject/video request/idea - can you do a video on the science behind the "blue zones" and what the science says on diet/lifestyle for longevity. The info i've read about the blue zones has influenced my thinking quite a lot but I would like to know how much of it is based in scientific fact/ aligns with current scientific thinking. I'm also interested in your take on the idea that a low protein diet is better for longevity (it looks like this is the case in the blue zones but correct me if i'm wrong) especially given what was said in the interview on protein that you did with Dr Phillips.

[@chozov1]

I appreciate a lot your content Gil and the way you express yourself. Would you consider to talk about the effectiveness of collagen and others similares supplements in next videos? Thank you

[@michaelhassan5089]

Great stuff very interesting.

[@Starchaser63]

Interesting and informative 👍

[@FarzadFarzamfar]

Great video, thanks! Do you have and insights about the advantages/disadvantages of eating dried fruit. Also conserved plants like vinegar cucumbers and such? Thanks!

[@magsf1138]

Excellent information from an expert, who can put information that is supposedly available elsewhere on the internet in perspective. When you think about it, a lot of it is common sense. But I said that after I listened to the talk.

[@cbh2409]

Fascinating topic. I love learning about this stuff, and grateful that he concluded that what our ancestors ate was not necessarily optimal. How long did prehistoric humans live? Based on Early Neolithic data, total life expectancy at 15 would be 28-33 years. Based on Early and Middle Bronze Age data, total life expectancy at 15 would be 28-36 years. Based on Athens Agora and Corinth data, total life expectancy at 15 would be 37-41 years.

[@northerncoloradotransparen1454]

Watching "Eating Our Way To Extinction" Should be required in every educational curriculum on earth. A sustainable future for all of mankind

[@345kobi]

I really love integrity. THANKS.

[@valmody8392]

Fascinating information. I would to hear more about the evolution of eating patterns .

[@evanlouis8853]

Fascinating and makes good, common sense...what doesn't make sense is that people debate what made our ancestors able to survive, but fail to realize that they didn't live that long, and the focus should be on what's available now...apples to oranges...I'm not saying that applies and oranges are available now, though they are, and probably were then, I'm just saying that you can't compare the two, which I know you all already know...Gil Rocks!

[@veganpundit1]

Fantastic, reasoned info backed up by actual research by experts. Looking forward too seeing the next installment ❤

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@lindacgrace2973]

Fascinating! I speculate that the big evolutionary adaptation that allowed modern humans to thrive in so many different biomes is not just dietary flexibility, but metabolic flexibility, as well. A chimp will die of starvation when deprived of food for a week. We, on the other hand, have ketosis; an 'emergency provision' mechanism. Jesus and his disciples fasted for 40 days in the desert, and a forty day fast is the entrance requirement for many Christian monastic communities to this very day. People have been shown to survive much longer fasts (think of Gandhi). I think we succeeded because we survive starvation better than any of our primate cousins. Love your content - my favorite learning channel. I also believe that the Paleo diet crowd has missed the mark by several hundred thousand years. We don't have to eat like cavemen - we just have to eat like our great-grandparents.

[@jb3527]

Seriously, you have the best info. I was so lost and discovered your channel about a month ago. Everything I was confused about, you covered, making it very clear. May 2023 bring you wealth, health and love. Thank you so much 😊

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@vermontmike9800]

Fantastic video again Dr. Gil. Ever thought of getting Dan Buettner on the show?

[@JoseTorres-qf9uq]

Great video btw

[@bkucinschi]

One thing's for sure: our ancestors did a lot of fasting... involuntarily 😁. Also there were no grocery store where you can buy meet anytime they were in the mood for a brontoburger, as that historic documentary "The Flintstones" let you to believe.

[@bonnitaclaus2286]

Observation of what animals eat and what they do, was in the skill and learning about ancient ancestors. I believe this is how we learned what is edible. We try it, if we like it, we eat it, if we get sick, we can put two into together. We see an animal digging up roots, where do you got the rent and try it. Then we pass it along to our children future generations who built upon this is a move two new lands. I rally like what I am hearing. It agrees with logic. First time I’ve heard anyone acknowledge that our ancestors ate insects! 🥰

[@robertthompson3814]

Excellent video. I wish all KZbin videos listed references and were as careful about conclusions.

[@Warren_Williams]

Hi Gil, have you considered a clips channel or using YT shorts/ Instagram reels/tik tok to make this more easily shareable? It seems like a great way to get this quality information in front of more eyeballs

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

China Study is a must read! Dr. T. Colin Campbell also established decades ago that animal protein causes cancer! Livestock industry wants to hide this information. This is unnatural and barbaric: Dominion (2018) And humans can thrive on a plant based diet: Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets (2016) Our ancestors predominantly ate plant based except when they moved to unnatural habitats where their natural plant foods were scarce: "Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces" (2016) Animal products (processed or not, including lean meats) are the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries (because humans are not yet adapted to animal products (majority of humans have lactose intolerance because they are not baby cow, we are great apes): "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death" by Dr. Greger Animal products should be categorized as risk factor just like cigarette smoking. If you claim to be a good person, you must be vegan.

[@juanramos.jr.7948]

Greatest video on human diet!👏👏👏👏👍

[@mikelautermilch8939]

It's an interesting topic and a well-done video. Technically, it's not directly relevant to the question of "what is the optimal diet"? As you both made clear at various points, early humans ate whatever was available. Was that the optimal diet? Can we do better today with year-round access to every type of food under the sun? The only way to know is to do the tests/run the trials, and compare the results between different diets. Also, I doubt anyone is going to start eating rhino.

[@peterfaber7124]

Great interview. Not much data on PUFA's and especially linoleic acid rich food sources. Why didn't you ask or if you did, not include it in the video?

[@helenhucker346]

Excellent, thank you so much and looking forward to part two. I think supporters of a plant based diet would argue that humans may be adapted to many foods but are better adapted to plants. Perhaps our ancestors were only occasional omnivores?

[@ReflectedMiles]

I knew it! When I saw all these paleo-type diet trends getting started, I knew they were going to completely miss the joy of Neanderthals eating Twinkies. Ridiculous, considering the dietary trends and preferences among the less-advanced of our own species now. It was also great to see all the historic pictures of the people of the Arkansas region in this video, probably extending to West Virginia on the east.

[@finagill]

Not what I was hoping for, it is what I expected. I was hoping for more clear evidence, but it makes sense that people eat what they have available when hungry. Looking forward to the speculative discussion next week.

[@TheBoydTV]

do you have these on a podcast format? would be great

[@fergimasta]

I’ve went out into the Texas back woods to see what I could possibly eat. All I saw was cactus, nuts, small little wild onions, berries. All of which is highly seasonal. The only thing that wasn’t seasonal was wild game.

[@akn0187rmb]

Crazy. This guy was my freshman anthropology professor in 2005. Didn’t expect to see an Arkansan on here!

[@Zenjohnny]

Paleo poop was found that had 80 plus grams of fiber. We definitely ate a good amount of plants.

[@johnmarks227]

They ate whatever they could catch or raise. And that depends on a whole host of things that you cannot determine through dental.

[@ilyalevin9400]

Not as satisfying as I had wanted. Fascinating area of discussion and I think you should bring on other speakers in the future. Thank you.

[@ln3812]

what kind of topics were you missing?

[@ilyalevin9400]

@ln3812 Well, without being too critical because the esteemed guest made a professional and in many ways informative appearance - the bottom line is, well humans just eat what they can, when they can. That's not a very satisfying answer to me personally. Are there really no patterns we can find in the early human diet? Really? An hour of discussion and not even an overarching broad pattern besides... they ate what they can.

[@robertusga]

@Ilya Levin it's the truth and that means we can't bank on any of that to determine what is best for modern humans. Luckily we know that from actual outcome based data from quality studies in humans.

[@frequentlycynical642]

Love "They ate what they could get." A great interview. Looking at modern hunter-gatherers, plant foods are fall back foods when meat isn't available. When there is plenty of meat, no one is out finding tubers or nuts. Or, just to add calories on top of meat. Never could eat too many calories. (Wish I could adhere to that philosophy!) If those Neanderthals ate barley, it was to avoid starvation. OK, some hominids ate a fair amount of plants. But are we descended from them? Dr. Michael Eades has a YT lecture that claims nitrogen isotopes prove that our ancestors were apex predators. Then there's the matter that meat consumption may have ramped up with the discovery of cooking meat, 500K to 800K years ago. Which is how we got our big brains. No need to provide energy to a big gut.

[@brianpancoast6143]

Fascinating interview. Simple takeaway : Homo Sapiens conquered the world in part by evolving the ability to survive & thrive on a broad array of food sources. That then leads me to several other points : 1) we certainly have not yet fully evolved the ability to thrive on over-processed, chemically fertilized “foods” ; 2) what we can survive on, and what moves the collective species forward may or may not be the same as what best nourishes any individual and causes them to live a long, healthy, happy life ; 3) knowing what our ancestors ate is only a small piece of the puzzle of what the “best” human diet is.

[@fitveganathleteintegrateda1695]

It is also interesting to what degree speciation drove dietary changes or whether the necessity of changing diet drove speciation -- what was the balance, or how big were the oscillations.

[@michaelt2974]

Aren’t people set up physically not to be able to efficiently ferment vegetables as opposed to easily enzymatically digesting animal products?

[@carinaekstrom1]

Millions of years as almost exclusive plant eating apes would have set us up pretty well I would think.

[@weshendrikx9754]

It’s been scientifically proven that vegan farts are healthy

[@engineeredinsanity585]

thanks for making this content a reality....

[@johanneswolfram5798]

We love you Gil 🤠

[@sampotter4455]

If the material in the paleo diet type books is fabricated - you should call them out! I've read many of those books so I'm very interested in corrections as needed. Good interview, thanks! I appreciate all the references.

[@russelsellick316]

One thing I know is we are omnivores. I saw some evidence that early agricultural societies were not as big or as fit as the hunter gatherers of their time. If one looks at Eskimos who spent at least some time eating only meat and fat and Hindus and Buddhists who avoid meat entirely.

[@m-hadji]

Happy new year to you and thanks for this discussion. Very nice observation. But unfortunately it adds more confusion to diet question. Ha ha I think “made easy “ in your handle is an irony or sarcasm. I am continuing on trusting my common sense and keep my mind open to meaningful discussion.

[@DericBaneto]

To be honest, I only liked this topic because you Gil were so enthusiastic about it. Beyond your interest, I did not find this topic relatable to basic health themes. I do see this is very relatable to scientists who are in the field of researching health and food but it was a bit over my head. Thanks though, I believe good content is not only what the audience wants but what the KZbinr(Gil) is excited about.

[@johnny7808]

off topic comment - I'd enjoy seeing a Gil video on Pu'erh tea and its bile acid, cholesterol, and anti-obesity effects. Its a popular drink among chinese centarians. Brad Marshall did a short video on it recently, findable on youtube by searching for "Theabrownin from Pu Ehr Tea".

[@johnferguson3918]

Nice video given all the pseudo diet science on the internet. My question is given our current environment of any food at anytime what should we be consuming for optimal health? I can eat oats, eggs, grains for breakfast then fruits, fish, grains, legumes, for lunch and meat, vegetables, starches, rice etc for tea. But that doesn’t mean I should. Is there an answer to this question in modern Society? For our ancestors their optimal diet was just to eat what they could to survive. Well we are hard wired to eat what we can to survive, so based on DNA we should be eating anything and everything, but obviously this causes health problems. Looking forward to some feedback

[@rn5697]

Excellent as usual can we expect some discord group like many KZbin channels have nowadays