Debunking the Paleo Myth

Transcription

1 Debunking the Paleo Myth CHRISTINA WARINNER, PHD Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma Department of Periodontics, OU College of Dentistry INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUTRITION AND MEDICINE WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 30, 2016

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12 THE PALEO DIET

13 THE PALEO DIET Lose weight eating the food you were designed to eat Reprogram your genes maximum longevity Evolution diet Eat like a caveman

14 THE PALEO DIET

15 THE PALEO DIET

16 THE PALEO DIET as promoted in popular books, on TV, on self-help websites, and in the overwhelming majority of popular news articles

17 THE PALEO DIET as promoted in popular books, on TV, on self-help websites, and in the overwhelming majority of popular news articles HAS VIRUTALLY NO BASIS IN THE ARCHAEOLOGIAL RECORD

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19 WHAT? but I already bought the book!

20 THE PALEO DIET Myth 1: Humans are evolved to eat meat and Paleolithic peoples consumed large quantities of meat

21 THE MEAT MYTH The vast majority of human anatomical, physiological, and genetic dietary adaptations are for plant consumption.

22 THE MEAT MYTH

23 THE MEAT MYTH The vast majority of human anatomical, physiological, and genetic dietary adaptations are for plant consumption.

24 THE MEAT MYTH The vast majority of human anatomical, physiological, and genetic dietary adaptations are for plant consumption.

25 THE MEAT MYTH The vast majority of human anatomical, physiological, and genetic dietary adaptations are for plant consumption.

26 THE MEAT MYTH Lean, wild game (wild deer, goat, horse, ass, auroch, rabbit, ibex, seal, dolphin, sea birds, fish, shellfish, boar, snails Paleolithic people weren t picky) Bone marrow Organs (tripe, kidneys, liver, brain, etc.)

27 THE MEAT MYTH Neanderthals Early Human Hunter Gatherers

28 14 N 14 N 15 N 14 N 14 N 14 N 14 N 14 N 14 N 14 N 14 N 14 N 14 N 15 N

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30 ??

31 ?? Wait a second

32 ?? Wait a second!

33 ?? Wait a second!

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35 What they did: Analysis of ethnographic data on plant:animal subsistence patterns of modern hunter gatherers Assumptions: Studying modern hunter-gatherers is an indirect way of reconstructing diets of pre-agricultural human ancestors Diets of modern hunter-gatherers can be used as reference standard for modern human nutrition Study conclusions: Hunter-gatherers consume high amounts of animal foods (45-65% energy) whenever ecologically possible Most hunter-gatherer societies (73%) derive >50% of subsistence from animal foods Few hunter-gatherer societies (14%) derive >50% of subsistence from plant foods

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37 Subsistence: 1. Gathering wild plants and small land fauna 2. Hunting, trapping, and fowling 3. Fishing, shellfishing, and large aquatic animals 4. Animal husbandry 5. Agriculture Each slot scored as follows: 0: 0-5% dependence 1: 6-15% dependence 2: 16-25% dependence 3: 26-35% dependence 4: 36-45% dependence 5: 46-55% dependence 6: 56-65% dependence 7: 66-75% dependence 8: 76-85% dependence 9: % dependence

38 Total HGs Africa Circum-Mediterranean East Eurasia Island Pacific N America S & C America 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

39 it is clear that the modern HGs in the Atlas are biased towards populations living in marginal environments, and especially Arctic regions. These ecologies were not colonized by humans 2.4 MYA when Homo evolved. In fact, the N. American Arctic regions that dominate the ethnographies weren t colonized until 15,000 years ago just 5,000 years before agriculture.

40 Cordain et al. purport that a high animal, low plant diets are more natural, and so health will be improved if people today adopted high animal, low plant diets. However, the meats and plants available to hunter-gatherers are different from those available to us in globalized, industrialized societies.

41 Seal and beef are not equivalent, nor interchangeable. Neither are wild berries and apples. Their macronutrient composition is different. Energy expenditures between HGs and agriculturalists are not similar, nor are total calorie intakes. Lifestyle must be taken into account.

42 Regardless of the proportion of plant versus meat consumption, no huntergatherers appear to suffer from diseases of civilization. Additionally, virtually all huntergatherer groups that transition to Western diets (forcibly or voluntarily) develop diseases of civilization.

43 THE PALEO DIET Myth 2: Paleolithic peoples did not eat whole grains or legumes

44 European Paleolithic subsistence is assumed to have been largely based on animal proteins and fat. We present evidence of starch grains from various wild plants on the surfaces of grinding tools from northeastern Europe to the central Mediterranean The three sites suggest that vegetal food processing, possibly the production of flour, was a common practice, widespread across Europe from at least 30,000 years ago.

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46 Fruits! Grains! Barley! Legumes! Tubers!

47 THE PALEO DIET Myth 3: Paleodiet foods are what our Paleolithic ancestors ate

48 THE FARMER DIET Every food pictured in these PaleoDiet promotional images is from a domesticated plant or animal a product of the Neolithic agricultural transition.

49 THE FARMER DIET

50 THE FARMER DIET

51 THE FARMER DIET

52 THE FARMER DIET New England, U.S. Mexico China

53 THE FARMER DIET New England, U.S. Mexico Size China

54 THE FARMER DIET New England, U.S. Mexico China

55 Brassica oleracea

56 Dan L. Perlman Daucus carota

57 Prunus spp. Prunus dulcis Select for seeds w/o cyanide (fruits still small) = Almonds Prunus armeniaca Select for big fruits (seeds still contain cyanide) = Apricots Small fruits; Seeds contain cyanide

58 THE PALEO DIET Absurdities

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66 PALEO DIETS

67 PALEO DIETS Humans are not self-made creations dietarily, but rather have an evolutionary history as anthropoid primates stretching back million[s of] years, a history that shaped their nutrient requirements and digestive physiology well before they were humans or even protohumans.

68 Million years ago PALEO DIETS

69 Climate fluctuation >2 million years ago today Late Pleistocene PALEO DIETS Climate model from benthic δ 18 O data, Schulz and Zeebe 2006, EPSL

70 Climate fluctuation >2 million years ago today Late Pleistocene PALEO DIETS Climate model from benthic δ 18 O data, Schulz and Zeebe 2006, EPSL

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73 Wild Plants Prickly pear fruit Mesquite (legume) Guaje (legume) Nance fruit Huizache (legume) Agave Inflorescence Susi nut Beans (legume) Cucurbits Wild Game Rabbit, Deer, Turtle, Peccary, Gopher, Dove, Pidgeon, Quail September

74 Wild Plants April Wild Game Rabbit, Deer, Turtle, Peccary, Gopher, Dove, Pidgeon, Quail

75 PALEO DIETS Dan L. Perlman Regionally variable Seasonally variable High mobility (exercise) Small food packets Tough, woody, fibrous Marrow, organs Toxins, phytochemicals

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79 Hunter-Gatherer Rural agriculturalist Urban-industrial

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85 PALEO DIETS What dietary lessons can we learn from real ancient diets?

86 No one correct diet - diversity is key Dietary Versatility as an Adaptive Strategy The fossil, archaeological, and paleoenvironmental evidence taken together suggest a model of increasing dietary versatility with the appearance and early evolution of Homo. Ungar et al. 2006

87 Fresh foods

88 Whole foods

89 Whole foods 72 g sugar More than 6 feet of sugar cane!

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