What did ancient people really eat?
Comparing Measured Dietary Variation Within and Between Tropical Hunter-Gatherers Groups to the Paleo Diet.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists looked at what 11 groups of modern hunter-gatherers in tropical areas actually ate over time, and compared it to what the Paleo Diet says ancient humans ate.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
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Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists looked at what 11 groups of modern hunter-gatherers in tropical areas actually ate over time, and compared it to what the Paleo Diet says ancient humans ate.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 540 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Publication
Authors
Lieberman DE, Worthington S, Schell LD, Parkent CM, Devinsky O, Carmody RN
Related Content
Claims (5)
People in tropical hunter-gatherer groups eat different amounts of protein, carbs, and fat, with ranges that overlap significantly, which means there isn't one single diet pattern that defines how ancient humans ate.
When researchers track what people eat over longer periods and include food eaten outside of controlled environments, they find higher amounts of animal-based foods than when they only track short-term or on-site eating. This means how and where food intake is measured can change the results of nutritional studies.
In tropical foraging communities, people tend to eat more animal-based foods in cooler climates compared to warmer ones, indicating that temperature may shape their diet patterns.
The macronutrient proportions promoted by the Paleo Diet fall within the range seen in some tropical hunter-gatherer populations, but differences between groups mean these proportions cannot be considered a single universal standard for ancestral human diets.
Many tropical hunter-gatherer groups regularly ate foods like tubers and legumes, which the Paleo Diet excludes. This suggests the Paleo Diet's restrictions are not consistent with the actual eating patterns of these ancient populations.