A-Z Indexes Food Health Guides
Health News |
Did Carbs Give Our Ancient Ancestors a Brain Boost?If you follow a Paleolithic diet (Paleo diet for short), new research may change the way you eat. The Paleo diet is based on the (supposed) nutritional habits of our pre-agricultural relatives and includes foods such as fruits, vegetables, organic and grass-fed meats, nuts, seeds, and oils. It is widely believed that the cooked, protein-rich meat of this diet was critical to the development of the modern human brain. Yet, there may be something very important missing from the meat-centric version of the Paleo diet—carbohydrates. A new review, published in the journal Quarterly Review of Biology, has found several indications that glucose from carbohydrates was a key player in meeting the energy demands of our prehistoric ancestors’ growing brains. Combing through archaeological, anthropological, genetic, physiological, and anatomical data, researchers made the following points:
While meat may have played a role in the development of the human brain, the new review proposes that carbohydrates from starchy foods were essential in fulfilling the evolving brain’s increased energy requirements, thereby helping to create the modern brain. So, if you’re following a Paleo diet, you may want to add some cooked tubers to your next meal. Source: Quarterly Review of Biology Copyright © 2024 TraceGains, Inc. All rights reserved. |