Origins of obesity in human evolution
Anna Bellisari in The Anthropology Of Obesity in the United States, 2016
Compared to forest apes, Australopithecines had increased their dietary diversity, but had done little to modify foods to improve their nutritional value. That was the primary achievement of this new and different type of hominin. Although no taller than their ancestors, the first humans had significantly larger brains, smaller teeth and faces and more delicately constructed skeletons (Anton et al. 2014). Homo collected appropriate stones and cobbles and deliberately struck them with another stone to create sharp- or rough-edged tools. The resulting flakes and choppers were used for slicing and pounding, mostly tough vegetation but also animal parts. Ancient animal bones with cut-marks and fractures indicate that meat was sliced from bones and limb bones were smashed to expose the fatty marrow inside (Ambrose 2001; Fernandez-Jalvo et al. 1999). The Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) period had begun.
Potential of Mycochemicals in the Prevention and Control of Microbial Diseases
Mahendra Rai, Chistiane M. Feitosa in Eco-Friendly Biobased Products Used in Microbial Diseases, 2022
The search for safe and efficient pharmacological agents against resistant microorganisms, free radicals generated from oxidation and inflammation and other ailments in the body have increased in the last three decades. Commonly used pharmacological agents which are mostly synthetic compounds have been found to have some side effects (Veglioglu et al. 1998). Hence, there is urgent need for safe and effective antimicrobial agents. Mushrooms have been found to be a reservoir of new natural bioactive compounds with potential application in medicine (Oyetayo and Oyetayo 2020). The use of mushrooms by man has been from ancient times and in some cases connected with mysticism. The first report of a particular species of mushroom used as a hallucinogenic agent was credited to the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria in Africa (Griensven 2009). According to Samorini (1992), this dates back to the Paleolithic period (7000–9000 years ago). However, in the Far East, especially China and Japan the knowledge on the use of edible and medicinal mushrooms had been passed on from one generation to the other in documented form. The earliest Chinese material medical book, Shennong Bencao Jing, and other succeeding Chinese medical book had been in use for over 2,500 years to record and depict many medicinal mushrooms (Zhu 2009).
Paleopathology and paleomedicine
Lois N. Magner, Oliver J. Kim in A History of Medicine, 2017
The Paleolithic Era, or Old Stone Age, when the most important steps in cultural evolution occurred, coincides with the geological epoch known as the Pleistocene, or Great Ice Age, which ended about 10,000 years ago with the last retreat of the glaciers. Early humans are generally thought of as hunter-gatherers, that is, opportunistic omnivores, who learned to make tools, build shelters, carry and share food, and create uniquely human social structures. A more realistic but less romantic version of the way early humans lived would note that they also scavenged carcasses of animals that died a natural death or were temporarily left unattended by predators. Although Paleolithic technology is characterized by crude tools made of bone and chipped stones and the absence of pottery and metal objects, the people of this era produced the dramatic cave paintings at Lascaux, France, and Altamira, Spain. Presumably, they also produced useful inventions that were fully biodegradable and, therefore, left no traces in the fossil record. The weapons used by hunters were more likely to survive than the implements used to gather the grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, insects, and small animals that probably constituted the more reliable component of the Paleolithic diet. Women, who presumably were the gatherers, would have needed digging sticks and sacks to carry food stuffs, especially when encumbered by infants and children.
Paternal Y chromosomal genotyping reveals multiple large-scale admixtures in the formation of Lolo-Burmese–speaking populations in southwest China
Published in Annals of Human Biology, 2019
Jianxin Guo, Bingying Xu, Lanjiang Li, Guanglin He, Han Zhang, Hui-Zhen Cheng, Jinxing Ba, Xiaomin Yang, Lanhai Wei, Rong Hu, Chuan-Chao Wang
Yunnan Province in southwest China, with rolling plateaus, high mountains, and six main river systems, is a crucial region of cultural and genetic diffusion between East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, presenting abundant human genetic and cultural diversity. Due to the complex terrain and geographical location, Yunnan is described as a key area for exploring population migration and cultural exchange, as well as for delineating the earliest transportation and commerce route of the so-called Southern Silk Road. Archaeological discoveries from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites in the area indicate that the earliest hunter-gatherer may have got there 170 kya (thousand years ago) at the latest (Li et al. 1977; Yang 1993; Li et al. 2008; Zeng et al. 2015). According to official historical records, there are numerous regional kingdoms, such as Gouding, Dian, Nanzhao and Dali, formed by varieties of ethnic groups. Nowadays, the population census shows that the 25 recognised ethnic groups in Yunnan account for more than 40% of the whole provincial population. However, since the archaeological and written evidence is limited due to a lack of cultural artifacts and records, the population history is still inadequate.
A Modified MCT-Based Ketogenic Diet Increases Plasma β-Hydroxybutyrate but Has Less Effect on Fatigue and Quality of Life in People with Multiple Sclerosis Compared to a Modified Paleolithic Diet: A Waitlist-Controlled, Randomized Pilot Study
Published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2021
Jennifer E. Lee, Tyler J. Titcomb, Babita Bisht, Linda M. Rubenstein, Rebecca Louison, Terry L. Wahls
At study visit 1, blood was drawn for β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), glucose, and insulin analysis using standard clinical procedures at the Iowa City VA Health Care System, Department of Pathology and the run-in daily food logs and weighed food records were collected. Additionally, upper extremity (9HPT), cognitive (PASAT) and lower extremity (25FWT) function tests were administered. To be included in the main study, run-in participants must have: 1) completed all questionnaires; 2) completed the generic daily food log; and 3) continued their usual, pre-study diet containing excluded foods. Participants who met run-in inclusion criteria were randomized to one of the three study groups: 1) modified Paleolithic diet (Paleo); 2) modified MCT-based ketogenic diet (Keto); or 3) usual diet (Control).
Associations of the Paleolithic Diet Pattern Scores and the Risk of Breast Cancer among Adults: A Case–Control Study
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2022
Mohammad Hassan Sohouli, Mansoureh Baniasadi, Ángela Hernández-Ruiz, Elma Izze da Silva Magalhães, Heitor O. Santos, Atieh Akbari, Mitra Zarrati
Ultimately, it is of public health importance to emphasize that is almost impossible to follow a PD without agricultural products. Although the PD is classified as the general human eating habits prior to the development of agriculture, the contemporary consumption of vegetables and fruits—thus fibers, micronutrients, and phytochemicals—occurs thanks to agriculture. Unlike the traditional Paleolithic eating pattern, as a result of agriculture, the introduction of grains (whole-wheat flour, brown rice, oats, corn, etc.) has been essential as fruit and vegetable consumption to afford an optimal intake of fiber and minerals. Therefore, an eating habit mimicking the traditional Paleolithic diet pattern can be inviable in the long-term fashion, since tons of recipes and snacks derived from cereals are part of modernizing influences regardless of the population income.
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