by easily grown starchy grains that are
relatively poor in calcium, iron, and protein.
With this and the higher prevalence of
infectious disease caused by population
growth and crowding, the rise of agriculture
brought about a general decline in human
stature, bone strength, and dental health.
A return to something like the robustness
of the hunter-gatherers came to the
industrialized world beginning late in the 19th
century. This broad improvement in stature
and life expectancy owed a great deal to
improvements in medicine and especially
public hygiene (water quality, waste
treatment), but the growing nutritional
contribution of meat and milk also played an
essential role.
...And Modern, Long-Term Disadvantages
By the middle of the 20th century, we had a
pretty good understanding of the nutritional