Encyclopedia of Diets - A Guide to Health and Nutrition

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Nutrition Insights12.

M. Cristina Flaminiano Garces

Lisa A. Sutherland

Neanderthin
Definition
The neanderthin diet is a high-protein low-
carbohydrate diet that is based on the foods eaten by
early humans of the paleolithic era, from about one
million years ago to 10,000–14,000 years ago when agri-
culture developed. Since this was the period of rapid
evolution of the human species, modern humans are
presumed to be genetically adaptedtoapaleolithicdiet.

Neanderthin is the same as or very similar to a:

paleolithic diet

‘paleo’ diet

paleothin diet

caveman diet

Pangaian diet

stone-age diet

pre-agricultural diet

hunter-gatherer diet.

Origins
Paleolithic foods
For 96.6% of our evolutionary history, all human
beings were hunter/gatherers. Isolated pockets of
hunter/gatherers have survived into the twenty-first
century. Early humans hunted animals, fished, and
gathered plants for food. There were no crops, such

as rice or wheat, and no milk products except for

breast milk, although babies were probably breastfed

until they were several years old. Although the paleo-

lithic diet varied greatly depending on the geograph-

ical location and season, it is likely that early humans

used a far greater variety of plants and animals than

do modern humans and, perhaps for this reason, may

have consumed morevitamins,minerals, and healthy

factors such asantioxidants.

Based on the foods that would have been available

during the paleolithic and on the foods consumed by

modern hunter/gatherers, many experts believe that

early humans had a diet that was very high inprotein

derived from meat—perhaps up to twice as much as

modern westerners. Since the meat was from wild ani-

mals it was low in fat. Early humans living near oceans,

lakes, and rivers would have eaten fish and seafood

such as oysters, mussels, and prawns that are also low

in fat, particularly saturatedfats.Howeversinceearly

humans ate far more of the animal carcass than modern

humans, including offal that is now considered inedible,

as well as brains and other organs, the paleolithic diet

may have been even higher in fat than modern diets.

However the fats would have been monounsaturated

and polyunsaturated rather than saturated.

The paleolithic diet probably also included large

amounts of:

leafy vegetables

root vegetables

fruits and berries

grass seeds

nuts

honey.

Root vegetables are high in nutrients andfiber

and may have provided a large portion of early

humans’ energy requirements. Wild berries have

more nutrients and antioxidants than modern com-

mercial berries, as well as far less sugar. Salt intake

was probably about one-fifth of what the average

westerner consumes today.

About 72% of the food consumed by modern

humans was unavailable to early humans. The paleo-

lithic diet did not include:

dairy products

cereal grains such as wheat, barley, oats, or rice

legumes, including beans, soy, peas, or peanuts

corn

yeast

processed foods such as sugar, bread, or pastries

alcohol.

Neanderthin