staying healthy in the fast lane“Man’s ancestors foraged or hunted for wild plants and
animals in their natural world. When hunter-gatherer societies
transitioned to an agricultural grain-based diet, their general
health deteriorated. Those who switched to grain-based diets
had shorter life spans, higher childhood mortality, and a higher
incidence of osteoporosis, rickets, and other vitamin/mineral
deficiencies....The Paleolithic diet compared with the average
modern American diet contained 2 to 3 times more fiber, 1.5 to
2.0 times more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, 4
times more omega-3 fats, and 60–70% less saturated fat. Protein
intake was 2 to 3 times higher, and potassium intake was 3 to 4
times higher, while sodium intake was 4 to 5 times lower. The
Paleolithic diet contained no refined grains and sugars except for
honey. In the growing season, an abundance of fruits, berries,
and vegetables were consumed.
“...The hunter-gatherer diet was high in beneficial phyto-
chemicals and antioxidants...Omega-3 fats were abundant in
the Paleolithic diet. The small amount of fat in algae, grasses,
and leaves is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which become more
concentrated in larger animals up through both land and ma-
rine food chains, especially in fish and larger grazing animals...
Monounsaturated fats made up half of the total fat in the diets of
hunter-gatherers. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to be
cardioprotective. Hunter-gatherers consumed nuts as sources of
calorie-dense, highly nutritious foods that were often available
in non-summer months. Typically, nuts are 80% fat, and most of
this is from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, includ-
ing some omega-3 fats...Paleolithic humans lived in temperate
climates where, during the winter months, plant food was not
available. Early humans adapted to these conditions by consum-
ing meat, organs, marrow, and fat from animals during the win-
ter months. These meat-based hunter-gatherer diets were non-
atherogenic. The flesh of wild game is about 2-4% fat and has
relatively high amounts of monounsaturated fats and omega-3
fats compared with the flesh of fatty grain-produced domestic
animals, which contains 20-25% fat, much of which is in the form
of saturated fat...