Comparing measured dietary variation within and between tropical hunter-gatherer groups to the Paleo Diet.
Paleo Diet
Paleolithic
evolution
forager
hunter-gatherer
mismatch
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
ISSN: 1938-3207
Titre abrégé: Am J Clin Nutr
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0376027
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
09 2023
09 2023
Historique:
received:
17
02
2023
revised:
11
05
2023
accepted:
12
06
2023
medline:
5
9
2023
pubmed:
22
6
2023
entrez:
21
6
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Although human diets varied considerably before the spread of agriculture, public perceptions of preagricultural diets have been strongly influenced by the Paleo Diet, which prescribes percentage calorie ranges of 19-35% protein, 22-40% carbohydrate, and 28-47% fat, and prohibits foods with added sugar, dairy, grains, most starchy tubers, and legumes. However, the empirical basis for Paleolithic nutrition remains unclear, with some of its assumptions challenged by the archaeological record and theoretical first principles. We assessed the variation in diets among tropical hunter-gatherers, including the effect of collection methods on implied macronutrient percentages. We analyzed data on animal food, plant food, and honey consumption by weight and kcal from 15 high-quality published ethnographic studies representing 11 recent tropical hunter-gatherer groups. We used Bayesian analyses to perform inference and included data collection methods and environmental variables as predictors in our models. Our analyses reveal high levels of variation in animal versus plant foods consumed and in corresponding percentages of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. In addition, studies that weighed food items consumed in and out of camp and across seasons and years reported higher consumption of animal foods, which varied with annual mean temperature. The ethnographic evidence from tropical foragers refutes the concept of circumscribed macronutrient ranges modeling preagricultural diets.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Although human diets varied considerably before the spread of agriculture, public perceptions of preagricultural diets have been strongly influenced by the Paleo Diet, which prescribes percentage calorie ranges of 19-35% protein, 22-40% carbohydrate, and 28-47% fat, and prohibits foods with added sugar, dairy, grains, most starchy tubers, and legumes. However, the empirical basis for Paleolithic nutrition remains unclear, with some of its assumptions challenged by the archaeological record and theoretical first principles.
OBJECTIVES
We assessed the variation in diets among tropical hunter-gatherers, including the effect of collection methods on implied macronutrient percentages.
METHODS
We analyzed data on animal food, plant food, and honey consumption by weight and kcal from 15 high-quality published ethnographic studies representing 11 recent tropical hunter-gatherer groups. We used Bayesian analyses to perform inference and included data collection methods and environmental variables as predictors in our models.
RESULTS
Our analyses reveal high levels of variation in animal versus plant foods consumed and in corresponding percentages of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. In addition, studies that weighed food items consumed in and out of camp and across seasons and years reported higher consumption of animal foods, which varied with annual mean temperature.
CONCLUSIONS
The ethnographic evidence from tropical foragers refutes the concept of circumscribed macronutrient ranges modeling preagricultural diets.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37343704
pii: S0002-9165(23)65975-1
doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.06.013
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
549-560Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.