{"id":13979,"date":"2020-09-10T17:24:57","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T21:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=13979"},"modified":"2025-09-12T15:17:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T19:17:48","slug":"evolution-of-the-human-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/evolution-of-the-human-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Evolution of the Human Diet: 80 Million Years of Eating"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the history of the human diet? How has the evolution of the human diet impacted our modern health?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn about the evolution of the human diet and how four factors in the recent history of the human diet can explain many health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Editor\u2019s note: This article is part of Shortform\u2019s guide to dieting<\/a>. If you like what you read here, there\u2019s plenty more to check out in the guide!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four Major Changes in the Evolution of the Human Diet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your gut bacteria tell your immune system which compounds are safe to the body and which pose a threat. The gut bacteria and immune system<\/a> continually learn what\u2019s safe and what\u2019s not through the evolution of the human diet, and it\u2019s been adapting this way for more than 80 million years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But relatively recently, humans\u2019 diets have changed drastically and exposed our gut bacteria to new compounds that they don\u2019t know what to do with. <\/strong>That\u2019s why humans are facing illnesses like obesity and type 2 diabetes\u2014we\u2019re simply maladapted to many of the foods we eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are four factors that brought about this major change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Factor #1: The Agricultural Revolution <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

About 10,000 years ago, the Agricultural Revolution<\/a> ushered in the harvesting of grains and legumes (beans) to store and eat when needed\u2014more convenient than fruit, which had to be eaten during a narrow window of ripeness. Not only did the agricultural revolution introduce grain and beans into the human diet for the first time, but it also made them the primary food source. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evolution of the human diet was a shift from a diet of mainly leaves, tubers (like sweet potatoes), and some animal fat and proteins\u2014and humans\u2019 gut bacteria and immune systems still haven\u2019t adapted. Although the Agricultural Revolution was critical for the survival and growth of civilization, it led to health problems such as diabetes, obesity, clogged arteries, and tooth decay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Factor #2: Casein A-1 Cows<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

About 2,000 years ago, a mutation in Northern European cows caused them to produce a different kind of protein in their milk that causes problems for people during digestion<\/strong>. Previously cows had produced a protein called casein A-2, but these cows began producing casein A-1. During digestion, casein A-1 turns into a protein similar to lectin that causes your immune system to attack your pancreas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, A-1 cows are the most common breed for producing milk. The good news is, A-2 dairy products are becoming increasingly available. This has been an important factor in the evolution of the human diet recently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Factor #3: Foreign Food from the New World<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

About 500 years ago, when Europeans landed in the Americas, they brought foreign food from the New World back with them to Europe. People in Europe, Asia, and Africa had never before been exposed to these New World foods, and 500 years isn\u2019t enough for gut bacteria to adapt to them.<\/strong> The adaptations in the evolution of the human diet take more time to become part of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These foods included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n