What did primitive people eat? A look at the paleo diet: what primitive people actually ate.

The paleo diet, which has recently become popular in medical circles, was created back in the 1970s by gastroenterologist Walter Vogtlin. He was the first to suggest that the foods our Paleolithic ancestors ate could make modern humans healthier. Returning to the diet of our ancestors, according to Dr. Vogtlin and a dozen of his followers, can drastically reduce the possibility of developing Crohn's disease, diabetes, obesity, indigestion and a host of other diseases. But is the modern pali diet really similar to the diet of our ancestors?

Features of the paleo diet

At first glance, such a diet has similarities with what a Paleolithic person could have eaten. The diet mainly consists of meat and fish that primitive man would have obtained from hunting and fishing, as well as plants that he might have collected, including nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits. Cereals and their products should be avoided, as the prehistoric period preceded the cultivation of crops. Dairy products are also banned - primitive man did not breed animals for milk or meat. Honey is the only sugar that is allowed to be consumed during the diet, because, as we know, refined sugar did not exist at that time. Salt intake is also limited - our ancestors certainly did not have salt shakers on the table. Processed foods of any kind are prohibited. The meat should be obtained from those animals that were fed exclusively with grass, which is as close as possible to the diet of ruminants of that time.

What did early humans actually eat?

However, critics argue that the Paleo diet dramatically simplifies everything that primitive man could eat. In the first place in it, meat or fish are taken out, but there is no evidence that it was proteins that formed the basis of the diet of primitive man. Just like modern eating habits, the diet of the Paleolithic era was highly dependent on where people lived. Groups that settled in places similar to modern deserts would hardly have been able to get their own fish, and meat, most likely, did not often get them for lunch. Most likely, nuts, seeds and even insects played a large role in their diet. Groups that lived in cold regions had limited access to fresh vegetables and fruits. Their diet was almost entirely based on meat, and it is possible that they ate all parts of the animal in order to eliminate the shortage caused by the lack of fresh food. Critics argue that modern paleo diets do not take into account such details.

The main arguments of the critics

However, the most controversial aspect of the Paleo diet is its ability to improve health. While most modern people will benefit from eating more fruits and vegetables, it is very difficult to say whether primitive man was healthier than our contemporaries. After all, many children died before the age of 15, and few adults crossed the 40-year mark.

In addition, a recent study published in The Lancet found alarmingly high rates of atherosclerosis in ancient mummies found. The disease was found in 47 of the 137 mummies discovered. This calls into question the theory that our ancestors were much healthier than we are now.

Stone Age Diet. The paleo diet or the Stone Age diet is an interpretation of the diet that our distant ancestors adhered to in the Stone Age, at a time when there was no agriculture and pastoralism. Food was obtained only through hunting and gathering.

Probably, the reader has already heard about the existence of training programs created according to the principles of physical activity that primitive man endured. Some people try to use these training methods to improve their health and to prevent various diseases. Everyone wants to get rid of excess body fat relatively quickly and without any extra effort and always be in good shape. At the same time, most of them want it to be done quickly enough, which is why they resort to express diets. If your goals are to lose weight and improve your health, you may be advised to use the paleo diet, which has been empirically proven by many people to be effective.

The development of a diet that would be based on the diet of our distant ancestors was taken from the book "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by W. Price. Many dietitians have studied diets and found that a diet based on the foods our ancestors ate is best for health.

The Paleolithic epoch lasted about 2.5 million years. Its end fell on the period of 18 thousand years BC. The diet of primitive man at that time consisted of meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and fruits. At that time there was no milk, sugar, cereals, milk, legumes, salt, and especially artificially grown products.

Anthropological data suggest that with such a diet, human ancestors had a fairly slender appearance, were relatively tall and had good health. If we do not take into account the constant danger from the environment (predators, infant mortality, unsanitary conditions, infections), it is likely that our ancestors could have lived to a ripe old age. Modern chronic diseases associated with our current lifestyle were unfamiliar to ancient man. It is assumed that not only the diet, but also physical activity, due to the survival instinct, was important in strengthening the health of primitive man.

The Stone Age Diet: The Evolution of the Paleo Diet

In the 1970s, the physician W. Wegtlin was the first to reveal the connection between the normalization of the state of health and the nutrition of primitive man.

In the mid-80s of the last century, B. Eaton and M. Conner found that, according to the genome, contemporaries and ancient people practically did not differ in terms of food preferences.

The early 90s marked the emergence of solid conclusions in medical sources about the usefulness of the paleo diet. Scientific publications have confirmed the importance of exercise in combination with a primitive diet.

In the mid-90s, a doctor from Sweden, S. Lindeberg, published new information that had been obtained while studying the life of the indigenous people of New Guinea. The doctor determined that the natives have a reduced risk of diabetes, stroke, coronary artery disease, obesity and hypertension. All this is due to a healthy diet.

The book by nutritionist R. Odatta talks about all the advantages of the primitive diet, which is clinically confirmed. The author in the book discusses what the development of agriculture and animal husbandry has led to in relation to the etiology of the development of diseases.

Professor L. Cordain of the American Institute of Physical Education published an article on the paleo diet, and then a full book on the connection between modern nutrition and lifestyle.

In 2011, a new book by R. Wolfe is published on the topic of nutrition of primitive people.

The Stone Age Diet: Human Culture Changes

Consequences of the agricultural revolution

The human diet in the Paleolithic era consisted of fruits, meat, fish and vegetables. People have been eating this way for a long time. However, after the introduction of agriculture and livestock breeding into the habitual human activity, people gradually switched to a new diet. It happened about 8 thousand years BC. In addition to the gathering and hunting habitual for people of that time, the ancestors learned to apply the experience of growing grain crops and tame wild animals for their further consumption. After the introduction of new ways of obtaining food became massive, a person began to take a more strategic approach to obtaining food, as a result of which the world and culture of people changed. However, human DNA has remained the same.

Significance of the industrial revolution

The development of industry in the 18th and 19th centuries influenced the progress in the agricultural industry. Machines have replaced working hands, which has not always been to the benefit of man.

food revolution

The rapid development of industry and the use of new technologies in cooking contributed to the appearance on the shelves of stores of products that are immediately ready for use. As a rule, sugar, white flour, saturated fats, and chemicals that enhance the taste and texture of foods were taken as the basis for fast food. After World War II, these foods became the norm in fast food. Since the beginning of the 70s in America and European countries, price and serving size have become important components of products. The usefulness of food began to play a secondary role.

The portion sizes of products sold have also increased to date. The average portion of a carbonated drink has increased from 200 ml to 0.5 l.

Fats. Physiology of Nutrition

Fats are essential for normal human life. However, oddly enough, even with the rapid growth in the number of low-fat foods, there is no significant change in the dynamics of the number of obese people.

From the point of view of genetics, our body has not changed much since the Paleolithic. At the same time, changes in nutrition over the past couple of centuries, during which there have been many changes in the agricultural industry, have completely changed the technology of obtaining food and preparing it. The advent of fast food and the growth of the food industry have introduced many foods high in saturated fat and sugar into our diet.

Despite many changes in eating behavior, the human gastrointestinal tract has not yet adapted to the new diet, while the body, as before, well tolerates the principles of nutrition embedded in the genome of our ancestors. However, those products with the help of which cavemen survived and adapted to new conditions can be found less and less in the diet of modern man. One aspect of the emergence of the paleo diet is that the human gastrointestinal tract is not adapted to refined foods, grains, beans, and milk. Indeed, often these products are the main component of the diet.

Every day, people are aware of how strongly the foods consumed and the likelihood of diseases associated with metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus, oncopathology, heart and vascular diseases) are interconnected. The goal of transitioning to a paleo diet is not to discard current medical data, it is to introduce a diet that is as healthy as possible and in sync with the biological processes in the human body.

"Apitonus P" to maintain excellent health

With any diet, including the paleo diet, you must additionally take a complex of vitamins " Apitonus P”, which includes only natural ingredients - natural vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Taking " Apitonus P» over a long period, you will be able to improve your well-being and feel the result in losing weight in a week.

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ALL ABOUT SPORT

Athletes-vegetarians today are of little surprise. Many sports stars consciously choose this path and only win. Much more surprising is the fact that this practice existed long before vegetarianism became mainstream. The great athletes of the past basically refused meat, but at the same time they continued to beat record after record. Who are these heroes, and in what ...

The Stone Age Diet, or Paleo Diet, is the result of many years of research conducted by scientists during archaeological excavations, on expeditions to tribes still living in the Stone Age, as well as in the most modern laboratories.

Bread alone

The essence of the diet is counter-revolutionary. Its creators debunk the achievements of the "great agricultural revolution", thanks to which we learned to grow cereals and turn them into flour and cereals. And they began to eat bread, cereals, and other grain products. It happened about 10 thousand years ago - the time for evolution is negligible. Since then, only 500 generations have changed, which means that we have not had time to adapt to these products. They are strangers to us. And no matter how blasphemous it sounds (especially in Russia), but bread, from the point of view of the creators of the paleo diet, does not bring life, but illness and death.

Ancient people, having taken up agriculture instead of hunting and gathering, learned what obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, infections, caries, anemia caused by iron deficiency, osteoporosis (weakening of bone tissue), kidney stones, etc. their lives, their height has decreased, infant mortality has increased. Scientists explain these revolutionary "achievements" primarily by the influence of phytates - substances that are found in cereals and prevent the absorption of many micro and macro elements.

Some believe that in the Stone Age people did not live long and simply fell short of heart attacks and strokes. This is not entirely true: many really died young, but among the ancients there were plenty of “pensioners” over 60 who did not know the current diseases of civilization. This is a scientific fact. By the way, do not complain about the health and the tribes that have preserved the prehistoric way of life. But as soon as they switch to our diet, they begin to get sick in a “civilized” way.

Better than cattle

It is known that ancient people ate very little salt and did not know sugar at all. In Europe, they met him only 500-600 years ago. Therefore, fans of the Paleo diet avoid both the sugar itself and the products containing it. But the biggest pain point of the paleo diet has to do with meat. Wildlife meat is about 10 times leaner than livestock and contains many of the healthiest omega-3 fatty acids. Since these acids are absent in the meat of farm animals due to feed, they are 10-12 times less in our diet than omega-6 acids. And in the Stone Age they were equally divided. How do Paleo fans solve this problem today? They choose lean meat (although it does not completely replace game) and consume fish and seafood rich in omega-3s.

These protein foods are the most important in the diet, since, according to scientists, ancient people received 65% of their calories from animal food and only 35% from plant food. But the children of the Stone Age also complained about the gifts of nature, because while the men were hunting, the women were gathering fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts. All these are necessary components of the diet, they can be eaten without restriction. They give us a charge of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and other useful substances, and also do not allow the body to “turn sour”, prevent acid load on the kidneys. The fact is that bread, cereals, cheeses, fatty meats, pickles and smoked products acidify the body, contributing to the development of hypertension, the occurrence of strokes, asthma, osteoporosis and the formation of kidney stones. And vegetables and fruits protect against this bouquet of diseases.

For those who do not believe in the Paleo diet, its developer Professor Lorraine Corden advises a simple test: reduce the consumption of grain products, replacing them with vegetables, fruits, lean meats and seafood. And then assess your health.

By the way

The principles of the Paleo diet: the consumption of lean meat, fish, seafood, vegetables and fruits is not limited; Bread, cereal products, beans, dairy products and processed foods should be avoided.

Sample menu for the day for a young active woman doing fitness

(daily requirement 2200 kilocalories)

Dish	Product quantity (grams)	Approximate number of kilocalories
Breakfast

Salmon, steamed or grilled
Lunch
Vegetable salad with walnuts
coarsely chopped romaine lettuce leaves
carrots, cut into slices

quartered tomato
lemon juice
chopped walnuts
Grilled or oven-cooked lean pork (loin is best)
Dinner
Salad with avocado and almonds

Naturally, each time space has its mysteries and undiscovered secrets. Primitive people cause a lot of interest and curiosity among both scientific researchers and ordinary earthly representatives of mankind.

Where did primitive people live?
What did the primitives eat?
What clothes did they wear.
Tools of labor of primitive people.
What did the primitives draw.
Lifespan.
What were the responsibilities of men and women?

Where did primitive people live?

The question of how primitive people hid from bad weather and dangerous animals of that era is very interesting. Despite their seemingly low mental development, primitive people were well aware that they needed to organize their own nest. This says a lot about the fact that even at that time humanity had developed an instinct for self-preservation, and the desire for comfort had its place.

Huts made of bones and animal skins. If you were lucky and managed to win the hunt for a mammoth, then from the remains of the beast, after butchering, people of the past era built huts for themselves. They planted powerful and durable animal bones deep into the ground so that they would hold and not fall out in adverse weather conditions. After building the foundation, they stretched a rather heavy and strong skin of animals on these bones, as if on a foundation, after which they fixed it with various sticks and ropes to make their house unshakable.

Caves and gorges. Some were lucky to stay in natural gifts, for example, in a mountain gorge or in caves formed by nature itself. In such structures, it was sometimes much safer than in makeshift huts. About twenty people lived both in huts and in caves, as primitive people lived in tribes.

What did primitive people eat?

Primitive people were alien to such foods that we are used to eating today. They knew they had to procure and prepare food on their own, so they always did their best to get their prey. In moments of luck, they managed to eat mammoth meat. As a rule, men followed such prey, with all possible hunting tools for their time. It often happened that during the hunt many representatives of the tribe died, after all, the mammoth is not a weak animal that is also able to protect itself. But if it was possible to kill the prey, then a tasty and nutritious diet was provided for a long period of time. Primitive people cooked meat on a fire, which they also got themselves, because there were no matches, let alone lighters, in those days.

Hiking a mammoth is dangerous and not always crowned with success, so not every time men took risks and took such an unpredictable step. The main diet of people of primitive times was a raw food diet. They obtained various fruits, fruits, vegetables, roots and herbs, with which they were saturated.

Clothing of primitive people

Primitive people often walked in what the mother gave birth to. Although, clothes were also found in their everyday life. They put it on not out of aesthetic concepts, but for the purpose of the safety of causal places. Most often, such clothes were worn by men, so as not to damage the reproductive organs during the hunt. Women defended the same causal places for posterity. They made clothes from animal skins, leaves, hay, found intricate roots.

Tools of labor of primitive people

Both for a hike on a mammoth, and for building a hearth, primitive people, as well as modern people, needed tools. They independently built and came up with what shape, weight and purpose each of them should be. Of what to make them, of course, they also invented themselves. To implement the invented, they used sticks, stones, ropes, pieces of iron and many other details. Almost all the tools of labor of primitive people came to the modern world almost unchanged, only the materials from which they are made have changed. Hence the conclusion that their level of intelligence was at a high level.

What did primitive people draw

Scientific researchers, investigating the secrets of the life of primitive people, often find unusual and skillful drawings in their huts. What did the primitives draw with? They came up with a lot of improvised means that could depict something on the wall. These were sticks, with which they knocked out patterns on the wall, and hard rocks, and iron fragments. From the fact that the primitives drew, even the most distinguished scientists are delighted and surprised. These unknown people had such a highly developed level of intelligence and such a high desire to leave a memory of themselves that they created drawings that have been preserved for many millennia.

The lifespan of a primitive man

Not a single scientist could accurately voice the exact figure for the life expectancy of primitive people. However, there is scientific evidence that virtually no primitive man did not live more than forty years. Although, their life was so rich, full of freedom and creative ideas, that maybe forty years is enough to fully embody everything that was planned.

Their life was dangerous, unpredictable, full of extreme, at the same time, they had a high probability of eating spoiled, poisonous or unfit food. In addition, hunting, the implementation of any ideas with one's own hands, all this could lead to death.