Now Reading: Carbs, not just meat, fuelled human brain evolution, study says
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Carbs, not just meat, fuelled human brain evolution, study says
A study published in Science argues that carbohydrates, not just meat, were essential for human brain evolution. Researchers modelled the macronutrient needs of hominins over four million years and found that dietary…
The Story in Brief
A study published in Science argues that carbohydrates, not just meat, were essential for human brain evolution. Researchers modelled the macronutrient needs of hominins over four million years and found that dietary sugars from fruit, honey and later cooked starch provided the glucose needed to fuel the brain's heavy energy demands. The brain consumes about 20% of the body's energy, rising to 66% in children. Meat alone could not supply enough glucose, especially before fire was mastered. The study suggests that traits like sweet taste receptors and smaller teeth evolved in response to carbohydrate intake, not animal foods alone.
The Indian Opinion
The new study rightly puts carbohydrates back on the table, but the temptation to swing from 'meat made us human' to 'carbs made us human' should be resisted. The model shows both were necessary, not one over the other. A more useful test will be whether this changes how we assess modern diets that demonise either sugar or starch. Can the same evolutionary logic that favours fruit and cooked starch also justify processed carbs? That question is best left for nutritionists, not paleontologists.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
