102. Did we evolve as carnivores? With Miki Ben-Dor

Miki is a rock star. He’s got a Ph.D. in archaeology and is affiliated with the department of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. He researches the connection between human evolution and nutrition throughout human prehistory.

Link to first podcast with Miki: https://heartandsoil.co/pages/video-did-we-evolve-as-carnivores-or-omnivores-miki-ben-dor-phd

Time Stamps:

0:09:39 Introduction with Miki Ben-Dor

0:12:29 The evolution of the human trophic level during the Pleistocene

0:26:29 Humans are on a spectrum of omnivorous mammals

0:34:49 Evidence that we have evolved to become a specialized carnivore

0:40:29 Our specialization to absorb heme iron

0:42:29 Stomach acidity: more proof that we are meant to eat meat

0:46:24 In order to consume enough plant material, primates must spend a large portion of the day gathering and eating

0:49:29 The quality of a proper human diet takes a lot less time to eat and digest

0:52:49 Humans are "fat hunters"

1:00:29 Humans "shut down regions of the genome" to accomodate a high fat diet (presumably animal fats) while chimpaneezes open regiojs of the genome to accomodate a higher sugar diet

1:05:34 The human shoulder joint is perfectly designed to throw

1:09:09 The counter argument: we have genetic adaptations to consume starch and sugar

1:16:09 Was the majority of the decline in megafauna was due to the human hunting of these animals?

1:20:39 We can get plenty of quality omega-3's from eating large, fatty, ruminant animals

1:26:39 There is a hiearchy for human food sources; meat is on top, followed by fish, and then plant sources are at the bottom

1:35:29 "Carnivore" essentially means that us humans were eating animal-focused throughout our evolution, but not only animals - The evolution of the human trophic level during the Pleistocene

1:39:39 The plants you will find in the supermarket today is not at all what our ancestors would have eaten, but the meat is generally the same

1:41:29 Our brains have been shrinking over the last few thousand years

1:48:39 Closing thoughts with Miki: what can we take away from all of this information?

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