Did we evolve as carnivores? With Miki Ben-Dor

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Paul Saladino1h 55m · 2021-04-20

Claims Made

148

Claims Supported

131

Support Rate

89%

Support rate

131 of 148 claims supported

131 supported17 partial / not

Claims from this content

80

Well SupportedHelix Sleep mattresses and pillows are tailored to individual sleep needs assessed through a quiz.Well SupportedRegenerative agriculture practices improve soil organic matter, leading to more nutritious food.Well SupportedHumans have historically relied on animal foods as the primary source of protein and nutrients.Well SupportedIncluding organ meats in the diet mimics ancestral eating patterns and provides nutrients without plant toxins.Well Supported

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A. Volkovreader

4h

Bookmarking — the dossier-vs-overview split is the right call. Most of the time I want overview; sometimes I want receipts.

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N. Park

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Would love a "what would change this verdict" RSS feed. Sign me up if it exists.

Most individuals can obtain sufficient omega-3 fatty acids from grass-fed animal fats like suet or tallow, negating the need for excessive omega-3 consumption.

Well SupportedThe Heart & Soil histamine and immune supplement may improve allergies.

Well SupportedHunter-gatherers historically shunned lean animals, preferring to hunt fattier animals and consume bone marrow and brain.

Well SupportedHeme iron from animal foods like spleen and liver is more bioavailable than plant-based iron and is necessary for repletion.

Well SupportedHumans historically prioritized animal foods over plant-based foods when available.

Well SupportedHumans have larger brains, smaller large intestines, and different gut structures compared to primate ancestors.

Well SupportedLower vitamin B12 levels in elderly adults are correlated with smaller brain size.

Well SupportedThe stomach acidity of scavengers is similar to that of humans (around pH 1.5).

Well SupportedThe shift to an animal-specialized omnivore diet significantly drove the expansion of the human brain.

Partially SupportedOmega-3 fatty acids are less stable and more susceptible to oxidation than omega-6 fatty acids.

Well SupportedHoney collection is widespread among foragers in warm climates, including the Hadza, and has been part of ancestral diets since early hominins.

Well SupportedBelcampo.com offers regenerative agriculture products, and using the code 'carnivore md' provides a 20% discount.

Well SupportedMeat and organs are hypothesized to have been central foods for humans for millions of years.

Well SupportedThe extinction of megafauna forced humans to rely on less calorically dense food sources, which may not reflect ancestral diets from hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Well SupportedGenetic adaptations for starch and sugar consumption, such as increased amylase gene copies (AMY1), are relatively recent evolutionary developments.

Well SupportedBlue Blocks offers glasses with dark yellow, yellow, orange, or clear lenses, and also sells sleep masks, red light devices, and light bulbs.

Well SupportedWhite Oak Pastures uses regenerative agriculture practices pioneered by Allan Savory, which have been shown to be carbon neutral.

Well SupportedHumans are animal-based omnivores, consuming a majority of food from either plants or animals.

Well SupportedHumans spend significantly less time eating (around 1 hour) compared to primates (12-14 hours), freeing up time for other activities.

Well SupportedFat is a key nutrient for humans, and larger animals generally contain more fat than smaller animals.

Well SupportedWell-raised ruminant animal fat contains sufficient omega-3 fatty acids for human benefit, and excessive omega-3 supplementation may be a concern.

Well SupportedHumans possess anatomical adaptations supporting hunting and long-distance running.

Partially SupportedSacredHunting.com offers instruction in hunting basics, including trapping, killing, and field dressing wild game.

Partially SupportedHumans are evolutionarily adapted as animal hunters, with animal foods being central to human existence.

Partially SupportedHuman adipocyte morphology suggests humans evolved to consume protein and fat rather than carbohydrates.

Partially SupportedA shift towards lower nitrogen-15 isotope levels at the end of the Stone Age indicates a reduction in trophic level, suggesting a move away from consuming large animals.

Partially SupportedHuman post-cranial morphology indicates adaptation for throwing spears, unlike chimpanzees.

Partially SupportedMaintaining high stomach acidity requires significant energy for both acid production and the replacement of stomach lining cells.

Partially SupportedHumans can biosynthesize sufficient DHA de novo from precursors.

Partially SupportedHumans specialized in obtaining fat, the highest quality food, which required the development of a larger brain.

Partially SupportedHumans likely consumed only animal products for extended periods in evolutionary history.

Partially SupportedStudies of Homo sapiens collagen from the last 15,000 years indicate humans were carnivores.

Not SupportedA plant-based diet, potentially leading to lower B12 and consequently smaller brains, would challenge the sustainability and health claims of such diets.

Partially SupportedSacredHunting.com offers a 250 dollar discount on trips for 'fundamental health' listeners who mention Paul Saladino's name.

Partially SupportedEpigenetic differences in human fat indicate that humans evolved to eat a higher-fat diet.

Partially SupportedHuman brain size has been shrinking over the last 20,000 to 30,000 years, potentially correlating with a reduced consumption of animal organs and meat.

Partially SupportedThe decline in available large animals negatively impacts the Hadza hunter-gatherers.

Partially SupportedIncreased consumption and ability to process plants began around 85,000 years ago in Africa, with a significant increase in Europe starting around 25,000 years ago.

Partially SupportedHumans require fat to complement protein and/or carbohydrates in their diet.

Partially SupportedStable isotope analysis of human bone and collagen suggests that ancient diets were composed at a carnivorous level, with animal-based specialization.

Partially SupportedHumans require a small amount of omega-3 in their diet, obtainable from animal fat sources.

Partially SupportedConsuming organ meats and bone matrix is valuable for humans and was invariably consumed by hunter-gatherer tribes.

Partially SupportedHumans evolved from omnivorous primates specialized at the plant trophic level to omnivorous primates specialized at the animal food trophic level.

Partially SupportedThe Hadza people incorporate time-restricted feeding and consume less vegetal material than hypothesized for Paleolithic humans.

Partially SupportedThe beef tapeworm's co-evolution with humans suggests humans were sufficiently carnivorous for it to inhabit them.

Partially SupportedTerrestrial mammals, including their brains, contain sufficient omega-3 fatty acids to meet human needs.

Partially SupportedProtecting oneself from blue light at night can lead to better sleep and positive health outcomes.

Partially SupportedReduced meat consumption in modern society is a significant factor contributing to iron deficiency anemia, particularly in women.

Partially SupportedHumans are still biologically adapted as carnivores, despite 11,000 years of domestication and adaptations like lactose metabolism.

Partially SupportedThe paleo diet's popularization in the 1980s-1990s was based on studies of 20th-century hunter-gatherer tribes, which may not reflect ancestral human diets.

Partially SupportedThe FADS gene cluster, enabling conversion of plant-based omega-3 to DHA, shows adaptation in African populations around 85,000 years ago and appeared later in Europe.

Partially SupportedHigher nitrogen-15 isotope levels suggest humans may have eaten fish before plants.

Partially SupportedA carnivore diet is the safest diet for humans, given incomplete adaptation to agricultural diets.

Not SupportedThe assumption that humans are highly flexible in their diet is based on flawed analogies with modern hunter-gatherers.

Partially SupportedMiki Ben-Dor published a paper on the human trophic level indicating what humans ate for the majority of their evolution.

Partially SupportedThe human shoulder structure is adapted for throwing a spear, unlike chimpanzee shoulders.

Partially SupportedCollagen preservation for nitrogen-15 isotope analysis is limited to humans older than approximately 50,000 years ago and requires cold climates for preservation.

Partially SupportedHumans appear to be better adapted to absorb animal-based nutrients compared to plant-based forms.

Partially SupportedThe energetic cost of maintaining a highly acidic stomach suggests a specific evolutionary benefit.

Partially SupportedBiological analysis is more crucial than archaeological analysis for reconstructing past human diets.

Partially SupportedHuman evolution and large brain development were likely dependent on omega-3 fatty acids from aquatic sources.

Partially SupportedHomo heidelbergensis had a cranial capacity of approximately 1200 cc, Homo sapiens initially ranged from 1300-1400 cc and could reach up to 1600-1700 cc.

Partially SupportedStable isotope studies measuring nitrogen-15 can determine the trophic level of humans by analyzing collagen isotopes.

Not SupportedMassive amounts of omega-3 fatty acids may not be beneficial or necessary for humans as they are unstable and can present a challenge to the body.

Partially SupportedHumans can extract a maximum of approximately 4% of their calories from plants.

Partially SupportedHumans with larger brains (1400cc) can manage on prey resources, similar to Homo erectus (700cc).

Partially SupportedHuman adipocyte morphology is characterized by smaller, more numerous cells, aligning with a carnivore pattern.

Partially SupportedMiki Ben-Dor wrote a paper arguing that current hunter-gatherer diets are not a valid analogy for past human diets.

Partially SupportedHuman adaptations for fat hunting include ease of entering ketosis, higher body fat reserves, and metabolic adaptations to high-fat diets.

Partially SupportedThe human colon is approximately 77% shorter than that of a chimpanzee, reducing the ability to extract energy from plants.

Partially SupportedReconstructions of early human diets have historically been based on 20th-century hunter-gatherer models.

Partially SupportedMost foods found in modern supermarkets do not resemble Paleolithic foods, with the exception of honey.

Partially SupportedHypercarnivores are defined as carnivores that consume more than 70% of their diet from animal sources.

Partially SupportedWhile humans are omnivores, they can be classified as either generalist or specialist omnivores.

Partially SupportedThe number of AMY1 gene copies, which influences salivary amylase production, varies widely (2-14 copies) in recent farmer and herder populations.

Partially SupportedStudies of contemporary groups with diverse diets show protein isotope levels consistent with measurement method expectations.