100 Million Years Of Food

What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today

Stephen Le

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN:
  9781443431774
• eBook ISBN:
  9781443431781
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Science General
• Index: Biological Sciences

In the vein of Jared Diamond and Michael Pollan, a fascinating new exploration of what we eat and how we live, and the health consequences of denying our complicated evolutionary history with food.

There are few areas of modern life that offer as much information and prescriptive advice, often contradictory, as the arena of diet and health: eat a lot of meat, abstain from meat; whole-grains are healthy, whole-grains are a disaster; get a lot of sunlight, sunlight causes skin cancer; eat everything in moderation but increase your exercise; eat as much as you want but concentrate on your metabolism, and on it goes. Biological anthropoligist Stephen Le cuts through the confusing mass of information to present the long view of our diet and relationship to what we eat.

In One Hundred Million Years of Food, Le takes readers on a historic and geographic tour of how different cuisines have evolved in tandem with our particular environments, as our ancestors took advantage of the resources and food available to them. Like his mentor Jared Diamond, Le uses history and science to present a fascinating and wide-ranging tour of human history as viewed through what and how we eat. Travelling the world to places as far-flung as Vietnam, Kenya, Nova Scotia and Iowa, Le visits people producing food using traditional methods as well as modern techniques, and looks at how our relationship to food has strayed from centuries of tradition to mass-produced assembly lines dependent on chemicals that bring with them a host of problems.

In One Hundred Million Years of Food, Stephen Le argues that our ancestral diets and lifestyles are the best first line of defense in protecting our health; simple prescriptions like paleo or vegan diets in effect highjack our biology and ignore evolution, resulting in the current explosion of chronic diseases and allergies. To put it simply, the optimal diet is to eat what your ancestors ate. In this remarkably clear-cut and compelling book, readers are shown not just what to eat, but how their diet is the product of millions of years of evolution.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abbasi, A. A., A. S. Prasad, P. Rabbani, and E. DuMouchelle. “Experimental Zinc Deficiency in Man: Effect on Testicular Function.” Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 96, no. 3 (1980): 544–50.

Abdelgadir, Salaheldin E., A. G. A. Wahbi, and O. F. Idris. “Some Blood and Plasma Constituents of the Camel.” In The Camelid: An All-Purpose Animal, edited by Ross Cockrill, 438–43. Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, 1979.

Abnet, Christian C., Wen Chen, Sanford M. Dawsey, Wen-Qiang Wei, Mark J. Roth, Bing Liu, Ning Lu, Philip R. Taylor, and You-Lin Qiao. “Serum 25(OH)-Vitamin D Concentration and Risk of Esophageal Squamous Dysplasia.” Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention 16, no. 9 (September 1, 2007): 1889–93. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-07-0461.

“About Cooke Aquaculture.” Accessed August 28, 2014. www.cookeaqua.com/index.php/about-cooke-aquaculture.

Adams, Tim. “Gut Instinct: The Miracle of the Parasitic Hookworm.” Guardian, May 23, 2010. www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/may/23/parasitic-hook worm-jasper-lawrence-tim-adams.

Adams, William M. “Sportsman’s Shot, Poacher’s Pot: Hunting, Local People and the History of Conservation.” In Recreational Hunting, Conservation and Rural Livelihoods, edited by Barney Dickson, Jon Hutton, and William M. Adams, 125–40. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781444303179.ch8/summary.

Ahn, Jiyoung, Ulrike Peters, Demetrius Albanes, Mark P. Purdue, Christian C. Abnet, Nilanjan Chatterjee, Ronald L. Horst, Bruce W. Hollis, Wen-Yi Huang, James M. Shikany, and Richard B. Hayes. “Serum Vitamin D Concentration and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Nested Case-Control Study.” Journal of the National Cancer Institute 100, no. 11 (June 4, 2008): 796–804. doi:10.1093/jnci/djn152.

Akazawa, Yoshihiro, Shoji Watanabe, Shigenori Nobukiyo, Hiroya Iwatake, Yoshitake Seki, Tsuyoshi Umehara, Kouichiro Tsutsumi, and Izumi Koizuka. “The Management of Possible Fishbone Ingestion.” Auris Nasus Larynx 31, no. 4 (December 2004): 413–16. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2004.09.007.

Alcock, Joan Pilsbury. Food in the Ancient World. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006.

Aldemir, M., E. Okulu, S. Neşelioğlu, O. Erel, and Ö Kayıgil. “Pistachio Diet Improves Erectile Function Parameters and Serum Lipid Profiles in Patients with Erectile Dysfunction.” International Journal of Impotence Research 23, no. 1 (2011): 32–38.

Alinia, Sevil, O. Hels, and I. Tetens. “The Potential Association Between Fruit Intake and Body Weight—A Review.” Obesity Reviews 10, no. 6 (2009): 639–47.

Allbaugh, Leland G. Crete: A Case Study of an Underdeveloped Area. Princeton University Press, 1953.

Allport, Susan. The Queen of Fats: Why Omega-3s Were Removed from the Western Diet and What We Can Do to Replace Them. University of California Press, 2008.

Altuğ, Tomris. Introduction to Toxicology and Food: Toxin Science, Food Toxicants, Chemoprevention. CRC Press, 2003.

Anandan, C., U. Nurmatov, and A. Sheikh. “Omega 3 and 6 Oils for Primary Prevention of Allergic Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Allergy 64, no. 6 (2009): 840–48. doi:10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.02042.x.

Anderson, A., C. Sand, F. Petchey, and T. H. Worthy. “Faunal Extinction and Human Habitation in New Caledonia: Initial Results and Implications of New Research at the Pindai Caves.” Journal of Pacific Archaeology 1, no. 1 (2010): 89–109.

Angle, John, and David Wissmann. “The Epidemiology of Myopia.” American Journal of Epidemiology 111, no. 2 (February 1, 1980): 220–28.

Antón, S. “Natural History of Homo erectus.” Yearbook of Physical Anthropology 46 (2003): 126–70.

Anyo, G., B. Brunekreef, G. De Meer, F. Aarts, N. A. H. Janssen, and P. Van Vliet. “Early, Current and Past Pet Ownership: Associations with Sensitization, Bronchial Responsiveness and Allergic Symptoms in School Children.” Clinical and Experimental Allergy 32, no. 3 (2002): 361–66. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2222.2002.01254.x.

Arditti, Joseph, and Eloy Rodriguez. “Dieffenbachia: Uses, Abuses and Toxic Constituents: A Review.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology 5, no. 3 (May 1982): 293–302. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(82)90015-0.

Arnoldi, Anna. Functional Foods, Cardiovascular Disease, and Diabetes. Woodhead Publishing, 2004.

Ashby, Regan, Arne Ohlendorf, and Frank Schaeffel. “The Effect of Ambient Illuminance on the Development of Deprivation Myopia in Chicks.” Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 50, no. 11 (November 1, 2009): 5348–54. doi: 10.1167/iovs.09-3419.

Au Eong, K. G., T. H. Tay, and M. K. Lim. “Education and Myopia in 110,236 Young Singapore Males.” Singapore Medical Journal 34, no. 6 (1993): 489–92.

Ayyagari, Radha, B. S. Narasinga Rao, and D. N. Roy. “Lectins, Trypsin Inhibitors, BOAA and Tannins in Legumes and Cereals and the Effects of Processing.” Food Chemistry 34, no. 3 (1989): 229–38. doi:10.1016/0308-8146(89) 90143-X.

Bäck, Ove, Hans Blomquist, Olle Hernell, and Berndt Stenberg. “Does Vitamin D Intake During Infancy Promote the Development of Atopic Allergy?” Acta Dermato-Venereologica 89, no. 1 (2009): 28–32. doi:10.2340/00015555-0541.

Bainbridge, D. A. “The Rise of Agriculture: A New Perspective.” Ambio 14, no. 3 (1985): 148–51.

. “The Use of Acorns for Food in California: Past, Present, Future.” In Symposium on Multiple-Use Management of California’s Hardwoods, 453–58. USDA Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, 1987. www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr100/psw_gtr100a.pdf.

Balny, Claude, Patrick Masson, and K. Heremans. Frontiers in High Pressure Biochemistry and Biophysics. Elsevier, 2002.

Barceloux, Donald G. Medical Toxicology of Natural Substances: Foods, Fungi, Medicinal Herbs, Plants, and Venomous Animals. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

Bar-Yosef, Ofer. “Climatic Fluctuations and Early Farming in West and East Asia.” Current Anthropology 52, no. S4 (2011): S175–93.

Barnes, Ethne. Diseases and Human Evolution. University of New Mexico Press, 2005. Barnosky, Adrienne R., Kristin K. Hoddy, Terry G. Unterman, and Krista A. Varady. “Intermittent Fasting vs Daily Calorie Restriction for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention: A Review of Human Findings.” Translational Research 164, no. 4 (October 2014): 302–11. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193152441400200X.

Barona, Jacqueline, and Maria Luz Fernandez. “Dietary Cholesterol Affects Plasma Lipid Levels, the Intravascular Processing of Lipoproteins and Reverse Cholesterol Transport Without Increasing the Risk for Heart Disease.” Nutrients 4, no. 12 (August 17, 2012): 1015–25. doi:10.3390/nu4081015.

Bassett, David R., Jr., Patrick L. Schneider, and Gertrude E. Huntington. “Physical Activity in an Old Order Amish Community.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 36, no. 1 (2004): 79–85.

Bastuji-Garin, S., and T. L. Diepgen. “Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma, Sun Exposure, and Sunscreen Use: Epidemiological Evidence.” British Journal of Dermatology 146, no. S61 (2002): 24–30. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.146.s61.9.x.

Beauchemin, K. M., and P. Hays. “Dying in the Dark: Sunshine, Gender and Outcomes in Myocardial Infarction.” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 91, no. 7 (July 1998): 352–54.

. “Sunny Hospital Rooms Expedite Recovery from Severe and Refractory Depressions.” Journal of Affective Disorders 40, nos. 1–2 (September 9, 1996): 49–51. doi:10.1016/0165-0327(96)00040-7.

Becker, Michael A., H. Ralph Schumacher Jr, Robert L. Wortmann, Patricia A. MacDonald, Denise Eustace, William A. Palo, Janet Streit, and Nancy Joseph-Ridge. “Febuxostat Compared with Allopurinol in Patients with Hyperuricemia and Gout.” New England Journal of Medicine 353, no. 23 (2005): 2450–61.

Begossi, A., N. Hanazaki, and R. M. Ramos. “Food Chain and the Reasons for Fish Food Taboos Among Amazonian and Atlantic Forest Fishers (Brazil).” Ecological Applications 14, no. 5 (2004): 1334–43.

“Being Gluten-Free ‘Is Determined by Evolution,’ Says Gastroenterologist.” Accessed November 23, 2012. www.science20.com/news_articles/being_gluten free_determined_evolution_says_gastroenterologist-91578.

Bell, M. V., R. J. Henderson, and J. R. Sargent. “The Role of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Fish.” Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 83, no. 4 (1986): 711–19. doi:10.1016/0305-0491(86)90135-5.

Belluco, Simone, Carmen Losasso, Michela Maggioletti, Cristiana C. Alonzi, Maurizio G. Paoletti, and Antonia Ricci. “Edible Insects in a Food Safety and Nutritional Perspective: A Critical Review.” Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 12, no. 3 (2013): 296–313.

Bendini, Alessandra, Lorenzo Cerretani, Alegria Carrasco-Pancorbo, Ana Maria Gómez-Caravaca, Antonio Segura-Carretero, Alberto Fernández-Gutiérrez, and Giovanni Lercker. “Phenolic Molecules in Virgin Olive Oils: A Survey of Their Sensory Properties, Health Effects, Antioxidant Activity and Analytical Methods.” Molecules 12, no. 8 (August 6, 2007): 1679–719. doi:10.3390/12081679.

Berdoy, M., J. P. Webster, and D. W. Macdonald. “Fatal Attraction in Rats Infected with Toxoplasma Gondii.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences 267, no. 1452 (August 7, 2000): 1591–94. doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1182.

Bewley, J. Derek, Michael J. Black, and Peter Halmer. The Encyclopedia of Seeds: Science, Technology and Uses. CABI, 2006.

Bhasin, Shalender, Thomas W. Storer, Nancy Berman, Carlos Callegari, Brenda Clevenger, Jeffrey Phillips, Thomas J. Bunnell, Ray Tricker, Aida Shirazi, and Richard Casaburi. “The Effects of Supraphysiologic Doses of Testosterone on Muscle Size and Strength in Normal Men.” New England Journal of Medicine 335, no. 1 (1996): 1–7. doi:10.1056/NEJM199607043350101.

Billing, J., and P. W. Sherman. “Antimicrobial Functions of Spices: Why Some Like It Hot.” Quarterly Review of Biology 73, no. 1 (1998): 3–49.

Bishnoi, S., N. Khetarpaul, and R. K. Yadav. “Effect of Domestic Processing and Cooking Methods on Phytic Acid and Polyphenol Contents of Pea Cultivars (Pisum sativum).” Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 45, no. 4 (June 1, 1994): 381–88. doi:10.1007/BF01088088.

Björn, Lars...

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction: What Should We Eat and How Should We Live?
• The Irony of Insects
• The Games Fruits Play
• The Temptation of Meat
• The Paradox of Fish
• The Empire of Starches
• Elixirs
• A Truce Among Thieves
• The Calorie Conundrum
• The Future of Food
• Afterword: Rules to Eat and Live By
• Endnotes
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• About the Author
• Credits
• Copyright
• About the Publisher