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Researchers reconstruct the appearance of a female Neanderthal.
The Caveman Diet, often referred to as the Paleo Diet, is a popular weight-loss trend where individuals choose their food based on what they believe our ancient ancestors consumed.
For most followers, this means a meat-heavy diet.
However, according to recent research, if you genuinely aim to follow a paleolithic diet, you might want to avoid consuming red meat.
Despite common beliefs, researchers from Bar-Ilan University claim that our early ancestors did not exclusively concentrate on consuming animal proteins.
Rather, early humans primarily followed a vegetarian diet consisting of plant-based foods such as acorns, grains, beans, and water plants.
“This finding highlights the significance of plant-based diets in the development of our forebears,” stated Dr Hadar Ahituv, who was the principal investigator of the research.
We now know that early hominids collected a broad range of plants throughout the year, processing them with tools crafted from basalt.
This finding introduces a new era in exploring ancient human eating habits and their deep relationship with vegetation-centric nutrition.
Prehistoric humans have often been depicted as ravenous consumers of flesh.
However, in their recent research, the group aimed to uncover what early humans actually consumed.
The research team concentrated on basalt implements discovered at an old habitation site close to Gesher Benot Ya’akov.
Located on the banks of the historic Hula Lake, this site encompasses more than 20 strata of habitation, along with preserved animal fossils and plant debris.
During their analysis, the researchers discovered starch grains approximately 780,000 years old on the basalt tools.
The researchers noted in their study, which was published in PNAS, ‘These consist of acorns, cereal grains from grasses, water chestnuts, rhizomes of the yellow water lily, and seeds from legumes.’
According to the experts, this indicates that plants played a central role in the cave man diet.
As for why our ancient ancestors prioritised these foods, the researchers suggest that it may be linked to the evolution of the human brain.
‘Tuberous vegetables, nuts, and roots, which are abundant in carbohydrates, are crucial for meeting the energy requirements of the human brain,’ they noted.
The research further underscores the advanced techniques employed by ancient humans for processing botanical substances.
Starch granules were discovered on basalt maces and anvils—implements utilized for breaking open and grinding different vegetation such as acorns, cereal crops, beans, and water plants.
The researchers additionally found tiny remnants like pollen grains, rodent hairs, and feathers, which they believe bolsters the validity of the starch evidence.
The researchers aim for their discoveries to assist in reshaping the perception of the carnivorous prehistoric man.
‘Their findings further underscore the significance of plant-based diets in our ancestral past and emphasize the evolution of sophisticated practices related to food,’ they noted.
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