Increasingly, evidence is increasing that selection of the human genome is so strong that our effective genetic heritage is a matter of 10s of thousands of years, not the million plus assumed to now. In particular, selection for the ability to thrive on recent additions to our food diet has resulted in almost total elimination of genes that used to exist.
Our 'natural' diet is the one our recent ancestors ate, recent meaning at most the last 10,000 years. See the National Geographic Genome project news for the most recent info on this sort of thing.
"John Sankey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Increasingly, evidence is increasing that selection of the human genome is so strong that our effective genetic heritage is a matter of 10s of thousands of years, not the million plus assumed to now. In particular, selection for the ability to thrive on recent additions to our food diet has resulted in almost total elimination of genes that used to exist.
Our 'natural' diet is the one our recent ancestors ate, recent meaning at most the last 10,000 years. See the National Geographic Genome project news for the most recent info on this sort of thing.
This rings true to mean, even though I prate (half jokingly) about Paleolithic man. But the genome just guides us to what's, well, just adequate--not to what's optimum. For example, the genome might lead us to stuff at a buffet, trying every flavor and dish. But, of course, calorie restriction (with optimal nutrition) is closer to optimum. The genomic thing may be a poor guide for behavior and choice, n'est pas?
