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I always figured that it's diversity of stimulus/experience/etc that is the biggest factor. The operating envelope of our bodies (and minds) presumes season cha
by flippyhead 10y ago
I always figured that it's diversity of stimulus/experience/etc that is the biggest factor. The operating envelope of our bodies (and minds) presumes season changes, pretty much constant walking, and (typically) a very different social environment. Putting how we modify all this with various drugs aside, our environment in modern times is very different from the one our bodies expect. Some of this seems better understood, like how the insane abundance of sugar is something our bodies cannot cope with. Another interesting one is the entire discipline of orthodontics; turns out our teeth would come in completely straight if it weren't for all our soft processed food not giving them the input they need to orient themselves correctly in our jaws. I suspect exposure to cold and heat is simply another thing we've lost.
- jacobolus 10y ago> Another interesting one is the entire discipline of orthodontics; turns out our teeth would come in completely straight if it weren't for all our soft processed food not giving them the input they need to orient themselves correctly in our jaws. Do you have a source for this? Sounds interesting.
- cm2012 10y agoConsidering plenty of mummies had horrible teeth, I doubt it.
- komali2 10y agoThe Egyptians didn't each much better than us - lots of breads. I would assume OP means by "feedback" the constant ripping and tearing of meat and incessant chewing of highly fibrous plants and vegetables.
- cm2012 10y agoWhich doesn't mean highly processed foods, just not living like hunter gatherers.
- komali2 10y agoWell, I haven't seen a source for the claim that teeth were better when we weren't eating soft food, but the Egyptians definitely ate soft food, so I would assume that the hypothesis doesn't apply to them.
- flippyhead 10y agoI do but also when I describe the environment in which we evolved I'm not talking about the last 10,000 years really, so not including mega civilizations like the Egyptians. I'm talking about the other 99% of our existence where you largely took food out of the ground and occasionally directly hunted wild animals. The idea is that your jaw/teeth expect chewing this kind of food and use that information to determine how your teeth should be correctly placed in your jaw as it is still growing. I don't have any specific references handy but I first read about the teeth thing in the excellent book: The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease
- colordrops 10y agoEgyptians that could afford mummification were probably wealthy enough to eat foods like honey and other exotic sweet treats on a frequent basis.
- rjeli 10y agoDr. Mike Mew discusses it often: https://youtu.be/bvQwrGbqYKg https://youtu.be/bvQwrGbqYKg