"usual suspect" > wrote in message
...
> C. James Strutz wrote:
> <...>
>> Positions and attitudes aside, what do you think humans were intended to
>> eat and why?
>
> I'm not hung up on "original" diet nonsense because we're not a static
> species. We're constantly evolving and adapting. Accordingly, I think
> humans and other primates thrive on a varied diet. We are what we are
> today because someone swinging in the old family tree decided to try
> eating meat. That eventually led to greater and more complex brain
> development (more so for some of us than others).
>
> http://www.fi.edu/brain/fats.htm

Very interesting. The theory is that brain function increased in humans when
they began eating meat. Ultimately, it is the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty
acids that are transformed into longer chained fatty acids which incorporate
into brain cells. Today we know that there are sources of essential fatty
acids other than meat. Early humans must have eaten plant based foods that
also contained essential fatty acids: green leafy vegetables, seeds, and
nuts. I wonder if they just didn't get them in sufficient quantity until
they began eating meat.

Eating a varied diet is good as long as you get enough essential fatty acids
while avoiding trans fats, at least where it concerns the care and feeding
of the brain.

BTW, sorry to hear that the Astros were swept in the World Series. It was a
great season to make it that far...