Dr David McGrath

Spine Physician

MB BS (Hons) FAFOM, RACP, FAFMM
Master of Pain Medicine

Food is arguably our most important environmental input. The gastrointentinal tract (gut or GIT) is our largest interactional surface,far greater than the special senses of eye,ear and nose.
Complaints involving the GIT are common, consistant with this large interface. Moreover we do not have a large conscious control over its performance. The GIT even has its own (enteric) nervous system poorly connected to the central nervous system. We only become aware of high level neural traffic when something has gone horribly wrong.

As a consequence of these facts,it is difficult to sense an inappropriate or difficult diet. Accepting that peole can consume a large variety of foods without any ill effects there is still the issue of potential sub-optimisation. Pehaps over a longer time period ill effects occur but the effect is buried in comptemprorary events.

This brings us to the question of ideal diet from a structural or genetic perspective. Historically we can divide our past into two main categories. The paleolithic period was a hunter/gatherer time and the neolithic is post agriculture. There is evidence that a major divergence in consumed food type occured at the divide. Certain diseases which were absent also apeared in the neolithic. Dental caries being the most recorded. In addition to the archeological record we have modern genetics suggesting that most of our genetic makeup is unchanged from paleolithic times. The 2-3000 year period is simply too short a period for substantial genetic adjustments. If this is true, our health would be better served by consuming a diet which was closer to paleolithic ancestors rathers than more recent relatives.

Here's the bottom lines.
1.High consumtion of grains and cereals was not possible in paleolithic times
2.Current hunter gatherers (increasingly rare to extinct) sought and ate fat
3.They ate a diverse range of foods. (not finicky)
4.Dairy products were absent
5.They ate most, if not all, of any animals they killed.
6.Refined foods did not exist
7.Suger fruits were not available in large quantity.

The paleolithic diet will remain a topic of great interest for those seeking good health.