Vegan Neanderthals? The truth about the real Neanderthal diet
Written By: Milos Pokimica
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Xiùying Wáng, M.D.
Updated June 9, 2023The stereotypical representation of Neanderthals pictures them as killing the woolly mammoth. There is archeological evidence to back up a thesis of the neanderthal diet was carnivorous even at the same level as the polar bears, which included meals heavy in large herbivores like the woolly mammoth, reindeer, and woolly rhinoceros.
However, Neanderthal teeth tell a different story. Dental plaque is used to analyze the starches and proteins that were preserved in the plaque. When investigated the wear patterns on their teeth suggest a varied diet. Diet also varied depending on a location with significant regional differences. In some areas, studies imply that Neanderthals were consuming mostly plants, possibly including medicinal ones.
The significant discovery came when scientists analyzed the remains of Neanderthals from El Sidrón, Spain. The Neanderthals from El Sidrón showed zero signs of meat consumption. Not some small amount but complete round zero. Instead of meat, they got calories from plant foods gathered from the forest. Dental plaque was filled with remains of different kinds of nuts, mushrooms, and moss. Neanderthal vegans, how could that fit in the typical accepted image? What about protein and b12?
Dental plaque is a very useful tool because it can preserve genetic material from the food that animals eat for analysis. Laura Weyrich at the University of Adelaide and a team of researchers were able to produce an amazingly accurate look at what plant and animal species Neanderthals had been eating. They analyzed three samples. Two obtained fossils were from El Sidrón Cave in Spain, including the potential aspirin-popper, while one was from Spy Cave in Belgium (Sidrón Cave- Wikipedia). The analysis again proved the complete diversity of food depending on local habitat ecology that was in the line with optimal foraging theory (OFT).
Neanderthal diet didn’t exist in essence. Diet depended on where the Neanderthals in question lived. The Belgians, for example, followed the meat-heavy pattern because they had to. Genetic material from wild sheep, woolly rhinoceros, and some mushrooms was discovered in dental plaque with also some bones in the cave from horses, mammoths, reindeer, and rhinoceros. Bones tell the identical story as the dental plaque that these groups were hunters. In the Belgian habitat, they did not forage for plant foods because there wasn’t any to be found. They had to adapt to survive the cold barren climate by hunting. They probably didn’t like it too much either.
The Spanish Neanderthals appeared to have a more comfortable life. They were hippie chilled out vegan Neanderthals. The truth about the real Neanderthal diet is that they eat largely mushrooms, pine nuts, moss, and other kinds of food we would get from foraging in a forest. Thus Neanderthals from the north were hunters, and Neanderthals from the south were foragers.
What does this evidence tell us? One of the Neanderthals from Spain appeared to have a dental abscess and stomach bug and was self-medicating with poplar (Populus alba), a natural painkiller containing salicylic acid, the same active ingredient in aspirin. The individual had also consumed the antibiotic-producing mold Penicillium. That is tens of thousands of years before Dr. Alexander Fleming used a strain of Penicillium to develop the first antibiotic, revolutionizing modern medicine. If we want to talk about the founders of medicine, well how about antibiotics and aspirin popping Neanderthals?
One other thing was interesting. Weyrich’s team also managed to completely sequence one particular microbe called Methanobrevibacter oralis that lacks genes for resisting antiseptics and digesting maltose. In time this microbe has adapted to hygiene and changed human diets. Weyrich’s team calculated that the Neanderthal strain split apart from those found in modern humans between 112,000 and 143,000 years ago which suggests that the two groups were trading Methanobrevibacter likely when they had sex.
Why are groups of Neanderthals living in the south being vegan? Probably because they can. There were much more friendly surroundings and a milder climate with more food sources. Vegan Neandertals are not a moral group of individuals that decided to go plant base as an identity personal choice. It is a survival choice. If we have something we can eat growing beside our cave would we go hunting? Just applying optimal foraging strategies, we have the answer. Neanderthals were anatomically more vegan than carnivores, but in the northern parts during Ice Age, the climate was harsh and they had to adapt and that took some time. Both Neanderthals and modern humans evolved from Homo erectus. Homo erectus was herbivore species. The earliest known migration waves of H. Erectus into Eurasia dated to 1.81 million years ago. Molecular clock genetic research had placed the divergence time of the Neanderthal and modern human lineages from 800,000 to 400,000 years ago. For this reason, most scholars believe Neanderthals descend, via Homo heidelbergensis. The Homo erectus population that stayed in Africa would have evolved through the intermediate Homo rhodesiensis, into anatomically modern humans by 300,000 years ago or earlier.
Neanderthal evolved in Europe and humans did in Africa and there are some small physiological differences. Homo sapiens have smaller barrel-shaped chests and narrow pelvises. Neanderthals had bell-shaped torsos with wider pelvises. The conventional explanation has been that Neanderthals needed more oxygen due to the colder climate, so their bodies grew to hold a bigger respiratory system. But this is wrong. Living in the cold climate of Eurasia 300,000 to 30,000 years ago, Neanderthals settled in places like the Polar Urals and southern Siberia. In the midst of a tundra winter, with no plant food sources to be found, animal meat made of fat and protein remained the only energy source. Although the fat is easier to digest, it is scarce in cold conditions. Prey animals burned up their fat stores during the winter and became much leaner. The conclusion must be made that Neanderthals must have been eating a great deal of animal protein.
Protein places huge requirements on the kidneys and the liver to remove some of the toxic byproducts produced by burning it for energy. Humans have a protein ceiling of between 35 and 50 percent of calories in our diet. Eating much more than that can be dangerous. Neanderthals’ bodies found a way to utilize more protein by enlarging the liver and kidneys. Chests and pelvises widened also to accommodate these beefed-up organs giving them distinct look. If we look today at Inuit peoples, their diet subsists at times on all meat and nothing else and they do have larger livers and kidneys and longer ribs than average Europeans. To survive the fat famine, Neanderthals undoubtedly also specialized in hunting massive animals like mammoths. They retain fat longer in poor conditions and require less energy and speed to kill than smaller swifter prey. Mammoths are too big to escape or evade, and we only have to kill one to feast for months because meat does not spoil in constant subzero temperatures. But as these mega-beasts vanished, Neanderthals likely struggled to chase down smaller, swifter prey. In the southern part like Spain, they went the old vegan way.
What does all of this tell us about us? We didn’t have over the millennia of living in the Ice Age northern climate to adapt to a diet rich in meat to some extent. We evolved in Africa from plan based vegan lineage of 60 million years. Modern humans first left Africa 100,000 years ago in a series of slow-paced migration waves and arrived in southern Europe around 80,000-90,000 years ago.
Therefore, what is the real paleo diet?
References:
Passages selected from a book: Pokimica, Milos. Go Vegan? Review of Science Part 1. Kindle ed., Amazon, 2018.
Related Posts
Do you have any questions about nutrition and health?
I would love to hear from you and answer them in my next post. I appreciate your input and opinion and I look forward to hearing from you soon. I also invite you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more diet, nutrition, and health content. You can leave a comment there and connect with other health enthusiasts, share your tips and experiences, and get support and encouragement from our team and community.
I hope that this post was informative and enjoyable for you and that you are prepared to apply the insights you learned. If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends and family who might also benefit from it. You never know who might need some guidance and support on their health journey.
– You Might Also Like –
Learn About Nutrition
Milos Pokimica is a doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, medical health and nutrition writer, and nutritional science advisor. Author of the book series Go Vegan? Review of Science, he also operates the natural health website GoVeganWay.com
Medical Disclaimer
GoVeganWay.com brings you reviews of the latest nutrition and health-related research. The information provided represents the personal opinion of the author and is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH GoVeganWay.com
NEVER APPLY ANY LIFESTYLE CHANGES OR ANY CHANGES AT ALL AS A CONSEQUENCE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ IN GoVeganWay.com BEFORE CONSULTING LICENCED MEDICAL PRACTITIONER.
In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or 911 immediately. GoVeganWay.com does not recommend or endorse any specific groups, organizations, tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned inside.
Editor Picks –
Milos Pokimica is a doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, medical health and nutrition writer, and nutritional science advisor. Author of the book series Go Vegan? Review of Science, he also operates the natural health website GoVeganWay.com
Latest Articles –
Plant Based News
-
Protein Found In Meat Linked To Increased Risk Of Arthritis
on April 12, 2024
-
Try This Easy Quinoa And Edamame Salad
on April 12, 2024
-
Switzerland’s Inaction On Climate Crisis Breaches Human Rights, Says Landmark Court Case
on April 12, 2024
-
Eat At Least 75% Plant-Based Foods, Say Germany’s New Dietary Guidelines
on April 12, 2024
-
Don’t Believe The Myths: The Horse Racing Industry Is Rotten To Its Core
on April 12, 2024
-
South Africa Rules That Vegan Meat Cannot Be Seized From Supermarket Shelves
on April 11, 2024
-
Kale Is One Of The Best Foods We Can Eat – 10 Recipes To Try
on April 11, 2024
Top Health News — ScienceDaily
- Inherited predisposition for higher muscle strength may protect against common morbiditieson April 12, 2024
A study showed that a genetic predisposition for higher muscle strength predicts a longer lifespan and a lower risk for developing common diseases. This is a highly comprehensive international study on hereditary muscle strength and its relationship to morbidity. The genome and health data of more than 340,000 Finns was used in the research.
- A novel machine learning model for the characterization of material surfaceson April 12, 2024
Machine learning (ML) enables the accurate and efficient computation of fundamental electronic properties of binary and ternary oxide surfaces, as shown by scientists. Their ML-based model could be extended to other compounds and properties. The present research findings can aid in the screening of surface properties of materials as well as in the development of functional materials.
- Scientists uncover a missing link between poor diet and higher cancer riskon April 12, 2024
A research team has unearthed new findings which may help explain the connection between cancer risk and poor diet, as well as common diseases like diabetes, which arise from poor diet. The insights gained from this study hold promise for advancing cancer prevention strategies aimed at promoting healthy aging.
- PFAS exposure from high seafood diets may be underestimatedon April 12, 2024
A study suggests that people with diets high in seafood may face a greater risk of exposure to PFAS — the family of human-made toxins known as ‘forever chemicals’ — than previously thought. The researchers stress the need for more stringent public health guidelines that establish how much seafood people can safely consume to limit their exposure, particularly in coastal areas where seafood is frequently eaten.
- Choosing sugary drinks over fruit juice for toddlers linked to risk of adult obesityon April 12, 2024
Consuming sugar-sweetened drinks in the first few years of childhood can be linked to poor diet patterns that increase the risk of obesity in later life, according to a new study.
- Melanomas resist drugs by ‘breaking’ geneson April 12, 2024
A study has disentangled the mechanisms behind one of the ways melanoma cancer cells develop resistance to treatment. The study found that, in response to some drugs, melanomas can ‘break’ parts of their BRAF gene, which is mutated in 1 in 2 melanomas. This helps the tumor create alternative versions of the protein which lack regions targeted by one BRAF inhibitors, one of the main drugs used to treat this type of cancer, making treatment less effective. The findings pave the way for […]
- Cells putting on a faceon April 12, 2024
Neural crest cells — embryonic pluripotent cells within the facial primordium — may be necessary for forming proper animal facial structures. Researchers have produced neural crest cell-rich aggregates from human pluripotent stem cells and developed a method to differentiate them in cell populations with a branchial arch-like gene expression pattern.
PubMed, #vegan-diet –
- Changes in the consumption of isoflavones, omega-6, and omega-3 fatty acids in women with metastatic breast cancer adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet: post-hoc analysis of nutrient intake data…on April 5, 2024
CONCLUSION: Transitioning to a WFPB diet resulted in significantly increased isoflavone intake and decreased n-6:n-3 ratio in women with breast cancer.
- A whole food, plant-based randomized controlled trial in metastatic breast cancer: feasibility, nutrient, and patient-reported outcomeson March 30, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: Significant dietary changes in this population are feasible and may improve QOL by improving treatment-related symptoms. Additional study is warranted.
- Restrictive Diets in Patients with Fibromyalgia: State of the Arton March 28, 2024
Around 20-30% of Fibromyalgia patients modify their dietary habits after diagnosis, including avoiding certain food groups such as cereals. In this systematic review, we used the PRISMA guidelines to select the main studies that have evaluated the effectiveness of restrictive diets, including elimination and vegetarian diets, in patients with Fibromyalgia. Data on vegetarian/vegan diets are more consistent than data on elimination diets due to higher quality and better results of the […]
- Dietary Intakes of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Impulsivity: Comparing Non-Restricted, Vegetarian, and Vegan Dietson March 28, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: The significantly lower omega-3 LCPUFA dietary intakes in the vegan diets were associated with higher scores in the second-order attentional aspect of self-reported impulsiveness.
- Impact of iodine supply in infancy and childhoodon March 28, 2024
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To assess the most relevant articles on the impact of iodine supply in at-risk populations, namely infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women.
Random Posts –
Featured Posts –
Latest from PubMed, #plant-based diet –
- Fruit Quality Assessment of Novel Hybrid Pummelo × Sweet Orange and Its Molecular Characterization Using Acidity Specific Markersby Raushan Kumar on April 11, 2024
RESEARCH BACKGROUND: There is considerable diversity in newly developed pummelo × sweet orange citrus hybrids. Most hybrids showed lower peel thickness and high juice yield but there is a lack of information on fruit quality parameters and molecular characterization. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to determine the content of antioxidants and properties of the fresh juice of 24 new pummelo × sweet orange citrus hybrids (Citrus maxima [Burm. f.] Osbeck × Citrus sinensis [L.] […]
- Environmental conditions affect the nutritive value and alkaloid profiles of Lupinus forage: Opportunities and threats for sustainable ruminant systemsby Ana R J Cabrita on April 10, 2024
The identification of crops that simultaneously contribute to the global protein supply and mitigate the effects of climate change is an urgent matter. Lupins are well adapted to nutrient-poor or contaminated soils, tolerate various abiotic stresses, and present relevant traits for acting as ecosystem engineers. Lupins are best studied for their seeds, but their full foraging potential needs further evaluation. This study evaluated the effects of location and sowing date on forage production,…
- Stronger together than apart: The role of social support in adopting a healthy plant-based eating patternby Robin Ortiz on April 10, 2024
The influence of the social environment on health behaviors is well documented. In recent years, there is mounting evidence of the health benefits of a plant-based eating pattern, yet little is known about how the social environment impacts the adoption of a plant-based eating pattern, specifically. In this convergent parallel mixed-methods study, we analyzed quantitative survey data and qualitative focus group data to assess how social support impacted participants of a lifestyle medicine…
- Simultaneous detection of mycotoxins and pesticides in human urine samples: A 24-h diet intervention study comparing conventional and organic diets in Spainby Jose A Gallardo-Ramos on April 10, 2024
Pesticides and mycotoxins, prominent chemical hazards in the food chain, are commonly found in plant-based foods, contributing to their pervasive presence in the human body, as evidenced by biomonitoring programs. Despite this, there is limited knowledge about their co-occurrence patterns. While intervention studies have demonstrated that organic diets can significantly reduce pesticide levels, their impact on mycotoxin exposure has been overlooked. To address this gap, this study pursued two…
- Plant-based meat analogues (PBMAs) and their effects on cardiometabolic health: An 8-week randomized controlled trial comparing PBMAs with their corresponding animal-based foodsby Darel Wee Kiat Toh on April 10, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: A plant-based meat analogues diet did not show widespread cardiometabolic health benefits compared with omnivorous diets over 8 weeks. The composition of PBMAs may need to be considered in future trials.
- Adherence to the Mediterranean diet in two Moroccan populations living at different distances from the Mediterranean Seaby Mohamed Mziwira on April 8, 2024
CONCLUSION: The study data indicate that Mediterranean Diet is far from being a global pattern in this Moroccan population. The study draws attention to the need for a promoting intervention to maintain this pattern as the original diet in the region.