most recent 30 from http://paleohacks.com 2013-05-22T13:22:49Z http://paleohacks.com/feeds/question/152922 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://paleohacks.com/questions/152922/bonobos-and-bananas-are-we-frugivores Jake 2012-10-01T07:10:21Z 2012-10-01T17:30:10Z

<p>Recent research comparing the gut microbiomes of humans and other animals suggests that we are evolved to eat more fruit. </p> <p>From the Human Food Project: </p> <p>"Research comparing the gut microbiome of humans and other animals using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences provide some interesting insight into the diet our microbiome might be most accustomed, tuned our immune system, and kept our gut from leaking. When the gut microbiome of herbivores (e.g., sheep, cow, giraffe, gorilla, horse, rhinoceros), omnivores (e.g., ring-tailed lemurs, baboon, humans, chimpanzee, bonobo, spider monkey), and carnivores (e.g., polar bear, dog, hyena, lion) are compared, human samples not surprisingly cluster more closely with other omnivores. Interestingly, when compared to other hominids, humans cluster more closely with the bonobo diet. While bonobos do eat a small amount of leaves and meat, they are true frugivores, with a diet dominated by, as the name implies, fruit. Therefore, from the perspective of the microbiome, humans may be considered frugivores, although specialized, eating seeds and meat depending on availability. Flexibility is fundamental."</p> <p>Full article here: <a href="http://humanfoodproject.com/ghosts-of-our-african-gut/?utm_source=American+Gut&amp;utm_campaign=1374049b23-Human_Food_Project6_30_2012&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="nofollow">http://humanfoodproject.com/ghosts-of-our-african-gut/?utm_source=American+Gut&amp;utm_campaign=1374049b23-Human_Food_Project6_30_2012&amp;utm_medium=email</a></p> <p>Thoughts? The gut microbiome as one of two human genomes (or a new, combined, human genome) is an interesting paradigm shift. What are thoughts on being 'frugivores?' And what are further thoughts on using gut microbiomes as a basis for the paleo diet?</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152922/bonobos-and-bananas-are-we-frugivores/152936#152936 mikeA 2012-10-01T11:18:18Z 2012-10-01T11:18:18Z

<p>"Research comparing the gut microbiome of bonobo and other animals using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences provide some interesting insight into the diet their microbiome might be most accustomed, tuned their immune system, and kept their gut from leaking. When the gut microbiome of herbivores (e.g., sheep, cow, giraffe, gorilla, horse, rhinoceros), omnivores (e.g., ring-tailed lemurs, baboon, humans, chimpanzee, bonobo, spider monkey), and carnivores (e.g., polar bear, dog, hyena, lion) are compared, bonobo samples not surprisingly cluster more closely with other omnivores. Interestingly, when compared to other hominids, bonobos cluster more closely with the human diet. While humans do eat a small amount of leaves and fruit, they are true omnivores, with a diet dominated by, as the name implies, meat. Therefore, from the perspective of the microbiome, bonobos may be considered omnivores, although specialized, eating seeds and meat depending on availability. Flexibility is fundamental."</p> <p>Sorry, couldn't resist :3 This study is useless, what about the few gens we do not share with primates? What about the epigenetic influence? </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152922/bonobos-and-bananas-are-we-frugivores/152938#152938 Matt 2012-10-01T11:26:49Z 2012-10-01T11:26:49Z

<p>Very interesting idea - sequencing, characterizing and comparing our gut flora. I'm not surprised that humans are generally very similar to other frugivore omnivores. That's where we came from. Certainly shoots down both vegan and meat-crazed paleo theories that we're either herbivores or carnivores. We are true omnivores. </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152922/bonobos-and-bananas-are-we-frugivores/152939#152939 Asclepius 2012-10-01T11:41:35Z 2012-10-01T11:41:35Z

<p>Evolved to eat more fruit? That is probably fine for species that lived (and stayed) near the equator, but for any species heading north, they'd have had to contended with seasonality. Humans became hunters and thrived in ecologically diverse places because of it.</p> <p><a href="http://news.discovery.com/human/human-ancestor-diet-nuts.html" rel="nofollow">This came out a couple of years ago</a>: "Our human ancestors did not eat much fruit, but instead consumed a lot of root vegetables, nuts, insects and some meat, according to a new study."</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152922/bonobos-and-bananas-are-we-frugivores/152982#152982 Diane 2012-10-01T15:47:00Z 2012-10-01T15:47:00Z

<p>The question I have after reading the article was who were these healthy people whose gut bacteria they looked at? How did they determine they were healthy? Did they come from all over the world? Were they just college students at an American university? Were they people who ate a natural foods diet or a factory foods diet, a vegetarian/vegan diet or a low-carb paleo diet? Would it make a difference? Were they born with C-section or vaginally, breast-fed or not and would that make a difference?</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152922/bonobos-and-bananas-are-we-frugivores/153005#153005 nursling 2012-10-01T17:30:10Z 2012-10-01T17:30:10Z

<p>so this conclusion was drawn from comparing the fecal microbiota of bonobos and humans. correct me if I'm wrong, but the only stuff getting digested in the colon is going to be carbs and fiber, because the fat and protein humans ate got digested way higher up in the digestive system, and the evidence of the consumption of these foods would not show up in the fecal microbiota. the only stuff that would be coming out the end would be fruit and plants and such.</p>