Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Humans did not change significantly since the stone age, so that's why a paleo diet makes so much sense. But as we increasingly get to know, the human organism is very dependent on the bacteria that live in/on us.

Do you think these bacteria have changed? And how? And how would that affect us?

Thanks.

edited Sep 24 2010 at 9:05

asked Sep 24 2010 at 6:57

Pieter D
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Eva · Answer 1 · 2010-09-24 15:24:42Z UTC

I think type of food intake drastically alters gut flora. THey also say gut flora is passed on from the mother, via childbirth, milk, and intimate contact. So there is likely a continuing process of what bacteria you get and don't get starting from birth and moving through the generations. You can't get bacteria that you were never exposed to. PLus we are a much cleaner society. Most kids are live in cement environments and do not play in the mud or see much of nature. Even assuming previous gut flora were perfectly evolved to their conditions and did not evolve much in that old environment, since we have drastically changed gut flora's environment via hormones, antibiotics, food intake types, nutrient availability, chemicals, etc, it is basically assured that gut flora have adapted in kind to the new environments.

Stephen-Aegis · Answer 2 · 2010-09-24 10:55:53Z UTC

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I would imagine minor adaptations similar to the Japanese seaweed one, given that bacteria literally adapt constantly... The question isnt really possible to answer more than to simply theorize...

We can test what an individuals gut can digest, but every gut varies very heavily from the next based on food intake and other factors

I will say one I know for sure: today's bacteria are far far more antibiotic resistant.

edited Sep 24 2010 at 10:55

answered Sep 24 2010 at 10:45

Stephen-Aegis
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	Hehemann, J., Correc, G., Barbeyron, T., Helbert, W., Czjzek, M., & Michel, G. (2010). Transfer of carbohydrate-active enzymes from marine bacteria to Japanese gut microbiota Nature, 464 (7290), 908-912 DOI: 10.1038/nature08937 – Stephen-Aegis Sep 24 2010 at 11:02
	Stanford University Medical Center (2010, September 13). Repeated antibiotic use alters gut's composition of beneficial microbes, study – Stephen-Aegis Sep 24 2010 at 11:04
	Levy SB. Drug resistant bacteria in food for humans and animals. In: Wood-bine M, editor. Antimicrobials and agriculture. London: Butterworth; 1984. – Stephen-Aegis Sep 24 2010 at 11:06

xjhues · Answer 3 · 2010-09-24 15:10:13Z UTC

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Relatively little is known right now about the ecosystem in the human gut and its interaction/symbiosis with "our" body. I'm hoping this changes in the next 10 years, as I think it's hugely important.

I currently don't take any probiotics - trying to get my gut in order just by eating right. (I do eat fermented stuff like kimchi, miso) What probiotics do you guys take and why?

edited Sep 24 2010 at 15:10

answered Sep 24 2010 at 14:31

xjhues
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Fermented food has an order of magnitude more probiotics and more likely to "stick"... Fuel that gives health is always better than pills – Stephen-Aegis Sep 24 2010 at 14:47

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That's not true at all. Studies show most of the bacteria in fermented food does NOT survive into the lower gut. – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Sep 24 2010 at 14:49

Fearsclave · Answer 4 · 2010-09-24 10:50:51Z UTC

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Bacteria go through generations a lot faster than people do. I'd have to say yes.

answered Sep 24 2010 at 10:50

Fearsclave
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How has our gut flora changed since the paleolithicum?

4 Answers