ImVerySorry
Nature is le evil
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2024
- Posts
- 1,898
- Reputation
- 2,686
Series #1: Historical Diets of Different Populations and The Effects on Their Modern Counterparts
(The Exclusive Serie's by ImVerySorry)
On the thick ice of the north American arctic an Inuit man on a dog-sled rides over the ice on his way to a kayak, the weather is perfect for salmon fishing or maybe even seal hunting, some eight to nine thousand kilometers away a chinese man scouts over his rice field while enjoying his noodles. The inuit migrated over the Bering strait long long ago and slowly adapted to foreign stimuli that the chinese did not, these people are incredibly different, partially due to diets forged over thousands of years by environmental pressures and the strategies each population developed to survive their environment.
Today we'll explore the nutritional profile that a few different groups of people ate historically and see how those diets have had an impact on their modern counterparts.
Important groups are the East asian Rice Agriculturalists, South asian Agricultural Populations, Mesoamerican maize agriculturalists, Andean highland agriculturalists and west African agricultural populations. But in this section we will focus on the East asians due to their more extreme and better documented example.
East asian populations are often cited as a classic example of long term adaptation to high carbohydrate diets, rooted in deep prehistory.
People in East asia relied heavily on plant carbohydrates, archaeological and residue evidence shows that as early as 120,000–80,000 years ago, people regularly ate acorns, tubers, roots, and wild grasses. These foods are calorie dense, they have a long shelf life, and are widely available, making carbohydrates the metabolic backbone of the East asian diet.
In the late pleistocene and early neolithic (c. 7,000–6,000 years ago), foraging intensified, these people did not like hunting to put it that way. In places like the Yangtze Huai basin, diets included acorns, water chestnuts, lotus root, foxnuts, wild rice, and millet, showing a gradual transition from a broader spectrum of foraging to agriculture, rather than a sudden shift.
With the rise of agriculture, carbohydrates became even more relevant. Rice emerged in southern China, Korea, and Japan while millet dominated northern China. Animal protein was consumed but typically modest, while dietary fat remained low compared to pastoralist or arctic populations.
Carbohydrates comprised of 60–70% and upwards of total calories, in the 20th century, or mid-1950s China, diets were still overwhelmingly grain-based. This has obviously led to severe nutritional deficiencies. Studies in physical anthropology and dental anthropology indicate that , Mongolians have a generally more robust craniofacial structure in realtion to the Han, especially when compared to southern Han Chinese AKA the rice eaters.
People in East asia relied heavily on plant carbohydrates, archaeological and residue evidence shows that as early as 120,000–80,000 years ago, people regularly ate acorns, tubers, roots, and wild grasses. These foods are calorie dense, they have a long shelf life, and are widely available, making carbohydrates the metabolic backbone of the East asian diet.
In the late pleistocene and early neolithic (c. 7,000–6,000 years ago), foraging intensified, these people did not like hunting to put it that way. In places like the Yangtze Huai basin, diets included acorns, water chestnuts, lotus root, foxnuts, wild rice, and millet, showing a gradual transition from a broader spectrum of foraging to agriculture, rather than a sudden shift.
With the rise of agriculture, carbohydrates became even more relevant. Rice emerged in southern China, Korea, and Japan while millet dominated northern China. Animal protein was consumed but typically modest, while dietary fat remained low compared to pastoralist or arctic populations.
Carbohydrates comprised of 60–70% and upwards of total calories, in the 20th century, or mid-1950s China, diets were still overwhelmingly grain-based. This has obviously led to severe nutritional deficiencies. Studies in physical anthropology and dental anthropology indicate that , Mongolians have a generally more robust craniofacial structure in realtion to the Han, especially when compared to southern Han Chinese AKA the rice eaters.
Populations with long histories of high carbohydrate and low fat diets maintain good insulin sensitivity at a lean bodyweight. Traditional diets were low calorically and historically low body fat levels , their metabolic systems are optimized to handle frequent glucose intake without needing large insulin surges. In lean conditions, glucose can be cleared efficiently with relatively small amounts of insulin meaning East asians can efficiently signal insulin at low body fat.
East asians also have good glucose when they have high physical activity, low total calories, and no ultra processed foods, these populations generally show good glucose control post meal. Problems arise when calory surpluss, sedentary behavior, and refined sugars are combined, East asians are evolved for energy scarcity and high expenditure.
Compared to populations with long histories of mixed or higher fat diets (Europeans for example), East asian populations on average show a lower capacity for insulin hypersecretion. The pancreas is less adapted for chronic insulin resistance by simply producing more insulin. Which basically means that glucose control can deteriorate earlier with weight gain, type 2 diabetes can develop at lower BMI and Insulin resistance is often insufficient insulin output, not extreme insulin resistance.
These adaptations work well in lean, low caloric, high activity people, but become bad for people with a caloric surplus and a sedentary lifestyle, not because carbohydrates are “bad,” but because the East asian system was never built to rely on large insulin reserves as a backup.
East asians also have good glucose when they have high physical activity, low total calories, and no ultra processed foods, these populations generally show good glucose control post meal. Problems arise when calory surpluss, sedentary behavior, and refined sugars are combined, East asians are evolved for energy scarcity and high expenditure.
Compared to populations with long histories of mixed or higher fat diets (Europeans for example), East asian populations on average show a lower capacity for insulin hypersecretion. The pancreas is less adapted for chronic insulin resistance by simply producing more insulin. Which basically means that glucose control can deteriorate earlier with weight gain, type 2 diabetes can develop at lower BMI and Insulin resistance is often insufficient insulin output, not extreme insulin resistance.
These adaptations work well in lean, low caloric, high activity people, but become bad for people with a caloric surplus and a sedentary lifestyle, not because carbohydrates are “bad,” but because the East asian system was never built to rely on large insulin reserves as a backup.
East asians are some of the most emasculated people in the world, everyone constantly makes fun of each single thing about their manhood, their relatively bad skeleto-muscular genetics and their genitalia most of all. But on top of that, populations adapted to lean, high carbohydrate, high activity environments are exposed to modern conditions with high dietary fat, chronic caloric surpluss, and sedentary lifestyles East asians always fail in a predictable way.
Because glucose control historically depended on insulin sensitivity rather than large insulin reserves, even small fat gain can hurt insulin signaling. At the same time the pancreas has less ability to compensate by overproducing insulin, so blood glucose rises earlier than it would in populations with larger insulin reserves. The result is that type 2 diabetes develops at lower BMI. Insulin resistance appears with relatively small increases in visceral fat and pancreas has a problem solving it, so hyperglycemia comes before obesity
Which is why East asian populations have higher diabetes risk at normal European BMIs. They have a greater sensitivity to fat and inactivity and a rapid weakening of glucose control with weight gain.
In short East asians are very good Twinks, and bad bodybuilders. This is the peak East asian physique and male.
Because glucose control historically depended on insulin sensitivity rather than large insulin reserves, even small fat gain can hurt insulin signaling. At the same time the pancreas has less ability to compensate by overproducing insulin, so blood glucose rises earlier than it would in populations with larger insulin reserves. The result is that type 2 diabetes develops at lower BMI. Insulin resistance appears with relatively small increases in visceral fat and pancreas has a problem solving it, so hyperglycemia comes before obesity
Which is why East asian populations have higher diabetes risk at normal European BMIs. They have a greater sensitivity to fat and inactivity and a rapid weakening of glucose control with weight gain.
In short East asians are very good Twinks, and bad bodybuilders. This is the peak East asian physique and male.
Some groups in this category consist of the Central & Western Europeans, Mediterranean Europeans, Caucasus Populations, Highland East Africans, South Asian Indo-Aryan Groups, inhabitants of the Iranian Plateau & Anatolia. We'll focus on Northern Europeans for this section.
These above mentioned groups evolved under high animal fat, high dairy consumption, and lower carbohydrate intake. But they also lived more physically demanding pastoral or agrarian lifestyles.
These above mentioned groups evolved under high animal fat, high dairy consumption, and lower carbohydrate intake. But they also lived more physically demanding pastoral or agrarian lifestyles.
Northern Europeans in the ice age (120k–10k years ago) were largely animal based hunter gatherers, relying on reindeer, aurochs, fish, and seasonal nuts. Farming arrived late (4000 BC). Dairy became central in the bronze age, driving strong lactase persistence selection. Older ancestry skews animal heavy, with grains a later addition. But even still as time progresses and farming becomes more common, domesticated animal meat still holds a large priority.
Two big differences show up immediately high lactase persistence, which is the ability to digest lactose/dairy (especially Northern Europeans, but also some Central asians). There is also a greater tolerance for higher fat in regard to insulin.
Compared to East asians, Northern Europeans show a better ability to hypersecrete insulin when insulin resistance develops. When body fat increases insulin sensitivity drops, the pancreas thus compensates by producing more insulin for longer time periods. Which delays overt hyperglycemia/High blood pressure. So type 2 diabetes develops at a higher BMI and develops slower compared to East asians.
In populations exposed to ruminant fat, dairy fat and animal protein there's a clear link to a stronger lipid metabolism, superior LDL receptor activity and better bodily handling of saturated fat.
Northern Europeans are some of the least lactose intolerant people on earth. Which shows that dairy was a central food source.
Compared to East asians, Northern Europeans show a better ability to hypersecrete insulin when insulin resistance develops. When body fat increases insulin sensitivity drops, the pancreas thus compensates by producing more insulin for longer time periods. Which delays overt hyperglycemia/High blood pressure. So type 2 diabetes develops at a higher BMI and develops slower compared to East asians.
In populations exposed to ruminant fat, dairy fat and animal protein there's a clear link to a stronger lipid metabolism, superior LDL receptor activity and better bodily handling of saturated fat.
Northern Europeans are some of the least lactose intolerant people on earth. Which shows that dairy was a central food source.
Under modern conditions of high caloric exces, refined carbs + refined fats combinedand a sedentary lifestyle the common trajectory in Northern Europeans is progressive insulin resistance with hyperinsulinemia for years then later pancreatic failure and yype 2 diabetes at higher BMI. Which differs from East asian patterns, where beta-cell insufficiency shows up earlier.
The effects this has on apperance are also relevant, higher calcium, protein, iron, higher igf1 signaling and nutrient consumption also leads to superior juvenile and pubescent growth. Northern Europeans today due to their higher igf1 signaling have stronger bones, taller statures, lean mass and organ development.
The effects this has on apperance are also relevant, higher calcium, protein, iron, higher igf1 signaling and nutrient consumption also leads to superior juvenile and pubescent growth. Northern Europeans today due to their higher igf1 signaling have stronger bones, taller statures, lean mass and organ development.
Its not even funny, the European mixed agraro-pastoralist metabolic system MOGS the east asian one by far.
Slower diabetes emergence, better LDL receptor activity, Delayed Hyperglycemia, Superior lactase persistance, Stronger lipid metabolism, Hypersecretes insulin better too. Its not even funny, its brutal :devilish:
Slower diabetes emergence, better LDL receptor activity, Delayed Hyperglycemia, Superior lactase persistance, Stronger lipid metabolism, Hypersecretes insulin better too. Its not even funny, its brutal :devilish:
Next up are the Inuit and hunter gatherer groups like Hadza and !Kung.
@Molotongo @ChrisFletcher @CorinthianLOX
Just be White Proven right once again.
