Summary of ZOE Science And Nutrition Podcast Episode: Our ancestors’ diet: surprising discoveries from a 5000 year old iceman
— Description —
Scientists have discovered a 5,000-year-old mummy in the Italian Alps, shedding light on the dietary choices and health of early European farmers The well-preserved tissues revealed evidence of murder, arteriosclerosis, and preserved biomolecules for analysis The victim's diet included ibex and red deer meat, einkorn wheat, and a toxic bracken fern, with 50% of the diet being fat from fatty meat parts
The mummification process preserved the victim's intestinal contents, offering valuable insights into his diet and lifestyle The Iceman's gut microbiome resembled that of non-westernized populations, indicating a more traditional diet and lifestyle with a higher diversity of microbes compared to modern humans The ancient Hallstatt culture had access to a diverse diet, including cereals, animal products, and sophisticated meat techniques, as well as exotic foodstuff like flavored cheese
The microbiome of ancient samples showed a diversity not often seen in modern westernized communities, indicating the impact of factors beyond diet, such as industrialization, on gut community structure.
Our ancestors’ diet: surprising discoveries from a 5000 year old iceman
Key Takeaways
Ancient Mummy Reveals Startling Secrets
Insights into Ancient Alpine Diet
Genetic Predisposition to Cardiovascular Diseases
Iceman's Gut Microbiome Reveals Surprising Insights
Italian Mummy's Diet Unveiled
Reversing Negative Biological Trends
Debunking Dietary Myths
Diet Diversity Matters: Gut Microbes Lost
Key Takeaways
- A 5,000-year-old mummy discovered in the Italian Alps provides insights into the dietary choices and health of early European farmers.
- The mummy's well-preserved tissues revealed evidence of murder, arteriosclerosis, and preserved biomolecules for analysis.
- The victim's diet consisted of ibex meat, red deer meat, einkorn wheat, and a toxic bracken fern, with 50% of the diet being fat from fatty meat parts.
- The mummification process preserved the victim's intestinal contents, offering valuable insights into his diet and lifestyle.
- The Iceman's gut microbiome resembled that of non-westernized populations, indicating a more traditional diet and lifestyle, with a higher diversity of microbes compared to modern humans.
- The ancient Hallstatt culture had access to a diverse diet, including cereals, animal products, and sophisticated meat techniques, as well as exotic foodstuff like flavored cheese.
- The microbiome of ancient samples showed a diversity not often seen in modern westernized communities, indicating the impact of factors beyond diet, such as industrialization, on gut community structure.
Ancient Mummy Reveals Startling Secrets
- Scientists have discovered a 5,000-year-old mummy in the mountains of Italy, providing insights into the dietary choices of our ancestors.
- The mummy belonged to the early European farmers and lived a settled lifestyle with access to domesticated animals and plants.
- The mummy's well-preserved tissues have revealed that he was murdered, suffered from arteriosclerosis, and still contains preserved biomolecules for analysis.
Insights into Ancient Alpine Diet
- Anthropologists believe the cold case victim was around 40 to 50 years old, slim, and very active in hiking and hunting wild animals in the Alps.
- The victim's diet consisted of ibex meat, red deer meat, einkorn wheat, and a toxic bracken fern, with 50% of the diet being fat, specifically from fatty parts of the meat.
- The mummification process preserved the victim's intestinal contents, providing valuable insights into his diet and lifestyle, and the freeze-drying process likely contributed to the preservation of biomolecules and tissues.
Genetic Predisposition to Cardiovascular Diseases
- The study of the Iceman's health revealed surprising results, showing severe calcification of his arteries despite his slim and active lifestyle.
- The presence of cardiovascular diseases and calcifications in other mummies from different regions suggests a genetic predisposition to such diseases, independent of diet and lifestyle.
- The Iceman's diet and lifestyle may not be enough to explain the heavy calcification of his arteries, indicating a possible genetic cause.
Iceman's Gut Microbiome Reveals Surprising Insights
- Frank Maixner and his colleagues were able to understand the bacteria and microbiome of the Iceman, who lived 5,000 years ago. They found that the Iceman's gut microbiome resembled that of non-westernized populations, indicating a more traditional diet and lifestyle.
- The Iceman had a higher diversity of microbes in his gut compared to modern humans. This diversity decay over 5,000 years may be linked to developments of diseases associated with diet. Tim Spector explained that a highly diverse gut microbiome is like a healthy garden, while a non-diverse one is like a desert with sparse plants. Reduced diversity in gut microbiome is associated with common diseases of westernized societies and even mental disorders.
- Tim Spector highlighted the link between reduced diversity in gut microbiome and common diseases of westernized societies, as well as mental disorders. He emphasized the importance of gut microbiome diversity for overall health.
Italian Mummy's Diet Unveiled
- Frank Maixner discusses the discovery of an Italian mummy found 90 meters on the Italian side of the Austrian border, indicating his Italian origin and preference for Italian diet.
- Jonathan Wolff highlights the expansion of science in studying ancient ancestors, particularly in analyzing mummified poop and paleo feces, and praises Frank Maixner's work in this field.
- Frank Maixner explains the well-preserved biomolecules in paleo feces, attributing it to rapid desiccation in high-altitude, dry conditions, and salt mines, leading to excellent preservation of plant material, DNA, and proteins.
- Frank Maixner describes the unique Hallstatt culture at the salt mines in Austria, where continuous salt mining took place for 2,500 years, leading to rich grave goods and trade networks for exotic foods.
- The analysis reveals a fibrous, carbohydrate-rich diet of cereals like wheat, spelt, emmer, einkorn, barley, and millet, supplemented by proteins from broad beans and animal products like swine or cattle meat and blood products.
- The miners also consumed high salt concentration blood products, possibly used for processing sausages like Blutwurst and Kürbisfluss, and preserved and traded meats like ham and salamis.
- The diet was diverse, including complex grains and sophisticated meat techniques, indicating a balanced mix of plant-based and animal-based foods.
Reversing Negative Biological Trends
- The ancient community in Hallstatt had access to sophisticated and exotic foodstuff, including dairy products like cheese, which they even flavored, such as making a kind of blue cheese similar to Roquefort or Danish blue.
- The microbiome of ancient samples from different time periods showed a diversity not often seen in modern westernized communities, indicating that factors beyond diet, such as industrialization, have also affected gut community structure.
- Specific changes in the microbiome, such as the presence of Prevotella copri and blastocystis, highlight the impact of westernization and suggest the need to reduce antibiotic intake, encourage outdoor exposure, and improve diet to reverse negative biological trends.
Debunking Dietary Myths
- Frank Maixner discusses the variation in diets among individuals in Hallstatt, indicating the need for further investigation into potential social status differences.
- Tim Spector notes the absence of evidence for keto or carnivore diets in the samples studied by Frank Maixner.
- Jonathan Wolff and Frank Maixner emphasize the prevalence of omnivorous diets and the influence of food availability and access on dietary patterns.
Diet Diversity Matters: Gut Microbes Lost
- Our ancestors had a varied diet, with some eating lots of meat and others eating none. They also consumed cheese and lots of fiber. The diversity of gut microbes in the past was much greater, and we may have lost some beneficial bugs over time. It's important to consider the variations in diet and gut microbes when thinking about nutrition. The podcast also promotes ZOE's personalized nutrition program, which aims to improve health and manage weight by understanding the right food for each individual.