The role of nutrition in human biological and cultural evolution

Nutrition, as a dynamic evolutionary force, through the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and cultural factors, has led to anatomical modifications and the emergence of diseases within human populations. The central question of this study is how the transition from foraging to agriculture and subsequently to modern industrial diets has shaped the trajectory of human biological and cultural evolution, and what implications this process has had for present-day health. The research method is based on a systematic review of paleoanthropological, archaeological, and genetic studies, which compile and analyze evidence concerning cultural innovations (such as tool-making, cooking, and the domestication of plants and animals) and genomic changes associated with dietary adaptations. The findings indicate that, whereas early humans were adapted to protein-rich and low-carbohydrate diets, the shift to agriculture, and later to high-calorie and industrially processed diets, introduced new selective pressures. This mismatch between evolutionary history and the novel nutritional environment has contributed to the prevalence of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders in contemporary populations. Given the challenges of human adaptation to rapidly changing nutritional environments, reconstructing the historical trajectory of human diets provides both scientific insights and practical applications for promoting health and managing future nutritional crises.Given the challenges of human adaptation to rapidly changing nutritional environments, reconstructing the historical trajectory of human diets provides both scientific insights and practical applications for promoting health and managing future nutritional crises.

Given the challenges of human adaptation to rapidly changing nutritional environments, reconstructing the historical trajectory of human diets provides both scientific insights and practical applications for promoting health and managing future nutritional crises.Given the challenges of human adaptation to rapidly changing nutritional environments, reconstructing the historical trajectory of human diets provides both scientific insights and practical applications for promoting health and managing future nutritional crises.