High-starch diets have helped the brain get bigger?

Scientists have come up with a major hypothesis that a starch-rich diet has helped our human brains grow larger.

New hypothesis about the evolution of the human brain

Other gibbons are at many points, including possessing a much larger brain . Using some recent research, scientists have hypothesized: By adding starch-rich foods in the diet, prehistoric people have been given the energy needed to develop their brains. bigger. The results of this study have just been published in the Quarterly Review of Biology.

In human saliva contains amylase enzymes that help break down starch. Meanwhile, primates mainly chew fiber from low-grade plants that contain less starch. People realize that humans have multiple copies of the amylase gene so they are better able to consume carbohydrates and benefit from additional energy.

Carbohydrates , also known as Carbs , provide the body with the energy needed to function. They are found in most plant sources, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts. Milk and dairy products are the only animal-derived foods that contain carbs.

The authors of the study suggest that adaptability to human starch-rich diets is inherited over time, enabling our brain to grow larger (occurring about 800,000 years ago). Moreover, when people start cooking, starchy vegetables are easily decomposed to provide more calories for the body thus making brain development better.

Currently, our brains use a quarter of the calories we consume and we cannot do this without carbs (the study authors say). Scientists believe that people who follow a carb-free diet (weight loss by limiting diets) need to add starch to their daily diet to ensure they remain active. normal movement of the brain.