We are used to hearing that we should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables but what if this is a vast underestimate of the quantity we need to reach our full potential? Put in the context of humans as forest dwellers which we once were as a species, we might wonder how much fruit and vegetable material we originally consumed and the significance of this. Fruit and vegetables contain flavonoids which, in volume, are powerful aromatase inhibitors, in other words, they modulate our hormones in a beneficial way.
The research of primatologist Katherine Milton on the dietary ecology of primates, human ancestors and modern humans shows how much lower in important plant compounds our diet is now compared with ancestral diets and those of other primates. Studies by her on primate nutrition suggest we have lost more
than 95% of the complex plant chemicals and nutrients that fueled our development as human beings. If primates in the wild need these nutrients, does it not make sense that humans, with their highly complex neural systems, need them at least as much?
You can read more about Katherine Milton’s research in her papers on the subject.
Click to access kmilton_micronutrient.pdf