Eurasians Adapted to Eating a Meat Diet then a Plant Diet

[Fire Haired14]

Iain Mathieson(Lead author of "8,000 Years of Natural Selection in Europe" recently made an interesting post at his blog two weeks: FADS genes, selection and diet

Here's a summary of his post:
>FADS genes are needed to synthesis long-chain unsaturated fatty acids from plant-based foods. Fatty acides are important for brain development.

>Fatty acids also be obtained from meat and fish though. So humans don't have to eat plants to get them.

>Activity of FADS genes for getting fatty acids from plants, have been selected for all over the world.

>A study found a long haplotype in FADS1 and FADS2 which essentially all Africans have, most Europeans have, many East Asians have, and hardly any Native Americans have.

>Neanderthals and Denosovians share some of the mutations in this haplotypes, Eurasian hunter gatherers(Loschbour, Ust Ishim) lack this haplotype, Neolithic farmer(Stuttgart) and ancient Ethopian(Moata) have this hpalotype.

>A SNP in a FADS gene; rs174546, is completely ancestral in European hunter gatherers and very derived in Neolithic Europeans and all later Europeans.

So, what this information suggests is: The common ancestors of humans and Neanderthals/Denosovians needed active FADS genes to get fatty acids from plants. Early non-Africans had a more meat-based diet, and so most lost those mutations. Then once Eurasians began to farm starting 10,000 years ago, they began to have a more plants in their diets so the FADS genes needed to be activated again.

Eurasians went from a plant-based diet in Africa, to a meat-based diet in Eurasia, to a plant-based diet once they became farmers. And as the diet changed they adapted.

[Angela]

Iain Mathieson(Lead author of "8,000 Years of Natural Selection in Europe" recently made an interesting post at his blog two weeks: FADS genes, selection and diet

Here's a summary of his post:
>FADS genes are needed to synthesis long-chain unsaturated fatty acids from plant-based foods. Fatty acides are important for brain development.

>Fatty acids also be obtained from meat and fish though. So humans don't have to eat plants to get them.

>Activity of FADS genes for getting fatty acids from plants, have been selected for all over the world.

>A study found a long haplotype in FADS1 and FADS2 which essentially all Africans have, most Europeans have, many East Asians have, and hardly any Native Americans have.

>Neanderthals and Denosovians share some of the mutations in this haplotypes, Eurasian hunter gatherers(Loschbour, Ust Ishim) lack this haplotype, Neolithic farmer(Stuttgart) and ancient Ethopian(Moata) have this hpalotype.

>A SNP in a FADS gene; rs174546, is completely ancestral in European hunter gatherers and very derived in Neolithic Europeans and all later Europeans.

So, what this information suggests is: The common ancestors of humans and Neanderthals/Denosovians needed active FADS genes to get fatty acids from plants. Early non-Africans had a more meat-based diet, and so most lost those mutations. Then once Eurasians began to farm starting 10,000 years ago, they began to have a more plants in their diets so the FADS genes needed to be activated again.

Eurasians went from a plant-based diet in Africa, to a meat-based diet in Eurasia, to a plant-based diet once they became farmers. And as the diet changed they adapted.

Very interesting, Fire-Haired. I wonder if this is tested for at 23andme. If someone lacks the version that facilitates the ability to get fatty acids from plant food it would be important to know in crafting one's own diet.

[LeBrok]

I'm CC at rs174546, like hunter gatherer/Neanderthal. Don't waste olive oil on me, lol.

[Fire Haired14]

I'm rs174546 CT. I'm not a big meat eater at all. There's some meat I love, but not most.

[Angela]

I'm rs174546 CT. I'm not a big meat eater at all. There's some meat I love, but not most.

I'm CT as well. I'll survive no matter what runs out! I have to say I do love meat; I could never ever be a vegetarian, but I like starches and fruits and vegetables as well. I'm an omnivore, I guess. It's a good thing I have a fast metabolism. :)

@LeBrok,

OK, big guy, what's your cholesterol like, huh?! Seriously, I just had all that blood work done, and considering that I really eat whatever I want, I was relieved to discover that all the bad stuff was extremely low-triglycerides and bad cholesterol as well, sugar counts everything, and the good stuff like iron was optimal. Everything comes down to the genes, I think.

The only thing that was a little off was the Vitamin D levels, but that's because I stopped taking the supplements. I just don't build up enough of it in the summer.

[LeBrok]

I'm CT as well. I'll survive no matter what runs out! I have to say I do love meat; I could never ever be a vegetarian, but I like starches and fruits and vegetables as well. I'm an omnivore, I guess. It's a good thing I have a fast metabolism. :)

@LeBrok,

OK, big guy, what's your cholesterol like, huh?! Seriously, I just had all that blood work done, and considering that I really eat whatever I want, I was relieved to discover that all the bad stuff was extremely low-triglycerides and bad cholesterol as well, sugar counts everything, and the good stuff like iron was optimal. Everything comes down to the genes, I think.

The only thing that was a little off was the Vitamin D levels, but that's because I stopped taking the supplements. I just don't build up enough of it in the summer.

Actually, I love veggies (not all though) and variety of fruit, but it has to be ripe and grown on real soil, not hydroponic. Just give me good organic salad with olive oil. Love it. There have to be many additional genes, not only controlling variety of digestive roles, but also take part in building brain architecture, giving us pleasure, the instinct what we should eat or what taste good what bad.
I believe, once we started farming, and again mixed with HGs, there should be some dichotomy between what we should eat and what we eat. One can have HG's stomach but farmer brain, and some digestive problems have to happen, or overweight from all the delicious starches.

There is some blessing in my genome, no cardiovascular diseases in my family, no cancer, cholesterol is always good, I don't need to look at my weight, though with age I have to be somewhat careful. ;)
I'll take Vitamin D3 every day, which is a must in Canada. Alternative is to plow fields like ancestors did without a shirt all summer, to build up healthy level of D3. Aaaaagh, giving a choice I'll take the supplement, lol.