Fermented foods shaped human biology
6 days ago
- #fermentation
- #human-evolution
- #immune-system
- The human immune system evolved to recognize microbial metabolites from fermented foods, such as phenyllactic acid (D-PLA) in sauerkraut, which activates the HCA3 receptor and triggers an anti-inflammatory response.
- HCA3 is a receptor only found in humans and great apes, suggesting a co-evolution between our immune system and fermented foods over millions of years.
- Fermentation may have played a key role in human evolution by providing new food sources, reducing digestion energy, and supporting brain growth through external digestion.
- Fermented foods are ancient, with evidence dating back 7,000-10,000 years, and are found across nearly all human cultures, indicating their widespread importance.
- A mutation in the ADH4 enzyme 10 million years ago allowed hominids to detoxify ethanol, enabling the consumption of fermented fruits and possibly driving the transition to a terrestrial lifestyle.
- Modern research shows that fermented foods increase gut microbiome diversity and reduce inflammation, but Western diets have largely removed them in favor of sterile, shelf-stable alternatives.
- Historical figures like Louis Pasteur and Ilya Mechnikoff studied fermentation, with Mechnikoff popularizing yogurt as a health food linked to longevity.
- Current scientific efforts, such as the Microcosm Foods project, aim to map the complex interactions between fermented foods, microbes, metabolites, and human biology.