100 Million Years of Food, page 36
lathyrism disease
LDL cholesterol
legumes (Leguminosae)
chickpea
cooking of
health dangers of
nitrogen fixation by
soaking of
soybean
Lentil as Anything, Melbourne
libido
Lincoln, Abraham
liver disease
llamas, milk from
longevity
via calorie restriction
diet’s relation to
exercise/activity’s relation to
of obese people
of slightly overweight people
stress and
low-fat/low-meat diet
lung cancer
M
Maasai people
magnesium
Mahidol University, Bangkok
Maillard reaction
malaria
Marcus, Gary
Markov, Georgi
Martialis, Marcus Valerius
Massa people
McBean, Lois D.
McCandless, Christopher
meat consumption
ancestral, of
cannibalism and
diet, Paleo, and
diets with high fat and high
diets with low carbs and high
diets with low fat and low
mood’s relation to
protein toxicity and
short-term v. long-term health and
traditional/native
Mediterranean diet
Melbourne, Australia
Melnik, Bodo C.
menstruation
menopause and
mercury
metabolism
measurement of
Micmac people
Milewski, Inka
milk. See also dairy
ancestral consumption of
cow’s
goat’s
health benefits of
health dangers of
height influenced by
industry manipulation
intolerance
raw
Miller, Daphne
Miller, Gregory
Mintz, Sidney
Mission Australia
monkeys
monosodium glutamate (MSG)
monounsaturated fat
Monsanto
Monterey Bay Aquarium
moose meat
Morell, Sally Fallon
MSG. See monosodium glutamate
multiple sclerosis
myopia
N
Nakagawa, Shinichi
nardoo fruit
National Dairy Council
National Geographic
National Institute on Aging
National Museums of Kenya
New England Journal of Medicine
The New York Times
Nguyen Dinh Lap
Nicoyan people
nitrogen
Nourishing Traditions (Morell/Enig)
nuoc mam (fish sauce)
O
Obama, Barack
obesity. See also caloric intake
agricultural innovation’s impact on
BMI measurements of
boredom, intellectual, and
chilies and
diet’s tie to
eating patterns and
exercise/activity impacting
hormones’ influence on
longevity and
metabolism’s role in
perception of weight and
oil(s). See also fat(s); specific oils
omega-3 fatty acids in
omega-6 fatty acids in
Okinawa, Japan
olive(s)
oil
Olive, Mark
Olorgesailie Prehistoric Site, Kenya
omega-3 fatty acids
in fish
forms of
health dangers of
in insects
ratio of omega-6 to
in wild v. captive meats
omega-6 fatty acids
forms of
inflammation tied to
in insects
ratio of omega-3 to
Omidyar, Pam
Omidyar, Pierre
orangutans
organic farming
On the Origin of Species (Darwin)
Ornish, Dean
osteoarthritis
osteoporosis
oxalates
P
P. A. Bowen Farmstead
Pacific Coast Indians
PAL. See physical activity level measurements
Paleo diet
Primal
protein toxicity and
pancreatic cancer
Papua New Guinea
Paranthropus
parasites
health via exposure to
Parkinson’s disease
Pasteur, Louis
PCBs
peanuts
peas
dangers of
pellagra disease
permaculture farming
pesticide use
physical activity level (PAL) measurements
phytates
pinworms
Plutarch
Pollan, Michael
polyunsaturated fat
potatoes
Premalatha, M.
Price-Pottener Nutrition Foundation
Price, Weston A.
The Primal Blueprint (Sisson)
prostate cancer
diet’s connection to
protease inhibitors
protein
diets with high
diets with high fat and high
diets with low
longevity’s relation to
toxicity
purine (amino acid)
Q
Quang Tri, Vietnam
R
Rajabhat University, Bangkok
recommendations, lifestyle
activity-based
age-based
alcohol-based
cooking-based
diet-based
parasite/germ-related
sunlight-based
reproduction/fertility
cholesterol’s relation to
rhizobia bacteria
rice
alcohol distilled from
brown
GMO
white
Richards, Audrey Isabel
Richerson, Peter
rickets
Ridley, J.
Roan, Shari
Roman Empire
Roosevelt Doctrine
Roosevelt, Theodore
Roundup (herbicide)
Rozin, Paul
Rutherford, Daniel
S
Saccharomyces (yeast)
Saigon
salmon
commercial farming of
ratings system for
salt/sodium
fermentation and
saponins
Sapporo, Japan
Sardinian people
saturated fats
myths about
recommendations
SeaChoice
seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
sesame
Sherman, Paul
Sisson, Mark
skin cancer
solanin
Solomon, Richard
South Korea
soybean(s)
bone health and
GMO
isoflavones in
oil
paste
phytates in
saponins in
sauce
starches. See also carbohydrates; grain(s); legumes; vegetables
health dangers of
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur
stomach cancer
Strachan, David
stress
stroke
Stutzman, Jonathan
sugar
sunlight
depression and
myopia and
recommendations
rickets and
vitamin D derived from
Sweetgrass, Ottawa
Szemerda, Michael
T
tannins
tapeworms
tea
tempeh
testosterone hormone
Thailand
Tohono O’odham people
toilets, sitting v. squatting
Tokelau Islanders
Toxoplasma gondii
traditional/native diets
Trichinella spiralis
Trieu Son company
tryptophan
tuberculosis
tuong ban (soybean sauce)
tuong dau (soybean paste)
typhoid
U
Ulcerative colitis
umami (savory) foods
University of California, San Diego
University of Iowa, Iowa City
University of New Brunswick
University of Otago, New Zealand
uric acid elevation
uricase
U.S. Army Corps
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Marine Corps
V
vaccinations
van Helmont, Jan Baptist
vegetables. See also carbohydrates
ancestral consumption of
cooking of
fermentation of
health benefits of
health dangers of
Vietnam
Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital, Hanoi
vitamin A
vitamin B
vitamin B1 (thiamine)
vitamin B2
vitamin B3 (niacin)
vitamin C
synthesis of
vitamin D
allergic diseases and
depression/mental disorders and
in fish
health dangers of
rickets and
skin’s manufacture of
Vitamin E
vitamin K
vitamin supplements
absorption of
dangers of
Vong, Phung
W
walking
water consumption
weight loss
Weinstock, Joel
Weston A. Price Foundation
whale products
wheat
dangerous compounds in
gluten, intolerance of
whipworms
Wills, William John
Winfrey, Oprah
Worsley, Kyle
Wrangham, Richard
Y
yellow fever
Yhoung-Aree, Jintana
Yoruba people
Z
Zagros Mountains, Iran
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to the following people for offering me advice, guidance, and/or other means of support in the course of researching and completing this book:
Australia: Ashan Abeykoon and Greg Hampton (Charcoal Lane restaurant), Hung Ba Ha, Huong Dang, Jon Belling, Mark Olive, Nhan Nguyen, Su-Lyn, Thu Van Ha, Trang Nguyen, Van Dinh Luong, Vi Kinh Tran, Shanaka Fernando
Belgium: Matt Roosen (B&D Business Development)
Canada: Chi Tran, Chuck Brown and Michael Szemerda (Cooke Aquaculture), Dr. Dounia Daoud, Dr. Inka Milewski, Dr. Phuong-Anh Nguyen, Dr. Thierry Chopin, Efrain and Hee-Sun Andia, Gerry Oleynik (Kiefro Wild Boar Farm), Jim Gifford (HarperCollins Canada), Katie Schleit and Rob Johnson (Ecology Action Centre), Kyle Worsley, Michael Bandurchin, Ngoc-Tran Pham, Nguyen Ngoc Dung, Quoc Pham, Ross Horgan, Sieu Truong, Susana Hemken, Theresa ‘Mai Khanh’ Nguyen, Walter Henn (Bearbrook Game and Natural Meats), Wendy Burpee
China: Bengbu College, Grace, Jiangong Zhou, Kay, Micheal, Nancy Zhou, Shuyan Qi, Yifei, Ying Yuan
Greece: Agapi Fyssaki-Angelogiannaki, Costas and Ariadni Melengoglou, Nikolaos Kerdelas
Iceland: Ægir Freyr Stefánsson, Égzeus Belial, Elín Ýr Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Kolbjörg Katla Hinriksdóttir, Linda Arnheiðardóttir
India: Bhanumathy Chandran, C.R. Chandran, Dr. Clea Chandmal, Dr. Bajish Chandran, Dr. K. Jithendranath, Hyacinth Pinto, Subin Vazhayil
Japan: Albert Phu, Shinichi Motada, Yasuko Tsukamoto, Yoshida Yoko, Yoshiko and Hiromi Ono
Kenya: Heather Katcher, Huyen Ngoc Tran
Laos: Caroline Gaylord, Joy Ngeuamboupha
Papua New Guinea: Aloish, Dominic Anis, Frank
Sweden: Dr. Helena Pettersson, Dr. Linus Holm
Thailand: Amarat Chai, Amnat, Amy Phongphanh Chanthavong, Dr. Jintana Yhoung-Aree, Hoang, Tasanee Athayu
United Arab Emirates: Kristine Abante
United Kingdom: Anh Dao Nguyen, Anna Ohanjanyan, Dr. Jens Groth, Phan Nguyen
United States: Angélique Pivoine, Audrey Mai, Caitlin James-Le and John Le, Craig and LaVon Griffieon, Diane Ott Whealy, Dr. Cristina Moya, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Gail Kennedy, Dr. Harish Rajagopalan, Dr. Jared Diamond, Dr. Matthew Gervais, Dr. Michelle Kline, Dr. Rebecca Frank, Dr. Stacy Rosenbaum, Dr. Tom Wisdom, Emma Yee, Hee Sun Kim, Helene Atwan (Beacon Press), Jon and Soon-Young Hinkhouse, Jonathan Stutzman, Lindsay Parsons, Lisa Hao-Ran, Mark Sisson, Mary Ann deVries and Tom Schlife, Megan Pierce, Miho Morishita, Natalie Transu, Robert Faturechi, Ryan Langton, Sally Fallon Morell, Susan Rabiner, Thomas Greiling, Truong-Chinh Nguyen, Uyen Nguyen
Vietnam: Dr. Giap Nguyen, Dr. Huyen Thanh Vu, Dr. Luong Ly, Giang Huong Thi Vu, Hang Thang Le, Hang Thi Dao, Lap Dinh Nguyen (Dung Nhat), Ly Van Tran, Mac McDougall, Nhat Hoa, Phung Vong, Thanh Huyen Phan, Thuy (Trieu Son), Tran Thi Phuong Thao
*
I would like to give special thanks to Annie Nguyen-Bárány, Ina Melengoglou (www.altsys.gr), and Jana J. Monji for helping me with drafts of this work, and to Zhongxuan Li, Dr. Daniel M. T. Fessler, Dr. Guy Drouin, Dr. Stéphane Aris-Brosou; my father, Dr. Can D. Le; my literary agent Don Fehr (Trident Media Group), and my editor at Picador USA, Anna deVries, for their outstanding assistance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephen Le is currently a visiting professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa. He received a PhD in biological anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2010. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
DEDICATION
INTRODUCTION: WHAT SHOULD WE EAT AND HOW SHOULD WE LIVE?
THE IRONY OF INSECTS
THE GAMES FRUITS PLAY
THE TEMPTATION OF MEAT
THE PARADOX OF FISH
THE EMPIRE OF STARCHES
ELIXIRS
A TRUCE AMONG THIEVES
THE CALORIE CONUNDRUM
THE FUTURE OF FOOD
AFTERWORD: RULES TO EAT AND LIVE BY
ENDNOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COPYRIGHT
ONE HUNDRED MILLION YEARS OF FOOD. Copyright © 2016 by Stephen Le. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For information, address Picador, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
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The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Le, Stephen.
One hundred million years of food: what our ancestors ate and why it matters today / Stephen Le. — First edition.
p. cm
ISBN 978-1-250-05041-0 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-25005042-7 (e-book)
1. Natural foods. 2. Food—History. 3. Nutrition. 4. Prehistoric peoples—Food. I. Title. II. Title: 100 million years of food.
TX369.L396 2015
641.3—dc23
2015029501
e-ISBN 9781250050427
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First Edition: February 2016
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Stephen Le, 100 Million Years of Food
