Neanderthals Practiced Dentistry and Better Oral Hygiene Than Early Humans
"Amazingly they did actually or at least Neanderals did take quite good care of their teeth. So there's clear evidence from the scratches on their teeth that they were using toothpicks to kind of clean their teeth. And recently there was a study a couple of weeks ago that showed that they were doing some uh minor dental surgery on some of their their teeth. So the Neandals really actually comparative to Homo sapiens had quite good teeth uh care whereas our species didn't really in the early days have have have a comparable level of dental hygiene."
About this episode
In this episode, host Jonathan Wolf examines the scientific truth behind the popular Paleo diet by consulting two experts: Dr. James Cole, dean of Brighton University's School of Applied Sciences and a leading authority on prehistoric diets, and Dr. Federica Marti, head nutritionist at Zoe and Imperial College London scientist. The conversation reveals that the modern Paleo diet, which became hugely popular after a 2002 book and promotes eating mostly meat and fish while eliminating dairy, whole grains, and legumes, is based on fundamental misconceptions about what our ancestors actually ate. Dr. Cole presents archaeological evidence showing Paleolithic humans had highly varied, locally adapted diets that included whole grains, tubers, and seasonal plants alongside meat, with some populations eating almost no meat at all. The episode delivers a striking revelation that cannibalism was a persistent practice spanning nearly a million years, and that Neanderthals practiced better dental hygiene than early Homo sapiens, even performing minor dental surgery. Dr. Marti presents concerning evidence that while the Paleo diet shows benefits at six months compared to a standard American diet, by 24 months it produces harmful metabolites associated with heart disease and negatively impacts gut microbiome health due to its exclusion of whole grains and legumes. She notes that consuming 90 grams of whole grains daily can reduce cardiovascular disease death risk by 25 percent. The experts conclude that human evolutionary advantage lies in dietary flexibility and variety rather than restriction, with our ancestors eating seasonally, locally, and communally preparing meals around fires. The episode emphasizes that modern organ meats accumulate environmental toxins, processed meats dramatically increase cancer risk, and the solution to modern dietary problems is not restriction but rather incorporating 30 different plants weekly while cooking whole foods and sharing meals socially.
Key takeaways
- Dr. Federica Marti reveals the popular Paleo diet causes harmful heart disease metabolites and gut microbiome damage by 24 months despite initial six-month benefits
- Dr. James Cole presents archaeological evidence that cannibalism was a persistent practice among Paleolithic humans spanning nearly one million years across multiple sites
- Research shows Neanderthals practiced dental hygiene using toothpicks and performed minor dental surgery, maintaining better oral care than early Homo sapiens
- Modern Paleo diet incorrectly eliminates whole grains and legumes that Paleolithic humans actually consumed, with whole grains appearing in diets millions of years ago
- Consuming 90 grams of whole grains daily reduces cardiovascular disease mortality risk by up to 25 percent according to modern dietary studies
- Archaeological evidence reveals Paleolithic diets varied dramatically by location and season, with some Neanderthal populations eating almost no meat while others had marine-based diets
- Human evolutionary advantage stems from dietary flexibility enabled by smaller guts and larger brains that developed as ancestors mastered fire and cooking approximately two million years ago