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A central role for dietary sugars in human evolution
Jennie Brand-Miller1, Karen Hardy2, David Raubenheimer1
1School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|August 6, 2026
Summary
Early human diets relied on carbohydrate-rich foods like fruits and honey for brain growth. Cooking and processing unlocked more glucose, highlighting carbohydrates
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Human Evolution
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Traditional views of early hominin diets emphasize animal foods and fire mastery.
- These assumptions are challenged by the metabolic demands of increasing brain size and reproductive needs.
- The role of carbohydrates in human evolution requires re-evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model macronutrient distribution throughout 4 million years of human evolution.
- To investigate the contribution of sugars and starches to early hominin diets.
- To understand the relationship between diet, brain evolution, and nutrient extraction.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multiple lines of evidence, including metabolic requirements.
- Modeled macronutrient distribution over a 4-million-year evolutionary timeline.
- Analyzed the impact of processing (pounding, cooking) on glucose availability.
Main Results:
- Sugars from fruits and honey likely provided over 25% of dietary energy, meeting obligatory glucose demands.
- Pounding and cooking specifically released glucose, not just general energy.
- Carbohydrate sources, from sugars to cooked starches, were crucial alongside animal foods for brain expansion.
Conclusions:
- The evolution of larger brains is significantly linked to carbohydrate consumption.
- Dietary shifts involved a progression from sweet sugars to cooked starches.
- Advancements in food processing enhanced nutrient extraction, supporting hominin brain development.
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