ANTH 337 Chapter 7: Human Nutritional Evolution
Document Summary
Ecological variation in food availability has been an important stressor throughout evolutionary history. Remarkable diversity of diet"s on which modern human populations are able to subsist. Dietary plasticity evolved in part because of cultural and technological innovations for processing resources: allowed human populations to expand into newer and more marginal ecosystems. Carbohydrates, protein, and fats are macronutrients and are required in relatively large amounts and are critical for providing energy to the body. Vitamins and minerals are required in much smaller amounts and are important for regulating many aspects of biological function. Excess dietary intake can be stored by the body as glycogen or fat. The largest source of dietary energy for most humans is carbohydrates. Sugars formed by a combination of two monosaccharides. Composed of three or more simple sugar molecules. Used for storying carbohydrates in animal tissues. Two most common polysaccharides are starch and nonstarch polysaccharide (nsp) Two component molecules: glycerol and fatty acid.
