"The Perfect Human Diet" is a 2012 documentary that follows journalist CJ Hunt's decade-long quest to discover the optimal human diet. Driven by his own health scare - a heart attack at the young age of 24 while adhering to conventional dietary guidelines - Hunt explores various nutritional philosophies, ultimately focusing on the paleo diet as a potential solution. The film delves into evolutionary biology, historical dietary patterns, and modern nutritional science to argue that contemporary health problems stem from a departure from our ancestral eating habits.
The Premise: Evolutionary Mismatch
The documentary's central argument revolves around the concept of evolutionary mismatch. It posits that modern diseases and illnesses arise from a disconnect between our genes, which evolved over millions of years, and our current diets and lifestyles. The film emphasizes that the agricultural revolution, which began approximately 10,000 years ago with the introduction of grains, marked a turning point in human health, initiating a steady decline due to the consumption of foods our bodies are not designed to process efficiently.
A Journey Through Nutritional Philosophies
Hunt's journey includes experimentation with vegetarianism, vegan diets, and the blood type diet, before eventually encountering the paleo diet. This approach emphasizes foods presumed to have been available to our Paleolithic ancestors, such as lean meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, while excluding grains, legumes, and dairy. The film presents the paleo diet not as a fad but as a return to the dietary patterns that shaped our species.
Strengths of the Documentary
Highlighting the Dangers of Sugar and Refined Grains
"The Perfect Human Diet" effectively underscores the detrimental effects of sugar and refined grains, comparing boxed cereal to "eating straight sugar." The film accurately portrays these processed foods as being inconsistent with our genetic predispositions, suggesting they should only be consumed in dire circumstances where immediate glucose is needed for brain function.
Emphasis on Whole, Unprocessed Foods
One of the most compelling aspects of the documentary is its emphasis on eliminating processed foods. The film highlights how the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to agrarian ones led to increased consumption of wheat, corn, and sugar, which form the basis of many processed foods. This shift, the documentary argues, has contributed significantly to the rise in obesity and related health issues, particularly childhood obesity.
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Addressing Conflicting Dietary Advice
The film acknowledges the confusion surrounding dietary advice, noting how nutrition has become a contentious topic akin to religion, politics, and money. It points out that people often adhere to specific diets as belief systems, making it difficult to have objective discussions about nutrition.
Criticisms and Points of Contention
Omission of Industrial Seed Oils
Despite highlighting the dangers of sugar and refined grains, the film notably omits any discussion of industrial seed oils (e.g., canola, cottonseed, vegetable oil, margarine). These oils are ubiquitous in modern diets and have been linked to various health problems, making their exclusion a significant oversight.
Strict Paleo View
The film adopts a strict paleo perspective, advocating for the elimination of milk post-weaning and all grains, even those that are properly prepared. This stance is debatable, as some argue that certain foods, like properly sourced and processed dairy, can be beneficial if they are nutrient-dense, non-toxic, digestible, and enjoyable.
Emphasis on Lean Meats
The documentary's repeated emphasis on "lean" meat is potentially misleading. While it may stem from the fact that wild game consumed by our ancestors was leaner than modern farmed cattle, it could inadvertently promote a low-fat diet, which contradicts the paleo emphasis on healthy fats, including those found in organ meats and other animal products.
Oversimplification of Grain Consumption
The film explains that grains block the absorption of minerals, leading to bone density loss, but it doesn't mention that phytates, primarily found in the outer husk of grains, are responsible for this effect. Additionally, it fails to acknowledge that nuts also contain phytates, yet are generally accepted within the paleo framework. The documentary does not discuss that phytates can be significantly reduced through proper preparation techniques like soaking, sprouting, or fermenting, methods employed by traditional societies worldwide.
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Sustainability and Practicality
Critics argue that a widespread adoption of a strict paleo diet is unsustainable and impractical. Raising enough livestock to feed the global population would require vast amounts of land and water, resources that are already under strain. Additionally, the documentary's portrayal of ancestral diets may be idealized, as early humans likely faced periods of starvation and consumed a variety of foods, including insects and other less palatable items.
Comparisons to Other Dietary Approaches
The documentary is often compared to "Forks Over Knives," a film that promotes a vegan diet. While seemingly opposed, both films share a common message: the need to eliminate processed foods. "The Perfect Human Diet" explores how the shift to an agrarian society and the subsequent reliance on processed foods have contributed to weight gain and health problems.
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