Early human dietary heritage in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ancient human food ways is a fundamental part of the history of humankind. Hominins’ evolution has paralleled major shifts such as the introduction of lithic devises, gain mastery over fire, cooking, fermentation, plant and animal domestication, which, in turn, have been associated with anatomical, physiological, cognitive, sociocultural, and behavioural shifts. A holistic understanding may shed light not only on how human diet evolved, but also on the mechanisms governing metabolism and prevalent metabolic syndromes in modern humankind. Food is essential for understanding human development, adaptation, environmental exploitation, cognition, technology, and survival, while adaptations to the habitat and lifestyle have led to changes in human genome from dietary transitions across hundreds of human generations. Ancient foods incorporate the complex milieu of phytonutrients in grains , native plants, mushrooms, fruits, legumes, nuts, honey, and seeds, being the nutritious building blocks of each heritage diet, essential for ensuring sustainable food security. Meat eating have played a major role mainly on brain size increase. What foods people ate in the past, how foods were prepared, and what does this disclose about daily lives, cultural values and social interactions, is a central data repository, and may give an indication of chronic disease prevention. The reconstruction of ancient diets is complex for many factors, including to the unpredictability of humans themselves. We address some cultural practices, dietary traditions, ancient diets and culinary practices, understanding the enormous variability among regional countries and the nutritional transition shift from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural-based subsistence and present westernised diets. Integrating ancestral dietary wisdom does not necessarily mean strictly adhering to a primitive diet, but rather adopting core principles validated by modern science to reduce the risk of chronic diseases prevalent in modern society.