This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on August 16, 2012.

3 Comments

1. 1. Dralgawara@com 04:51 PM 8/17/12

   The intake of meats of all kinds has trigged health problem all the times....

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2. 2. lilolme 12:24 AM 8/18/12

   The intake of meats is part of what omnivores are. Look in the mirror and see if your teeth resemble those of herbivores.
   

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3. 3. billsmith 01:24 AM 8/18/12

   @Dralgawara and @lilolme
   The most "natural" diet for ancient human beings would consist of mostly roots and shoots, a bit of fruit, plenty of juicy grubs, and the occasional meaty treat like some nice raw or aged monkey meat.
   
   However, the dietitians of modern America have to deal with realities. Most of us eat /far/ more meat than is useful and far too little green vegetables, while others refuse to eat any animal products at all.
   
   Clients (other than a few feeling a mortal threat) are not likely to stick to any diet radically diverging from their usual. Thus it's important to come up with advice that meets people where they are, like "Eat more green veggies" "Cut down on food from restaurants and boxes" "Eat more variety" or "Watch that glycemic index".
   
   And sometimes, yes, drugs inspired by studies like this microbiome research make our lives better.

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