A new study proposes that natural sugars and starches played a critical role in human brain evolution by supplying the glucose needed to sustain a metabolically expensive organ.
While meat provided essential amino acids and micronutrients, the research emphasizes that carbohydrates delivered the primary energy source the brain requires.
The human brain consumes a disproportionate share of the body's energy budget, and glucose is its preferred fuel under normal conditions.
The study posits that access to carbohydrate-rich foods such as fruits, tubers, and honey would have been necessary to meet this demand.
Authors suggest that both dietary components — meat for building blocks and carbohydrates for energy — were likely required for the expansion of brain size in human ancestors.
The findings add to ongoing scientific discussion about the relative contributions of different food sources to hominin evolution.
Researchers note that the interplay between nutrient density and energy availability remains a key area for further investigation.
The study does not claim carbohydrates alone drove brain growth but frames them as an indispensable complement to animal-sourced foods.
Sugar power: the full story of brain development in humans
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