#Health #Lifestyle

Study Reveals Starch-Digesting Gene Evolved Over 800,000 Years Ago

A recent study suggests that the genes enabling humans to digest carbohydrates may have begun evolving over 800,000 years ago, long before the advent of agriculture. Researchers from the University at Buffalo, US, analyzed the genomes of 68 ancient humans, including a 45,000-year-old sample from Siberia, and discovered that pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers possessed between four to eight copies of the amylase gene, known as ‘AMY1.’ This gene is crucial for breaking down starchy foods such as bread and pasta.

The study highlights the role of gene duplication, a process where a gene copies itself, leading to an increase in its number, as a significant driver of evolution. The findings indicate that early humans had already adapted to a starchy diet, suggesting that the ability to digest carbohydrates developed well before farming practices were established. This research provides new insights into the evolutionary history of human diets and the genetic adaptations that have shaped our relationship with food.

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