# What our evolutionary history can teach us about eating well

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/instant-genius-226559/what-our-evolutionary-history-can-teach-us-about-eating-well
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/instant-genius-226559/what-our-evolutionary-history-can-teach-us-about-eating-well.md
Podcast: [Instant Genius](https://stenobird.com/podcast/instant-genius-226559)
Published: 2026-09-24T23:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NSR5578631911.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NSR5578631911.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/instant-genius-226559/episodes/what-our-evolutionary-history-can-teach-us-about-eating-well
Duration seconds: 2041

## Resource

These days, supermarket shelves are filled with thousands of different products all vying for our attention; the options are almost endless. However, if we look back in time, we find that our early ancestors simply ate what they were able to hunt and gather and eventually farm. Thanks to the huge number of options we now have available, many of us choose to follow diet plans of various kinds, be it veganism, low-fat, low-carb, or the paleo diet, but what can we learn from evolutionary history about what we should really be eating if we want to live longer, healthier lives? In this episode we’re joined by Prof Daniel Lieberman, an author and evolutionary biologist based at Harvard University, to talk about his latest book, Fed Up – What Evolution Reveals about Food, Diet and Eating Well. He tells us why many of us find it so difficult to eliminate certain foodstuffs from our diets over the long-term, how humans evolved to store more body fat than other mammals, and why the good news is that humans are perhaps nature’s ultimate omnivores. Take your curiosity further with a subscription to BBC Science Focus magazine. Every issue is packed with fascinating insights into the science behind everyday life, the latest breakthroughs and expert analysis, delivered straight to your door. Receive an extra £5 when you subscribe using the code SF5OFF, (minimum spend £20, see full terms and conditions on our website). https://www.ourmediashop.com/bbc-science-focus-magazine-pod30 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/instant-genius-226559/episodes/what-our-evolutionary-history-can-teach-us-about-eating-well/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/instant-genius-226559/what-our-evolutionary-history-can-teach-us-about-eating-well.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.