I recently read a newer book by Jeff Leach from the Paleobiotics Lab. First, let me say that this is not really a book - it's a collection of short essays. Second, some of the essays are already available on the Paleobiotics site. Third, this book is probably best appreciated by Paleo enthusiasts, and not so much the general public.
Nevertheless, I did learn some things from the book. The key chapters deal with his idea of a "Human Hybrid Model". The idea is that humans should be consuming a lot of prebiotic plant fibers that pass through the stomach and small intestine to the colon. Here, the fibers ferment and provide energy to cells. He says that our early ancestors generated as much as 25 to 35% of daily energy needs through this channel. With modern humans, he says we still should be getting 10 to 12% of energy through this process. Yet through the typical diet with minimal plant intake the average American only gets 1 to 3% of his energy through this channel.
The main conclusion of the book is that we should all be eating more plants, and specifically a greater diversity of plants. This does not mean that Leach is advocating vegetarianism, as he includes meat in the recipes. However his focus is on the high plant intake of Paleolithic diets. Through a high intake of diverse plants, the proper gut flora is supported and energy is gained through fermentation of prebiotic fibers.
