Dental Decay Legacy: How Shift to Plant-Based Diet Damaged Teeth of Late Stone Age Hunter-Gatherers in Morocco.

A recent ground-breaking study (2024) conducted on the Late Stone Age Iberomaurusian population at Taforalt, Morocco, reveals a significant reliance on plant-based foods, challenging traditional views of pre-agricultural diets as predominantly meat-centered.

Through advanced isotopic analysis of human dental enamel, collagen, and amino acids, researchers identified a substantial consumption of carbohydrate-rich plants like acorns, legumes, beets and other starchy wild resources. Evidence of tooth caries, indicative of a diet high in fermentable carbohydrates, supports the dietary findings and points to a pronounced reliance of people living in this region on starchy plants.

Key findings highlight:

• Diet Composition: While meat (primarily Barbary sheep) was consumed, plant-based foods constituted a major portion of the diet, reflecting a low trophic level. The high prevalence of tooth caries was attributed to the consumption of cariogenic foods such as sweet acorns, pine nuts, and certain legumes, which are rich in fermentable starches and sugars.

• Comparison to Other Hunter-Gatherers: In contrast to the Iberomaurusian population, other hunter-gatherer groups that consumed predominantly low carbohydrate, carnivorous or "paleo" diets, characterized by higher meat intake and low sugar consumption, displayed significantly lower rates of dental caries.

Meat-based, low-sugar diets generally do not promote tooth decay due to the lack of fermentable carbohydrates. This disparity highlights how the Iberomaurusians' reliance on starchy plant foods directly impacted their dental health, leading to a higher prevalence of cavities and other dental issues compared to their meat-focused counterparts.

• Economic Transition: The integration of diverse plant resources suggests an early shift towards a broad-spectrum diet, echoing transitions observed in the Levant but without a move to agriculture. Grinding stones and other plant processing tools found at the site indicate that wild plants were processed into more digestible forms, potentially increasing their cariogenic impact.

• Infant Feeding Practices: Early weaning onto plant-based foods contrasts with prolonged breastfeeding typical of hunter-gatherers, indicating lifestyle changes linked to diet. The introduction of starchy, easy-to-digest foods for infants likely facilitated earlier weaning but may have contributed to dental issues from a young age!

Modern Perspective:

The dental issues faced by the Iberomaurusian population due to increased carbohydrate consumption eerily mirror today's global dental health crisis.

Current research shows that dental caries affect 60-90% of school children worldwide, primarily due to ultra-processed foods (UPF) and high sugar consumption. A 2023 systematic review published in the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry found that children consuming high levels of UPF have 2.5 times higher risk of developing severe dental caries compared to those with minimal UPF intake.

Recent data from WHO indicates that added sugars, particularly in processed foods, remain the primary driver of dental caries in children, with some populations showing caries prevalence as high as 95% in primary teeth. This modern epidemic of dental decay demonstrates how our ancient shift toward carbohydrate-rich diets continues to impact oral health, now amplified by the widespread availability of refined sugars and ultra-processed foods.

References

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5. Moubtahij, Z., et al. (2024). Isotopic evidence of high reliance on plant food among Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers at Taforalt, Morocco. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 8, 1035–1045.

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(These findings emphasise regional variations in subsistence strategies and provide insights into the complex pathways toward agriculture. Despite high plant reliance, North African populations did not transition to farming during this period, possibly due to ecological constraints such as the Younger Dryas climatic cooling. This analysis draws on recent findings published in Nature Ecology & Evolution (2024), which examined isotopic evidence from Taforalt and highlighted dietary shifts unique to the Iberomaurusian culture.)

This article provides an overview of the Dental Decay Legacy. However, it's important to understand that our bodies are influenced by many other factors not covered here, including environmental conditions, gene expression, individual biochemistry, lifestyle patterns, and more. Each person's journey to optimal health is unique and personal.

If you're interested in exploring your own path to metabolic health and overall wellbeing, we at SelfUP and Veek Health are here to support you. Our approach combines scientific understanding with personalised strategies, taking into account your individual circumstances and goals. Whether you're looking to understand your body better or make sustainable health improvements, we'd be delighted to help guide you on your journey.

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