A.1. or Heinz 57?

[capitalcityguy]

I'm totally OK with a low-carb diet, but saying "100 years ago no one had cancer, diabetes, etc!" is kind of a meaningless statement, isn't it? The average life expectancy in 1880 was about 40. You died before you got a chance to get cancer or type 2 diabetes . . . if they were even properly diagnosed.

1. I’m referring to 1,000’s of years of human history and what we traditionally consumed as a species
2. Your interpretation of increased life expectancy figures is a bit off, but a common mistake we’ve all made. We have more people living longer, but not necessarily to a more advanced age. The reduction in infant mortality rate is probably the single biggest factor in “why we live longer” today. Additionally maternal deaths at childbirth, rampant war, poor sanitation, lack of medical care/immunizations, poor or nonexistent workplace safety, etc. etc. all weighed down of the average lifetime of the population. However, if one made it to age 30, they would very likely become an elder in their 70’s/80’s one day without contracting the diseases that are killing us today (based on on study of bones of early humans).