[sunnykerr]

Girl crying tears instead of a stone
Abortion bill passes in ND
http://www.fanforum.com/f117/vaccine...ules-62879117/
Third-Hand Smoke Kills, Too
International healthcare systems
Listeriosis Outbreak Causes Massive Meat Recall

Banned by 4N6 DNA

[sunnykerr]

Jawbones are 'shaped by diet', a study finds Diet has shaped human jaw bones; a result that could help explain why many people suffer with overcrowded teeth. The study has shown that jaws grew shorter and broader as humans took on a more pastoral lifestyle. Before this, developing mandibles were probably strengthened to give hunter-gatherers greater bite force. The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This is a fascinating study which challenges the common perception that there has been little recent change in the morphology of humans," said anthropologist Jay Stock from the University of Cambridge. Many scientists have suggested that the range of skull shapes that exist within our species is the result of exposure to different climates, while others have argued that chance played more of a role in creating the diversity we see in people's profiles. The new data, collected from over 300 skulls, across 11 populations, shows that jaws shortened and widened as humans moved from hunting and gathering to a more sedentary way of life. The link between jaw morphology and diet held true irrespective of where people came from in the world, explained anthropologist Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel from the University of Kent. Concurrently crooked It would be tempting to conclude that this is evidence for concurrent evolutionary change - where jaw bones have evolve to be shorter and broader multiple, independent times, she told BBC News. But the sole author of the paper suggested that the changes in human skulls are more likely driven by the decreasing bite forces required to chew the processed foods eaten once humans switch to growing different types of cereals, milking and herding animals about 10,000 years ago. "As you are growing up... the amount that you are chewing, and the pressure that your chewing muscles and bone [are] under, will affect the way that the lower jaw is growing," explained Dr von Cramon-Taubadel. She thinks that the shorter jaws of farmers meant that they have less space for their teeth relative to hunter-gatherers, whose jaws are longer. Teeth-pulling tale "I have had four of my pre-molars pulled and that is the only reason that my teeth fit in my mouth," said Dr von Cramon-Taubadel. Ever since that time, she has wondered why so many people suffer with teeth-crowding. "I think that's the reason why this result resonates with people," she said. Dr Stock added: "[The finding] is particularly important in that it demonstrates that variation that we find in the modern human skeletal system is not solely driven by population history and genetics." These results fit with previous evidence of both a reduction in tooth and body size as humans moved to a more pastoral way of life. It also helps explain why studies of captive primates have shown that animals tend to have more problems with teeth misalignment than wild individuals. Further evidence comes from experimental studies that show that hyraxes - rotund, short-tailed rabbit-like creatures - have smaller jaws when fed on soft food compared to those fed on their normal diet.

Source

Something very similar to this has been in the TV news here quite a lot of late, so it piqued my curiosity to see an article publised on the topic.

Basically, there is a concern in some circles here that our food is (generally speaking) growing too soft, meaning we're not giving enough of a workout to our teeth and our mandible muscles, which leads to faster degeneration in older age.

I'm obviously unable to bear witness to the truth of these concerns, whether they emanate from paranoia, propaganda or good intentions. But I do think it there's a link between oral health and general health, so I wouldn't be surprised if it carried to the health of our bones as well.

[Comfortably Numb]

Makes sense. We do eat differently now than we used to.

[Tomorrow's skies]

Very interesting.

And I definitely see the point about processed/soft foods

[sunnykerr]

It's interesting to me, because I've had my wisdom teeth pulled out and the remaining teeth seem to be struggling for room, honestly.

[Tomorrow's skies]

I had mine pulled too. Mine would've come in crooked and destroyed my mouth

Isn't it the dairy or something that's made our teeth much bigger than they used to be? Also people always lost their teeth back in the day, so would need the new ones

[sunnykerr]

I don't really know... Mine came in crooked and ruined my mouth.

There must something to dairy, though. Calcium, if nothing else, is crucial to bone health. Things may have change since I was a kid, but milk and dairy is still considered the premium source of calcium, right?

I know that's what my mother blamed her teeth issues on: the fact that she stopped taking all dairy because of other health issues. Her bottom teeth basically folded on themselves inside of a year. And now she wears braces to try and get them to "stand up" straight again.

[Tomorrow's skies]

I would question the lack of dairy for that, simply because our species has only been drinking milk beyond infancy rather recently. It could've been the lack of calcium and other nutrients though.

[sunnykerr]

Well, I may be mistaken, but didn't there used to be some sort of generalized tooth degeneration?

I mean, I know dairy products aren't the only source of calcium out there, not by a long shot, but there also seems to be some sort of parallel in history between bettter tooth health and the consumption of dairy products, or am I mistaken?

I could be mistaken. It's just the impression I get, that's all.

[Tomorrow's skies]

Teeth have definitely gotten bigger and possibly stronger, but that could be because of better living conditions, etc. Nowadays I'd say the issue is plenty of people not getting 'real' food. And I can only imagine what more health conditions the future generations or even the current ones will have if nothing is changed.

Like cellulose being a really cheap filler for food companies and is now in so many things. From what I've heard that's wood fibre and people either don't digest it or don't digest it well.

Also there's carageenan in lots of dairy products which is linked to ulcers in the stomach, or lesser reactions being stomach upset and discomfort.

[sunnykerr]

Cellulose can be articial, too.

And I definitely agree that our diet, generally speaking, have become empoverished. The diversity's gotten better, but stuff travels way too far to retain its full nutritional value.

Not that we absorb enough of it anyhow.

[Tomorrow's skies]

Cellulose can be articial, too.

I'd imagine that that's even worse?

[sunnykerr]

Well, to be clear, I'm pretty sure none of us is ingesting the synthetic kind. I'm just saying I've heard it exists.

[Tomorrow's skies]

I just wish we'd get real food, and the fact that that's sliding even further from relevance scares me.

[sunnykerr]

Well, I've heard people argue that real food is too expensive.

I don't get it, but then again I haven't been all over the place and I know transport adds to prices, so...