What the Hadza Hunter-Gatherers Can Teach Us About Modern Health, Lifestyle and the Paleo Diet
- Alastair Hunt
- 12 hours ago
- 5 min read
In recent years, scientists have turned their attention to hunter-gatherer societies like the Hadza of Tanzania, intrigued by their remarkably low rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. These communities, whose daily lives closely mirror the conditions humans evolved in, offer vital clues about the origins - and possible solutions - to today’s chronic health epidemics.
A growing body of research, including a 2024 Danish study, supports this idea: by mimicking key aspects of traditional lifestyles - movement, whole-food diets and time outdoors - even people with chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes can experience transformative improvements in their health. There might be lessons for us all to learn.
As ever, please talk to your doctor or medical practitioner most familiar with your medical history before implementing any changes in diet, exercise or lifestyle, especially if you are under treatment. Links to all studies at bottom of page.
A Snapshot of Health in Traditional Societies
Despite an average life expectancy at birth of around 30 to 40 years (mostly due to infant mortality), adults in small-scale societies commonly live into their 60s and 70s, often in excellent health. Obesity is virtually non-existent: fewer than 2% of Hadza adults are overweight, and only one was classified as obese in a large sample. Chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure are also rare, even in older adults.
While these populations are extremely active - walking 6 to 14 km daily - often spending over two hours in moderate to vigorous physical activity - what’s surprising is that they don’t burn significantly more calories overall than people in industrialised countries. Instead, the body appears to reallocate energy to different tasks, maintaining a steady total energy expenditure. This suggests that the health benefits of exercise stem not only from burning calories but from how it influences inflammation, metabolic regulation and appetite control.
Rethinking the “Paleo” Diet
Hunter-gatherer diets are as diverse as the environments they live in, but they share a few key traits: they are rich in micronutrients, fibre, and largely unprocessed. However, a common misconception - especially within the modern "Paleo" diet trend - is that these diets are universally low in carbohydrates and high in protein. The evidence tells a more nuanced story.
In the Hadza, around 65% of calories come from carbohydrates, primarily from wild tubers, fruits, and honey. Honey alone can contribute up to 20% of their annual energy intake. Protein accounts for about 24% of their energy, mostly from game meat, while fat makes up a smaller proportion, roughly 11%. The carbohydrate content in some groups like the Amazonian Tsimane tribe is even higher - up to 72% - derived largely from starchy staples like plantains and manioc.
Far from being low-carb, many traditional diets are actually carbohydrate-rich but consist of foods with low glycaemic indexes and minimal processing. Unlike industrialised diets that often pair high carbohydrates with high fat and salt, the plant-based carbs consumed by these groups are packed with fibre - between 80 to 150 grams per day compared to around 20 grams in the average Western diet.
Protein quality and diversity are also important. While meat is a consistent feature, it often comes from lean game, fish, or insects and is eaten in context with plant foods, not in isolation. The balance between plant and animal food sources varies widely across populations, but most fall somewhere near a 50:50 ratio. The availability of plant foods like tubers, legumes and berries often dictates seasonal variation in diet composition. Learn more about the actual Paleolithic diet.
Modern Echoes of the Hunter-Gatherer Lifestyle
These evolutionary insights aren’t just theoretical - they translate powerfully to modern health interventions. A recent Danish study published in Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports put this to the test. Eight adults with chronic lifestyle-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and depression underwent a six-month lifestyle transformation inspired by hunter-gatherer principles. This included 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day, nine structured exercise sessions weekly (including resistance and endurance training), a multi-week hike and guidance on whole-food eating.
The results were remarkable: participants lost an average of 23 kg, significantly improved blood pressure and boosted their aerobic capacity (VO₂max) by nearly 18.5 mL/kg/min. Among those with diabetes, three out of four saw their blood sugar levels return to normal without medication. These changes continued to hold during a further seven months of limited supervision. The study demonstrates that comprehensive, evolutionary-aligned lifestyle changes can reverse many modern chronic conditions - without relying on pharmacological treatments.
It's Not Just About Food and Exercise
The health of hunter-gatherers likely stems from more than just their movement and meals. These societies are typically marked by strong social cohesion, shared resources, and minimal inequality - factors that modern research links to reduced stress and better overall health. Time spent outdoors, natural light exposure and close-knit community support may play roles that are hard to quantify but are crucial for wellbeing.
Final Thoughts
Hunter-gatherer populations offer valuable insights into what the human body is built for. They live active lives, consume unprocessed, fibre-rich foods and enjoy the protective effects of social and environmental factors often lacking in industrialised societies. These findings challenge overly simplistic health messages that blame poor health solely on inactivity or carbohydrate intake.
Instead of fixating on mimicking an ancient diet, a more practical approach might involve eating fewer processed foods, prioritising plants and whole foods, moving more throughout the day - not just in workouts - and fostering meaningful social connections. It's not about going back in time, but about moving forward with a more holistic understanding of what keeps us healthy.
As always, the best health strategy is one you can stick with - one that fits your personal lifestyle profile. For most people, improving health is about finding motivation and prioritising self-care - with an ultimate goal of taking action. If you want to take effective and targeted steps that fit into your unique lifestyle and circumstances, The Whole Health Practice is here to help.
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Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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Related Studies
The studies reviewed in the article...
MacDonald CS, Bennekou MA, Nielsen SM, Junker AE, Biering-Sørensen T, Langberg H, Christensen R, Lieberman DE, Zachariae C, Pallisgaard JL. Evolutionary Mismatch and Lifestyle-Related Diseases: A Study of a 6-Month Intensive Lifestyle Intervention. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2024 Dec;34(12):e14770. doi: 10.1111/sms.14770. PMID: 39695354.
Pontzer H, Wood BM, Raichlen DA. Hunter-gatherers as models in public health. Obes Rev. 2018 Dec;19 Suppl 1:24-35. doi: 10.1111/obr.12785. PMID: 30511505.
Other
Lea AJ, Clark AG, Dahl AW, Devinsky O, Garcia AR, Golden CD, Kamau J, Kraft TS, Lim YAL, Martins DJ, Mogoi D, Pajukanta P, Perry GH, Pontzer H, Trumble BC, Urlacher SS, Venkataraman VV, Wallace IJ, Gurven M, Lieberman DE, Ayroles JF. Applying an evolutionary mismatch framework to understand disease susceptibility. PLoS Biol. 2023 Sep 11;21(9):e3002311. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002311. PMID: 37695771; PMCID: PMC10513379.
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