How Cooking Made Humans Smarter: The Evolutionary Link Between Fire and Intelligence
One of the biggest mysteries in human evolution is how we became so intelligent compared to other animals. While many theories suggest that a meat-heavy diet contributed to brain growth, a simpler yet revolutionary idea has gained traction—cooking may have played the most significant role in making us the highly intelligent species we are today.
The Brain’s Energy Demands: Why Diet Matters
The human brain is a power-hungry organ. Although it makes up only about 2% of our body weight, it consumes around 20% of our total energy. Such an energy-demanding brain requires a diet rich in calories and nutrients, and for our ancestors to sustain larger brains, they needed food that provided more energy with less effort.
Meat as a Source of Energy
For years, researchers theorized that meat c...
