Humans have been metabolically adapted to a low-carb, high-fat way of eating for millions of years. Our Paleolithic ancestors (roughly 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago) thrived on wild game, fish, eggs, nuts, and seasonal plant foods, with carbohydrates largely limited to fruits, tubers, and roots.

Pull-quote: “We are born to run on fat and ketones — our default metabolic state begins in the womb.”

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Born in Ketosis: Metabolic Flexibility from Day One

Even before birth, humans are naturally in a ketogenic state. The fetus relies on maternal ketones and fatty acids for brain and organ development, with minimal glucose circulating. This early exposure teaches the body to efficiently burn fat and ketones as fuel, giving humans metabolic flexibility from the very start. Early infancy continues this pattern through high-fat breast milk, reinforcing that humans are born to run on fat as well as carbohydrate.

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19th-Century Pioneers of Low-Carb Thinking

Long before modern biochemistry, pioneers observed the effects of carbohydrate restriction:

Jean Anthelme Brillat‑Savarin (1825) – The Philosopher of Taste

Observed that starchy foods promoted fat accumulation.

Advocated moderation of bread, potatoes, and other farinaceous foods.

William Banting (1863) – The First Popular Diet Book

Recommended meat, eggs, fish, and natural fats while avoiding bread, sugar, and starchy vegetables.

Achieved weight loss and improved energy, crediting carbohydrate reduction.

Arnaldo Cantani (1870s–1890s) – Low-Carb Therapy for Diabetes

Used strict meat-based diets to stabilize glucose in diabetic patients.

Early example of dietary carbohydrate restriction as a therapeutic tool.

Common threads across the century:

Carbohydrates, especially refined and starchy foods, contribute to fat accumulation and metabolic imbalance.

Animal-based foods and natural fats provide stable energy, satiety, and metabolic benefits.

Observation and experimentation, rather than theory, guided early low-carb recommendations.

Low-carb diets were used therapeutically for both weight and metabolic conditions like diabetes.

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Modern Advocates Carry the Torch

Today, ketogenic and low-carb principles are championed by clinicians, researchers, and health practitioners, including:

Dr. Isabel Cooper, PhD – expert in metabolic health and keto research

Dr. Ken Berry – physician advocating safe, low-carb living

Eddie Goeke – nutrition educator focused on ancestral diets

Dr. Chaffey – clinician using keto therapeutically

Prof. Tim Noakes – sports scientist and low-carb pioneer

…and practitioners like myself, supporting clients to align with unique biochemistry, ancestral patterns, and seasonal nutrition.

These modern advocates demonstrate that low-carb and ketogenic nutrition is not a passing trend, but the continuation of metabolic patterns humans evolved with, now refined with modern science.

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Then vs. Now: Understanding Carbohydrate Intake

It’s essential to recognize the difference between ancestral and modern carbohydrate consumption:

Ancestral & 19th-century diets: Carbs were seasonal and moderate, from fruits, roots, and nuts.

Modern diets: Often high in refined grains, sugars, and processed foods, causing constant insulin spikes and metabolic stress.

“Modern low-carb and ketogenic diets are not radical fads — they are a return to human evolutionary metabolism.”

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The Body’s Ability to Make Glucose

Even on a low-carb or ketogenic diet, the body never truly runs out of glucose. Through gluconeogenesis, the liver and kidneys can produce the glucose your body and brain need from protein and glycerol, ensuring essential functions continue smoothly. This means you don’t need high-carb foods to survive or thrive, even while mostly in ketosis.

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Carbs in Context: Seasonal and Flexible

Low-carb eating doesn’t mean zero carbohydrates. Ancestral patterns and modern research show that carbohydrates were consumed seasonally, with higher intake in the autumn, when fruits and roots were available. Incorporating some seasonal carbs aligns with our evolutionary biology while maintaining the metabolic benefits of a low-carb lifestyle.

“Low-carb is flexible, seasonal, and nature-aligned — our bodies retain full metabolic adaptability.”

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Why This Matters Today

By understanding the origins of ketogenic and low-carb eating, from early humans to 19th-century pioneers to modern advocates, we can see that these diets are time-tested, nature-aligned, and scientifically grounded. They support:

Stable energy levels

Cognitive health and mood

Metabolic and cardiovascular health

Longevity and resilience

Low-carb and ketogenic eating is not a modern gimmick — it’s a return to the way humans evolved to eat and thrive, now enhanced with modern research and clinical insight.