How has agriculture influenced human health in evolution?

Agriculture has significantly influenced human health through dietary changes, leading to health declines in various populations. As early humans transitioned from foraging to agriculture, their diets became increasingly reliant on a limited number of staple crops, such as wheat, rice, and maize. This shift typically resulted in decreased nutritional diversity since these staple foods often lack the complete array of vitamins and nutrients necessary for optimal health.

The heavy reliance on a few crops made agricultural societies more susceptible to nutritional deficiencies, which could lead to health issues such as anemia, scurvy, or other deficiency-related disorders. Additionally, agriculture promoted sedentary lifestyles, which contributed to changes in body size and shape, along with an increase in certain chronic diseases that were less prevalent in hunter-gatherer populations.

This transformation in diet and lifestyle illustrates the complex relationship between agricultural practices and health, highlighting how the move towards farming, while allowing for greater population densities and societal advancement, also introduced new challenges and health risks not present during the foraging era.