Did you know that neuroscientists have found the exact moment when humans became smarter than other living creatures? It happened when early humans learned how to cook!
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A 2012 study published in the US-based journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that a surge in human brain size occurred roughly 1.8 million years ago, and it has a direct link with the homo erectus (the first humans) learning to cook. Their brain sizes doubled over 600,000 years.
But more specifically, the key to humans’ cerebral expansion was learning to use fire for cooking. With a heat source, food became easier to chew and digest. According to National Geographic, heating food also led to better nutrition, because a cooked meal is fully metabolised by the body, whereas in raw foods, only 30 or 40 per cent of nutrients are processed.
So, with extra calories and a better dining experience, early humans spent less time hunting for food and could put their mind to work towards more interesting things than gnawing through tough animal fibre or plants. It opened a gateway to further innovation, as people could - and did - devise better hunting weapons and shelters, and develop culture, art, and tools.
Even today, cooking is a great way to exercise your brain. Its sequence of tasks involves the executive functions located in the brain’s frontal lobe, according to US-based nonprofit medical centre Cleveland Clinic. Cooking develops our ability to prioritise, organise ourselves, remember past experiences or recipe steps, maintain focus, solve any problems that crop up, and multi-task.
So, the next time you make yourself a hot meal, know that it’s the smart choice.
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