"Orangutans outshine humans in diet and energy balance, using flexible strategies to survive food shortages and maintain health. Credit: Shutterstock"
"Humans could learn a thing or two from orangutans when it comes to maintaining a balanced, protein-filled diet."
"These findings show how wild Bornean orangutans adapt to changes in their environment by adjusting their nutrient intake, behavior and energy use,"
"The work highlights the importance of understanding natural dietary patterns and their impact on health, both for orangutans and humans."
Fifteen years of firsthand observations of wild Bornean orangutans show adaptive dietary and energy strategies that balance protein intake and conserve energy during shortages. Orangutans maintain balanced, protein-rich diets and flexibly adjust nutrient intake, behavior, and energy use across fluctuating fruit availability. Orangutans reduce physical activity during low fruit periods to conserve energy and avoid obesity through combined dietary choices and activity adjustments. Orangutans share physiological and metabolic similarities with humans due to common ancestry, making their patterns relevant for comparative insights. Modern human diets high in processed foods can disrupt metabolic flexibility and contribute to conditions such as diabetes, especially with sedentary lifestyles.
Read at ScienceDaily
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