- Early hominids evolved to have a diet higher in dietary quality and fiber, with fiber providing calories and helping to digest other foods. Consuming fiber may have led to increases in brain size and cognitive ability. - Modern humans have significantly less fiber in their diets compared to both early hominids and non-Westernized traditional societies, which consumed diets with 2-3 times more fiber. This low fiber intake may be linked to increased risks of modern diseases. - Cooking and fermenting grains increases their fiber content and digestibility, and many traditional cultures consumed fermented and sprouted grains that provided more fiber than modern diets. Increasing fiber intake through traditional foods and methods of preparation may