Salt

[PhilosophicalBluster]

That's not true. Your body doesn't automatically know what foods to eat to get it's nutrients, nor does your brain keep a record of which foods give what nutrients. If it could, people would crave vegetables and fruit a whole lot more.

I disagree. While people do not eat as many vegetables as they should, most eat enough so that they are not in danger of dying from a nutrient deficiency. It follows that your body wants food that gives it nutrients. The fact that you have taste buds is evidence of that. For example, have you ever been to Tuscany? They don't have salt in their bread, and you can sure taste it. It tastes bland, like it's missing something. If I were given a loaf of unsalted bread versus a loaf of salted bread, I would most definitely take the salted. Why? Because my body is telling me (through my brain's interpretation of the impulses sent by the nerves in my taste buds) that it wants the salt.

Your body knows which foods taste better than others, and you remember that. That is its way of cataloging information about nutrients.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

That's not true. Your body doesn't automatically know what foods to eat to get it's nutrients, nor does your brain keep a record of which foods give what nutrients. If it could, people would crave vegetables and fruit a whole lot more.

We've evolved to crave those things which are rare and necessary, whilst not particularly craving those which are common-place. That's why sugar tastes so nice, despite it being unhealthy in excess.

 

[Chesterton]

We've evolved to crave those things which are rare and necessary, whilst not particularly craving those which are common-place. That's why sugar tastes so nice, despite it being unhealthy in excess.

Why would we evolve to crave what's rare over what's common-place? That seems contradictory to evolutionary principles.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Why would we evolve to crave what's rare over what's common-place? That seems contradictory to evolutionary principles.

Because though it's rare, it's also very very useful. So those who preferentially seek it out are more likely to acquire this valuable commodity, and thus are more likely to survive and have babbies.

 

[Chesterton]

Because though it's rare, it's also very very useful. So those who preferentially seek it out are more likely to acquire this valuable commodity, and thus are more likely to survive and have babbies.

But why is it useful? Don't organisms adapt to their environment? I mean I can understand that we would need something for energy; there's no such thing as perpetual motion. But it seems we would have adapted so that the most abundant substances were the most useful, say maybe air, water, dirt, tree bark, green grass, etc.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

But why is it useful? Don't organisms adapt to their environment? I mean I can understand that we would need something for energy; there's no such thing as perpetual motion. But it seems we would have adapted so that the most abundant substances were the most useful, say maybe air, water, dirt, tree bark, green grass, etc.

Because it works: we get enough food and nutrition, so there's no major selection pressure causing us to evolve anything particularly novel.

We could start eating grass, and we'd slowly evolve to become better at it. But evolution only selects for good grass-eaters if people are eating grass: otherwise, there's no selection pressure. What people are eating is meat and fruit, so selection pressures exist to maximise that.

 

[Hespera]

Because it works: we get enough food and nutrition, so there's no major selection pressure causing us to evolve anything particularly novel.

We could start eating grass, and we'd slowly evolve to become better at it. But evolution only selects for good grass-eaters if people are eating grass: otherwise, there's no selection pressure. What people are eating is meat and fruit, so selection pressures exist to maximise that.

Learning to eat grass is a terrible idea. Cows are PROS! But they still spend 8 hours a day at it, they have a huge gut that rumbles constantly, plus they poop every few minutes. And farts! oh my.

 

[Tenka]

Why would we evolve to crave what's rare over what's common-place? That seems contradictory to evolutionary principles.

What "evolutionary principle" would that be?
All animals with tastebuds prefer high energy density food , it's more economical and it's safer (good tasting plants are almost always non toxic, I don't know of an example which defies this)
If you desire sweet foods you'll make sure you eat it as much as possible when you can. If you desired plain cellulose you'd spend the entire day eating grass and leaves with little nutritional benefit.

But it seems we would have adapted so that the most abundant substances were the most useful, say maybe air, water, dirt, tree bark, green grass, etc.

And some animals did, but that opened up niches for other plants and animals to exploit.
We're in such a niche.