New research examines how early humans evolved to eat carbohydrates by studying the duplication of a certain gene that helped shape adaptation to starchy foods.

If you've ever struggled to reduce your carb intake, ancient DNA might be to blame. It has long been known that humans carry multiple copies of a gene that allows us to begin breaking down complex carbohydrate starch in the mouth,

Humanity’s love of carbohydrates started 800,000 years ago when cavemen developed genes to break down starchy food, a study has found.

American researchers have found that the gene for starch-digesting saliva may have first duplicated more than 800,000 years ago, seeding the genetic variation that shapes our modern diet. It has long been known that humans carry several copies of a gene that allows us to begin breaking down complex carbohydrate starch in the mouth,