- Symptoms (like fever or anemia) are part of the causal chain of defense, not just effects
- Risks of intervening in evolved physiological responses without understanding their adaptive purpose
Fever
Those given the fever-reducing drug had more nasal stuffiness, a worse antibody response, and a slightly longer-lasting cold
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Iron depletion
Iron is food for bacteria. They thrive on it. Humans have evolved a means of starving these bacteria. When a person gets an infection, the body produces a chemical (leukocyte endogenous mediator) that reduces blood levels of iron. At the same time, the infected person spontaneously reduces the consumption of iron-rich food such as ham and eggs, and the human body reduces the absorption of whatever iron is consumed (Nesse & Williams, 1994). These natural bodily reactions essentially starve the bacteria, paving the way to combat the infection for a quick recovery. Although this information has been available since the 1970s, apparently few physicians and pharmacists know about it (Kluger, 1991). They continue to recommend iron supplements, which interfere with our evolved means for combating the hostile force of infections. Among the Masai tribe, fewer than 10 percent suffered infections caused by an amoeba. When a subgroup was given iron supplements, 88 percent of them developed infections (Weinberg, 1984). Somali nomads have naturally low levels of iron in their diets. When investigators sought to correct this with iron supplements, there was a 30 percent jump in infections within a month (Weinberg, 1984). Old people and women in America are routinely given iron supplements to combat “iron-poor blood,” which might paradoxically increase their rate of infections.
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Mental disorders that were
Transclude of Evolutionary-Psychology-(book)#^b101f4