Final answer:
Honey was not a staple in traditional societies because of their mobile hunter-gatherer lifestyle and the reliability of other food sources. The Hadza's unique relationship with the honeyguide bird is a notable exception. Agricultural practices later changed diets and introduced nutritional challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The absence of honey as an important part of the diet in traditional societies is commonly explained by the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. These societies typically relied on a few staple foods that were readily available year-round such as wild grains, berries, and nuts. While honey was valued, it was not a staple due to the nomadic nature of these societies, as food reserves only consisted of what they could carry, and honey collection wasn't always feasible or abundant enough to be a dietary mainstay.
The Hadza are a contemporary example of hunter-gatherers for whom honey is an important food, contributing 10 to 20 percent of their calories. They have a special relationship with the honeyguide bird to help locate beehives. Nonetheless, for many traditional societies, factors such as mobility, the availability of other more reliable food sources, and the lack of domestication and storage technologies limited honey's prevalence in the diet.
Interestingly, agricultural advancements have led to a diet characterized by less diversity and a rise in nutritional deficiencies and diseases, such as lactose intolerance and dental caries, which is a stark contrast to the balanced and varied diet of hunter-gatherers.