What is the paleo diet?
The paleo or Paleolithic diet, also called the caveman or Stone Age diet, is a diet that involves adopting an eating pattern similar to that of hunter-gatherers living in the Paleolithic era, about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. The reasoning behind this diet is that the human body is genetically ill-suited to the modern diet that emerged with the development of agricultural practices. According to proponents of this diet, this hypothetical mismatch contributes to the current prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
How does the paleo diet work?
The dietary recommendations of the paleo diet vary from one source to another. Some paleo diets are more restrictive while others offer less strict rules.
What foods are allowed in the paleo diet?
In general, allowed foods include:
- The fruits
- Vegetables
- Nuts and Seeds
- Meat
- Poultry
- The eggs
- Fish and seafood
- The fruit and nut oils (e.g., olive oil, coconut oil)
- Honey, in small quantities
What foods are prohibited in the paleo diet?
In general, prohibited foods include:
- The grains
- Legumes
- Dairy products
- Refined sugars
- The salt
- Potatoes
- Processed foods
- Alcohol
- The coffee
- Refined vegetable oils (e.g., canola oil)
Some positive aspects of the paleo diet
- The paleo diet includes nutritious and unprocessed foods.
- The paleo diet is low in sodium and refined sugars.
Some negative aspects of the paleo diet
- The elimination of several food groups, including grains, dairy products, and legumes, which increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies (e.g.: calcium, vitamin D, B vitamins).
- The possibility of consuming more red meat, classified as probably carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization.
- The possibility of consuming more saturated fats, harmful to heart health.
- The research on the paleo diet mainly involves short-term studies with a limited number of participants.
- The long-term side effects are unknown.
- It is unknown whether the paleo diet is safe and beneficial for all individuals (e.g., elderly people, healthy individuals, people with chronic illnesses).
- The restrictive nature of the diet makes it difficult to follow in the long term.
Some questions regarding the reasoning behind the paleo diet
The Mayo Clinic points out that some researchers believe the paleo diet oversimplifies the history of human adaptation to dietary changes and that other aspects should be considered:
- The differences between early diets depending on the region (e.g., tropical vs. arctic).
- Archaeological research has shown that early diets may have included wild grains up to 30,000 years ago.
- Genetic research has shown that evolutionary changes, including those related to diet, continued after the Paleolithic era.
In conclusion
More research is needed to determine the long-term effects of the paleo diet on health.
References
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/paleo-diet/art-20111182
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/paleo-diet/
- https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/paleo-diet
- https://www.abbeyskitchen.com/nutrition-paleo-diet-good-or-bad-new-years-resolution/
- https://apps.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/cancer-red-meat/en/index.html