In today’s world, everyone seems to be searching for a simple, sustainable, and healthy, yet tasty diet. Often, there are advertisements that claim that they have discovered a “new secret formula” that makes weight loss and good health quick and easy, yet as most people know, these diets are often too good to be true. There is, however, one diet that has been around since the dawn of humanity: the paleo diet. The paleo diet has endured hundreds of thousands of years of testing, yet it has stuck around. What makes the paleo diet so special?
First, let us address what a paleo diet is. It’s based on the foods that early humans most likely would’ve eaten. This includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Some foods to avoid are grains, legumes, dairy products, refined sugar, and processed foods in general [1]. The goal of the paleo diet is to return to a diet that is similar to what our ancestors ate thousands of years ago. The idea behind it is that our bodies are still genetically programmed to match a hunter-gatherer society, so we are mismatched to modern society’s diet [2]. This mismatch arose because of how much more rapidly agriculture evolved in comparison to our genome, leaving no room for our bodies to adapt to the changing conditions. By going back to our ancient diet, we are feeding our bodies the foods that it was meant to eat.
Short term studies with the paleo diet have found beneficial effects: lower body mass index (BMI), lower blood pressure, lower triglycerides, healthier microbiome, mental clarity, reduced acne, and better appetite management overall [2]. These studies indicate that on a short-term basis, the paleo diet can provide numerous benefits.
However, on the long-term basis, a couple concerns arise. As the paleo diet restricts intake of certain food groups, vitamin/mineral deficiencies can develop. For example, the diet excludes dairy products, a great source of calcium and Vitamin D, both of which are critical to bone health. In one study, researchers found that participants who followed the paleo diet had an average of 50% of the recommended daily intake of calcium [3]. Furthermore, while meats are a primary source of protein in the paleo diet, they are also high in saturated fats, which can result in elevated cholesterol levels and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke in the long term.
Although the paleo diet has been around for millions of years, it’s most definitely not the “perfect diet.” While it can provide amazing health benefits, it can also increase the risk of certain diseases over an extended period of time. What’s most important is that your diet is balanced, which can be met through a variety of eating habits.
References
Paleo diet: Eat like a cave man and lose weight? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/paleo-diet/art-20111182 (accessed Oct 18, 2020).
Health benefits of the Paleo diet https://www.brightwatermedicalcentre.com.au/health-benefits-of-the-paleo-diet.html (accessed Oct 18, 2020).
Lawler, M.; Cdces, L. G. R. Paleo diet short- and long-term effects to expect https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/paleo-diet/potential-short-long-term-effects-paleo-diet/ (accessed Oct 18, 2020).
Paleo diet [Image]. https://static.parade.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/paleo-diet-FTR.jpg (accessed Oct 25, 2020).