It is very common to promote certain eating patterns to improve overall health. In recent years, an eating pattern called the Paleolithic diet—also known as the Paleo diet for short—has taken the health and wellness world by storm.
Despite the popularity of the Paleo diet, many researchers and health professionals argue that it is not necessarily the best diet to benefit overall health. In fact, some believe it may be harmful.
We also discuss the risks that can come from following the Paleo diet.
What is Paleo Diet?
The Paleo diet, also known as the Stone Age diet or the cave diet, is an eating pattern intended to reflect the way hunter-gatherers ate it thousands of years ago.
People who follow the Paleo diet eat large amounts of meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds but restrict legumes, dairy, and grains.
Foods and beverages that a person following a Paleo diet will often consume include:
Meat, with an emphasis on the meat of wild game.
Healthy oils, such as walnut or olive oil.
Foods that a person following a Paleo diet often avoids include:
milk products, refined sugar, Salt, artificial material, processed foods, cold drink.
One of the most common misconceptions about the Paleo diet is that our ancestors survived on a primarily meat-based diet.
What are the perceived benefits of the Paleo diet?
Proponents of the Paleo diet believe that the change from a hunter-gatherer-style diet to an agricultural diet has increased the worldwide prevalence of chronic diseases, including heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
They believe that the human body is not genetically equipped to consume modern-day foods that agricultural practices have introduced. As a result, they think that following the same diet as our ancestors will improve our overall health.
Claimed benefits of the Paleo diet include:
Better cholesterol, decrease in blood pressure, better glycemic control, low waist circumference and weight loss, better satiety, better gut health.
Moving from a Western diet rich in processed, sodium-rich foods to a Paleo diet will include more fresh fruits and vegetables, which can undoubtedly benefit overall health.
Many people also report improved bloating, focus, and sleep. They also report weight loss, which is likely due to eating more whole foods while cutting out major food groups.
Although the Paleo diet has the potential to be healthy, is it necessary to restrict grains, legumes, and dairy to see health benefits?
Let us discuss how the Paleo diet stacks up scientifically.
What does science say about these claims?
Several breakthroughs in science and research have allowed us to explore the potential benefits of the Paleo diet to determine whether it should become a diet that health professionals routinely recommend.
2015 review looked at four randomized control trials with 159 participants who had one or more of the five components of the metabolic syndrome.
The researchers found that Paleolithic nutrition produced more significant short-term improvements in the following areas than the control diet:
waist circumference, triglyceride level, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol levels, blood sugar level on a hungry stomach.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition evaluated several randomized control trials to establish links between the Paleolithic diet and the prevention and control of chronic diseases, and anthropometric measurements.
The study found that there was a 3.52 kg weight loss and a reduction in waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) in those who followed the Paleolithic diet compared to those who ate the other commonly recommended diets.
The researchers behind this study suggest that following a Paleo diet may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, as excess body weight is one of the main risk factors for their development.
Is the Paleo Diet Better Than Other Diets?
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition aimed to examine the relationship of the Paleolithic diet and the Mediterranean diet to all-cause and cause-specific mortality.
The study found that people who followed a Paleo or Mediterranean diet had reduced all-cause mortality, less oxidative stress, and reduced mortality from heart disease and cancer.
A meta-analysis from 2020 reviewed four studies comparing the Paleo diet with the Mediterranean diet, the diabetes diet and another diet recommended by the Dutch Health Council. Researchers looked at the effects of these diets on glucose and insulin homeostasis in individuals with altered glucose metabolism.
They found that those who followed the Paleo diet experienced no significant improvements in fasting glucose, insulin levels, or HbA1c levels compared to those who followed other diet types. The study authors concluded that the Paleo diet is no better than other nutritious diets in people with altered glucose metabolism.
Additionally, a study published in January 2020 in the journal Nutrition looked at the effectiveness of various diets, including the Paleo diet and intermittent fasting.
Its authors found that, to date, there is no one specific diet that can effectively support weight loss in all individuals. They concluded that the best diets for weight loss tend to have a negative energy balance while focusing on the quality of the food.
The Risks of Following the Paleo Diet
Cutting out certain food groups may improve certain health markers and lead to weight loss, but it can also result in nutritional deficiencies and increase the risk of long-term health outcomes.
For example, a Paleo diet restricts dairy products, which are high in calcium and vitamin D, two nutrients essential for bone health. Deficiency of these nutrients can lead to osteoporosis and bone fractures.
This diet also cuts out beans and legumes. Beans are a great source of minerals, fiber and plant-based protein. They can also help reduce cholesterol and promote satiety, the feeling of being full after a meal.
What's more, many people who follow the Paleo diet claim it promotes gut health, but new research says otherwise.
Some studies suggest that people who follow a Paleo diet have different gut microbiota and higher levels of dimethylamine N-oxide, a compound linked to heart disease.
This research reinforces current dietary recommendations to include foods high in fiber and whole grains to maintain cardiovascular function and gut health.
Those who take a modern-style approach to the Paleo diet often use it as an excuse to eat meat. Eating more than the recommended servings of meat, especially red meat, daily can lead to chronic disease.
The Paleo diet is also typically very high in saturated fat. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), a person should limit their intake of saturated fat to no more than 13 grams per day to avoid high cholesterol and heart disease. Eating too much red meat can also cause kidney damage.
A person should aim to eat a maximum of 12-18 ounces (about 350-500 grams) of red meat each week. People with existing heart conditions should limit their consumption of red meat to less than this amount.
According to an article by Australian Family Physician, the Paleo diet is highly exaggerated and little research is done. The authors call for more long-term studies to continue to weigh the benefits and risks of this dietary method.
However, Paleo eating patterns can be difficult to follow completely over the long term, making it difficult to make more conclusive recommendations.
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