THE PALEO DIET
eat like a caveman
Playing homage to our "caveman days," the Paleo Diet excludes grains, dairy & any processed foods of the modern day.
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It's celebrated by gym buffs & average-Joe's alike - but is there any scientific evidence to support "paleolithic nutrition"?
An Ambiguous Definition
The advent of modern, industrial agriculture drastically changed the nutritional patterns of the human race, a species that originally relied on hunting and gathering. But the actual definition of a "paleolithic diet" is ambiguous. Ancestral nutrition depended largely on geography and climate (Cordain et al., 2005).
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There was no set ratio between macronutrients. For example, while some groups followed high protein diets, others lived entirely off of animal fat. Which is the more "paleo" option?
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A few guidelines we know for certain:
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all groups followed a grain-free diet​
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children relied on breast milk, adults refrained from dairy
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cooking via heat was the only form of food processing
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(Cordain et al., 2005)
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Nevertheless, what constitutes a "Paleo Diet" in the modern day may vary in the details based on individual interpretation. This fluidity can be difficult to test in the field of nutritional science!
Effects on Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of 5 risk factors, including waist circumference and blood pressure, which often predispose patients to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Manheimer et al., 2015).
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A 2015 systematic review headed by Eric W Manheimer analyzed numerous studies across the globe, comparing Paleolithic nutritional patterns with other dietary approaches, and their effects on components of metabolic syndrome.
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The verdict?
A Paleo Diet resulted in greater short-term improvements in metabolic syndrome markers. But there were limitations. The diet was primarily compared to low-fat diets, and exact definitions of "paleolithic nutrition" varied. More research is simply needed (Manheimer et al., 2015). The review can be accessed here: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Fact or Fad?
Did our ancestors' eating habits give them longer, happier lives? Hard to say, as acute infection and predators often led to early deaths. Living long enough to acquire a chronic illness was usually a luxury.
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Anecdotal success may be due to confounding variables, such as an unintended caloric deficit or complementary lifestyle changes, such as exercising more.
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More research is simply needed!