I first heard about the paleo diet as a junior in high school. A close friend was eating burgers without buns, and I inquired why. When she told me she was on the paleo diet, I was intrigued and immediately asked her to explain it. In simplest terms, the paleo diet is eating like a caveman. This means only eating foods you could hunt or gather (meat, fish, veggies, seeds, etc.) as opposed to processed foods (pasta, candy, cereal, etc.). To be honest, I was skeptical of this diet. For today’s post, let’s delve into the facts behind the paleo diet to find out how it affects your health!
In a 2009 study, nine healthy participants had their mineral levels examined as they switched diets. For the first three days of the study, participants ate as they normally would. The following three days consisted of meals with increased potassium and fiber levels. After that, the participants ate prepared meals designed by a nutrition software for the remainder of the study. Participants were not supposed to gain or lose weight so calorie intakes were adjusted if weights shifted. Participants were also instructed not to increase activity levels or take any medications. The results of the study reported multiple mineral concentration changes in urine excretion, the most notable being an increase in potassium and a decrease in sodium. A significant reduction in total cholesterol and lowered blood lipid levels were also a result of the paleo diet. The conclusions of this study included the previous results, along with the simple statement that the paleo diet does affect your health in a positive manner and it does so rapidly (Frassetto, Schloetter, Mietus-Synder, Morris, & Sebastian, 2009).
A more recent study focused on the blood lipid levels while on the paleo diet. Forty-four participants went on the paleo diet for 10 weeks, while also doing a CrossFit based circuit training program during the study. No specific amounts of food were recommended to the participants as to mimic real eating patterns. The results of the study differed for those who already had optimal blood lipid values and those who had poor blood lipid values. While everyone lost weight with the combination of the diet and circuit training, the difference was in the post-study blood lipid levels. Those who had optimal levels were not able to maintain those levels, but those with poor levels were able to increase theirs. This lead to the conclusion that the paleo diet works better for those who are already unhealthy. This study also noted the limit of dairy, as it it contains necessary nutrients that are not easily replaced by non-dairy products (Pitt 2016).
Despite these two studies having valid results, Smith, Trexler, Sommer, Starkoff, and Devor state that the paleo diet is overhyped and under-researched. Many paleo diet claims are made by celebrities and not backed by science. While the paleo diet does have some health benefits, this article compared numerous studies and the results were not in total agreement. Thus, more research is needed on the paleo diet in order to confirm its benefits (2014).
In conclusion, the paleo diet has some benefits depending on your own personal health but needs further research in order to affirm the definite results of the diet.
Sources:
Frassetto, L. A., Schloetter, M., Mietus-Synder, M., Morris, R. C., & Sebastian, A. (2009). Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. European journal of clinical nutrition, 63(8), 947-955
Pitt, C. E. (2016). Cutting through the Paleo hype: The evidence for the Palaeolithic diet. Australian family physician, 45(1), 35.
Smith, M. M., Trexler, E. T., Sommer, A. J., Starkoff, B. E., & Devor, S. T. (2014). Unrestricted Paleolithic Diet is Associated with Unfavorable Changes to Blood Lipids in Healthy Subjects. International Journal of Exercise Science, 7(2).
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