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Megan 10 years, 1 month ago.
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The popular paleo diet has the basic rule, “if cavemen didn’t eat it, neither should you”. So the diet consists of non-processed foods that could be hunted, fished, or gathered, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, fruits, roots, and nuts. In this diet there is no dairy, refined grains, legumes (beans and peas), sugar, or salt. This way of eating is thought to prevent diseases of modern age, but may also lead to nutrient deficiencies, such as B vitamins from grains or vitamin D and calcium from dairy.
One limitation of this diet is the differences in out food supply and our ancestors. Modern meat contains about 20-30% fat while wild African game contained about 4% and 5 times more polyunsaturated fat. Wild game also contained EPA omega 3 fats, while our domesticated animals contain undetectable amounts. Eating large amount of your daily caloric intake from modern meat could lead to heart disease, obesity, and other diet related diseases. In the typical American diet, dairy, cereals, refined oils, refined sugar and alcohol make up 72% of calories consumed by Americans. The benefits seen in this diet are likely due to the substitution of refined oils and sugars with fruits and vegetables and not the elimination of food groups.
There is limited clinical research on the actual effects and benefits of this diet. One study showed improved diabetes control with a paleo diet. However, it did not control for critical factors such as total consumed calories. The paleo group consumed, on average, 500 calories less daily compared to the control group. Weight loss greatly affects diabetes control and may have accounted for the benefits instead of the foods incorporated with the paleo diet.
For athletes, especially strength athletes, the higher amounts of protein incorporated in this diet would be helpful if protein needs were not being met before since athletes have higher protein needs than non-athletes. However, athletes, especially endurance athletes, still need large amounts of carbohydrates, which are limited in this diet. If not consumed, the body will use protein as an energy source instead, which would limit the availability of the protein for strength and muscle gains.
In short, this diet has healthy components. However, it would be difficult to sustain and may be low on many nutrients due to the elimination of food groups. A better option would be to incorporate some principles of the diet, such as fresh whole foods, lean meats, nuts, and lots of fruits and vegetables, while still incorporating moderate amounts of dairy, whole grains and legumes which are nutrient dense and contribute many important nutrients especially for athletes.o Position of the American Dietetics Association, Detitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009; 109: 500-527.
o http://www.eatriht.org
o Eaton B. S, Konner M. Paleolithic Nutrition. New England Journal of Medicine. 1985; 312:5.
o Cordain L, Eaton S. B, Sebastian A, Mann N, Lindeberg S, Watkins B. A, et al. Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr 2005; 81:341–54.
o Jönsson T, Granfeldt Y, Ahrén B, Branell U, Pålsson G, Hansson A, et al. Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study. Cardiovascular Diabetology 2009; 8:35.-
This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Megan.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by
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