Is the paleo diet harmful or helpful?

Note: Dr. Shannyn is off this week. This article was written by Greg.

Here is a general rule about diets: if they are too weird, avoid them. If they feel trendy and faddish, avoid them. If they seem unbalanced (with a focus on specific foods), avoid them.

So, how does the paleo diet match up against this criteria? On the surface, not very well…

The paleo diet is trendy with some hints of weirdness; the general idea is you are supposed to eat as ancient people who hunted/gathered would have eaten. Many meats are considered OK (especially fish/poultry) and many vegetables as well (but not vegetables such as beans that would not have been grown in the wild). Grains, dairy, and other even mildly processed foods are considered off-limits. Salt and sugar are avoided.

There are some problems with this kind of thinking. First, we don’t really know too much about how ancient people ate, and second, even if we did, it is unclear whether there would be any major benefits from their diet. In fact, the average lifespan has historically been quite short in hunter-gatherer cultures. While that cannot be completely blamed on their diets, I am skeptical of the idea that just because something is old, it is better. There is actually all kinds of evidence that, in regard to health, the opposite is true.

At this point, those who love the idea of an ancient diet have probably written me off and are no longer reading 🙂 For those that are left, let’s turn the corner and examine the benefits of this kind of diet.

Examine.com (which requires a subscription) is a fabulous resource for consolidating research studies and cutting through the noisy claims about everything health-related. Based on actual research, they rate diets, nutritional supplements, and ingredients in respect to health claims on a scale of A to F. Here is how they rate the paleo diet in major areas:

• There is very significant evidence (A rating) that the diet will at least moderately improve blood pressure, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. There is also very solid evidence that it will help with weight management.
• There is significant evidence (B rating) that the diet will improve HDL and LDL levels, blood glucose, and body fat.
• There is some (but not significant) evidence that the diet may improve insulin levels, heart rate, and heart health.

Generally speaking, these results are pretty good. You could do a lot worse than this diet, and in fact, the vast majority of the people you know are eating way worse. Modern science obviously backs up a diet that limits processed foods, and paleo diets naturally reduce carbs, which is another concept that is widely studied and validated in modern science. And, paleo diets tend to be low in calories, which supports weight management.

So really, the paleo diet label is sort of a misnomer; it is just a clever repackaging of what science has been saying for decades. This kind of diet does not work because it is ancient. It works because it promotes healthy eating.

• There are few dangers to warn you about, but here are some considerations if you decide to do paleo:
  Be careful to get a wide range of nutrition. Potential trouble spots include iodine, calcium, and vitamin D. Be sure you are eating to get these nutrients.
• While I am pro-protein, be careful not to overdo protein (more than 2.5 grams per kilo of body weight) for long periods of time. That is especially true if you have kidney problems.
• If you are pregnant or lactating, be careful not to overly limit carbs.

The key (as always) is balance. Eat a wide range of foods allowed by the diet and avoid versions of the paleo diet that are overly restrictive. Remember: you do not have to follow any person or trend, regardless of how credible they sound. If some guru is advocating based on tradition alone, be wary. Just because something sounds exotic does not make it wise.

But, all warnings aside, is eating a low-carb diet with lots of vegetables and very few processed foods generally going to help you? Of course it will! Have at it!

Photo by Kim Daniels on Unsplash