<p>Diet is everything these days, and not just for weight loss strategies. From angles like boosting the gut-brain axis to maximizing overall health and cleaving off disease risk, people are experimenting with different diets like never before.</p> <p>Paleo is a big name in this arena, and it taps into concerns over the unnatural state of our modern food supply and how far we have strayed from our roots. Below is a breakdown of what the diet entails along with the benefits and downsides.</p> <h2>Going back to how the cavemen did it</h2> <p>Paleo is short for paleolithic, an era of human history spanning from around 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. The thinking behind the Paleo diet is that a lot of present-day health problems can be traced to foods and food products that are relatively new in human history.</p> <p>Evolution is an extremely slow process, and our bodies are genetically wired for foods that match what our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed, so reverting to a similar dietary pattern would theoretically promote better health and wellbeing.</p> <h2>What did hairy guys with spears eat? </h2> <ul> <li><strong>Whole foods.</strong> Surprise, surprise, nothing we ate thousands of years ago was processed. That’s why the central pillar of the Paleo diet is consuming whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meats, and fish. <figure><img alt="Whole Foods or Supplements? | Source: CDC/ Mary Anne Fenley; Photo credit: James Gathany" class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/RoerE9Hadv/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Whole Foods. <em>Source: CDC/ Mary Anne Fenley; Photo credit: James Gathany</em></figcaption> </figure> </li> <li><strong>Untangling yourself from processed junk.</strong> This isn’t just Hershey bars and microwavable burgers — foods that came about with the advent of agriculture and industrialization are also on the chopping block. That includes stuff you would expect like refined sugars and processed oils, but it also means grains and legumes.<br/> <br/> Yes, beans and bread are too modern in Paleo eyes because they don’t qualify as a food we can hunt, fish, pluck, or gather. <figure><img alt="Processed Foods | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/Nq4NQLs7oK/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Processed Foods. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> </li> <li><strong>Protein, protein, protein.</strong> That spear is there for killing, and meat and fish are Paleo staples. They provide the essential amino acids needed for muscle growth and repair. <figure><img alt="Dietary Protein | Source: National Cancer Institute" class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/JA0rNDiOd9/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Dietary Protein. <em>Source: National Cancer Institute</em></figcaption> </figure> </li> <li><strong>The good kind of fats.</strong> Healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil are believed to support heart health and overall wellbeing in the Paleo diet. <figure><img alt="Foods That Contain Unsaturated Fats | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/4Aw9YEtrdz/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Foods That Contain Healthy Fats. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> </li> <li><strong>Cows? Yeah, they hadn’t been domesticated yet.</strong> Your beloved milk had yet to be “invented” in Paleo times, and that’s reflected in the rules. Dairy only became a part of the human diet after the agricultural revolution, and this food group is excluded from the Paleo diet because of its potentially adverse effects on health, like inflammation and digestive issues.</li> </ul> <h2>Benefits of the Paleo diet</h2> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Nutrient composition.</strong> These back-to-basics eating plans are high in fiber, antioxidants, and potassium while minimizing carbs, sodium, and sugar. The diet promotes an approach to consumption that emphasizes local organic foods and grass-fed meat options. The elimination of processed foods and those with artificial ingredients and colorings is a major plus.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Weight loss.</strong> Paleo diets are rich in fruits and vegetables, which cover a lot of nutritional ground. This is a great basis for weight loss and, at least in the short-term, better blood sugar and lipid profiles. For some people, eliminating dairy and grains may aid digestive issues like bloating, gas, and IBS symptoms.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Combatting diseases. </strong>Some researchers have praised the Paleo diet as a good strategy for preventing numerous major diseases including cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.</p> </li> </ul> <h2>Criticisms</h2> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Narrow-minded approach? </strong>One criticism of the Paleo diet is that it has too simplistic an interpretation of human genetic adaptions and dietary practices. Just because something worked for our ancestors, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s what’s best for us today.</p> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Too little choice. </strong>Paleo is heavy on restrictions, and that makes it hard for people to stick to.</p> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Nutrient deficiencies. </strong>Cutting out entire food groups like dairy and grains can potentially lead to deficiencies unless you compensate for the loss properly. It is essential for those going on a Paleo diet that they get enough calcium, vitamin D, and fiber from alternative sources.<br/> <br/> Not getting enough calcium puts you at risk for osteoporosis, rickets, and bone fractures.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong><strong>Gut bacteria. </strong></strong>Research has found that going on the Paleo diet long-term could cause negative changes in your gut bacteria.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Sustainability issues. </strong>Some have voiced concerns over the environmental impact of Paleo diets, particularly regarding the focus on animal products.</p> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Meat elements may be overblown. </strong>Cave people ate whatever they could get their hands on. If fish were what was abundant locally, that’s what they would have focused on. In more tropical habitats, it would have been more of a variety of plants and animal foods.<br/> <br/> For these reasons, some experts have criticized the diet for its high-protein focus, as it might not be accurate to how things really were. Another point is that people died very young back then and many did not live to the age where a lot of chronic diseases develop. Seeing their diet as the magical cure-all may be misleading, therefore.</p> </li> </ul> <h2>The Verdict</h2> <p>The Paleo diet emphasizes excellent principles we should all adopt: focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods and eliminating processed junk. The stickler with Paleo is the strict exclusion of important food groups, which makes it questionable as a long-term strategy and regarding its nutritional adequacy.</p> <p>The Paleo diet offers a great basis for a reformulated diet, but villainizing healthy foods like beans and other legumes is unnecessarily restrictive. You can build on its stripped-down nature by adding whole grains, tofu, and dark leafy greens. After all, just because your great, great, great, great-grandfather didn’t have access to it, doesn’t mean it isn’t good for you.</p> <h2>More on Diets</h2><ul><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/yj5dgvk0nm-diets" target="_blank">Diet Plans: Anti-Inflammatory, DASH, Elimination, Low FODMaP, Vegetarian</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/2wzg47a1lj-dietary-proteins" target="_blank">Dietary Proteins</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/jnlx9l8srw-food-additives" target="_blank">Food Additives</a></li></ul>