What Paleo Diet is and why to consider it?

The paleolithic diet is a modern nutritional plan which is based on the assumptions of what ancestral human diet was like: wild plants and animals. It was presumably  cnsumed by humands of Paleolitic Period (sometimes reffered to as caveman diet) which lasted appfoximately from 2.5 million years to 10,000 years ago until agricultural development introduced grains to human’s diet. Paleolithic nutrition is based on the premise that modern humans are genetically adapted to the diet of their Paleolithic ancestors and that human genetics have barely changed since the dawn of agriculture, and therefore an ideal diet for human health and well-being is one that closely resembles this ancestral diet.

Although it is difficult to determine the complete caveman’s diet in details, the today’s Paleolithic diet allows mainly sea food, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, whereas grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils are excluded. Note, that the diet is lacking calcium and therefore it needs to be added as a supplement.

It also worth noting that the number of plant species which nourish modern humanity is remarkably limited. Most of the 195,000 species of flowering plants produce edible parts which could be utilized by man; however less than 0.1% or fewer than 300 species are used for food. Approximately 17 plant species provide 90% of mankind’s food supply, of which cereal grains supply far and away the greatest percentage. See PDF file Cereal Grains: Humanity’s Double-Edged Sword for reference.

Paleolithic Diet and Heartburn

Eating a Paleolithic diet may be beneficial or detrimental to your health because heartburn, or acid reflux, is known to be caused sometimes by changes in your diet.

Over time, the human diet has changed from fruits, vegetables and lean meats to processed foods with almost no fiber and high amounts of salt. Such dietary changes have led to obesity epidemic. Excess weight can put pressure on your abdomen, which can push stomach contents into your esophagus and cause heartburn. Weight loss from physiological improvements provided by a Paleolithic diet may prevent weight-induced heartburn. Onions, citrus fruits and tomatoes accepted in a Paleolithic diet can be high risk triggers if you suffer from heartburn. Each person’s list of heartburn triggers can be different. Tomatoes in one person’s Paleolithic diet may cause heartburn, while in another they may not.

Paleo Diet is good for people with diabetes

In a clinical study, 14 patients who were advised to consume an ‘ancient’ (Paleolithic, ‘Old stone Age’) diet for three months were compared with 15 patients who were recommended to follow a Mediterranean-like diet with whole-grain cereals, low-fat dairy products, fruit, vegetables and refined fats generally considered healthy. All patients had increased blood sugar after carbohydrate intake (glucose intolerance), and most of them had overt diabetes type 2. In addition, all had been diagnosed with coronary heart disease. Patients in the Paleolithic group were recommended to eat lean meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, root vegetables and nuts, and to avoid grains, dairy foods and salt.

The main result was that the blood sugar rise in response to carbohydrate intake was markedly lower after 12 weeks in the Paleolithic group (–26%), while it barely changed in the Mediterranean group (–7%). At the end of the study, all patients in the Paleolithic group had normal blood glucose.  Look into the most striking latest report: Forget Paleo – We’re All About Neolithic Diet.

Here is more reading on the Paleo Diet: The Paleo Diet Works! and What is Paleo Diet And Why You Should Consider Giving It a Try?. Also look into the most striking latest report: Forget Paleo – We’re All About Neolithic Diet.

Tags: Health benefits of Paleolitic Diet, Paleolitic vs Mediterranean diet, What Paleo Diet Is?

Category: Healthy diet