5.4 Paleo Diet

The Palaeolithic (Paleo) diet, also called the Stoneage Diet or Caveman Diet, was developed by Loren Cordain, PhD, a Professor emeritus from Colorado State University, who started doing studies in the 1970s. In its purest form, the Paleo diet allows you to eat only those foods that humans ate when they first roamed the planet millions of years ago because Cordain suggested that the Paleo diet is the way humans were genetically designed to eat.

There are several studies showing that this way of eating can improve a number of biological markers for cardiovascular disease and health. Please read the following references that make up part of this module content:

• Cordain et al (2005) Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr 81:341–54 Full paper
• Frassetto et al (2009) Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. Eur J Clin Nutr 63:947-955 Full paper

Let’s start by looking at what you can eat whilst following a Paleo diet in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1 Paleo Food Groups

But you might be wondering where does this leave the research and benefits that we have outlined when following a vegetarian diet, one that increases levels of plant matter? This is where confusion can lie.

Some people are uneasy about eating a diet high in meat due to the saturated fat content (putting aside but not disregarding the ethical and environmental issues just for this nutrition discussion). However, there is plenty of research showing that there is no need to demonise naturally occurring fats in the diet. Please read the following blog by Dr John Briffa, an eminent Functional Medicine Doctor, that makes up part of this module content:

Yet another major review finds no reason at all to limit saturated fat in the diet

It’s processed fats, such as trans fats, that cause a problem to our health.

However, we have still presented plenty of evidence to show that meat reduction and increased plant matter in the diet is beneficial to health. If you look at the Paleo food inclusion and exclusion list as an overall dietary snapshot it looks pretty sensible, as the diet is low in processed foods and refined sugars. Once you look more closely there are several reasons why this dietary approach is difficult to fully follow and why it might not suit everyone:

1. We are not cavemen or women.

Most of us don’t just hunt for our food – Cordain says that you need to exercise regularly while following a strict diet comprised only of foods that can be hunted and gathered and that does not fit many people’s current sedentary lifestyles.

2. Recent studies suggest that early man was more of a vegetarian (plant eater) and not as much of a carnivore (meat eater).

The Paleo diet excludes grains including wheat and rice as these foods are deemed relatively “new” in our diets; their farming and consumption only started some 10,000 years ago compared to the meat and vegetable diet or our Palaeolithic forebears. The argument for the Paleo diet therefore goes that if our ancestors ate meat, then do our bodies require a certain level of animal protein intake to maintain health? This might not be the case though with new research showing early man was more of a plant eater. If you’re interested in the ancestral diet then please read the following optional short article:

• So it appears our ancient ancestors were road kill scavengers but were mainly vegetarian.
• Were our ancestors better eaters by circumstance?

This is just one reason why some people may be better suited to eating a higher plant matter diet.

3. There has been a lot of research on the health benefits of foods that are not part of the Paleo diet, such as legumes and certain grains like oats. In fact, the Paleo diet is naturally low in carbohydrates, which are needed to make energy.
4. Meat, an important protein source in the Paleo diet, can be difficult for some people to digest. Stomach acid is required to digest protein and this important secretion can be decreased in times of stress, illness and general ageing. Eating meat and avoiding beans also means this diet is not suitable for vegetarians.

Summary of Paleo Diet

There’s no doubt that for many people this dietary approach can improve health by eliminating high-fat and processed foods that have little nutritional value and too many calories. This plan emphasises loading up on fruits and vegetables that are rich in healthy vitamins, minerals, and fibre, and will fill you up faster so you eat less, helping curb weight gain. However, this nutrition plan does not suit everyone due to meat content and reduced carbohydrates. We once again come back to individuality and working out an eating programme that suits a body system and environment rather than advocating a “one size fits all” approach to eating.

Please make sure you’ve read the following articles and references, which make up part of the course content:

• Cordain et al (2005) Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr 81:341–54 Full paper
• Frassetto et al (2009) Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. Eur J Clin Nutr 63:947-955 Full paper
• Yet another major review finds no reason at all to limit saturated fat in the diet
• So it appears our ancient ancestors were road kill scavengers but were mainly vegetarian.
• Were our ancestors better eaters by circumstance?