What science says about Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet is subject to conflicting views by various nutrition and medical experts.

On one hand, some nutrition experts agree with this type of diet and believe that consuming foods our ancestors ate thousands of years ago will allow the body to function at its best.

However, many experts disagree with this theory. They argue that human genes evolve and adapt to our diet as the food types change over time. They argue that the diet is rather restrictive and difficult to follow. Plus, they claim that there is no scientific evidence that following this type of diet is beneficial for health. 

Opinion in favor of following the Paleo diet:

Proponents of the Paleo diet believe that an eating plan similar to that of the hunter-gatherers from thousands of years ago allows our body to function at its best.

The diet incorporates a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, lean meat, and fish while avoiding processed foods, dairy, legumes, and high sugar and salt products. 

Following this type of diet is suggested to improve overall health and prevent many health conditions such as heart diseases. This is because it is believed that our body is not genetically programmed to consume foods that have been added to our modern diet, such as grains and legumes, and may lead to chronic diseases.

On his website, Dr. Loren Cordain, the founder of the Paleo diet movement, says that the diet “will help to optimize your health, minimize your risk of chronic disease, and lose weight.

Opinion against following the Paleo diet:

On the other hand, opponents of the Paleo diet are against this theory. They argue that humans, including their genes, have never stopped evolving.

According to Professor Marlene Zuk, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Minnesota, modern humans have never stopped evolving. In fact, the increasing prevalence of lactase persistence in humans is the perfect example. We have evolved to be able to consume dairy, a food group that was once not suitable for our ancestors. 

In addition, Dr. Christina Warriner, an archeological scientist from the University of Oklahoma, says that there is no one type of diet reflective of our ancestors’ diet. And, no matter how much we try, we will never be able to imitate the diet of our ancestors.

This is because the foods that they used to eat varied according to latitude, and according to the seasons. Second, evidence suggests that 30,000 years ago, primitive humans used stone tools, similar to a mortar and pestle to grind grains, a food group that is not allowed on the Paleo diet.

Opponents of the diet also think that the Paleo diet is way too restrictive, which can lead to overeating a certain food group such as red meat. This can lead to totally adverse health effects, such as heart disease. Furthermore, while experts agree that cutting out processed foods might be logical, cutting out dairy, beans, and grains doesn’t seem to make any sense.

Experts also argue that many of the foods we eat today have many health benefits that a person following a Paleo diet would be deprived of. Beans, for example, are very rich in fibers, help prevent heart diseases, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and control blood sugar. 

Finally, opponents of this diet believe that it would be nearly impossible to stick to this diet since it eliminates entire food groups. Harris Pincus, a registered dietitian nutritionist, says, “If you look further into Paleo, they have built-in cheat days, and anything you have to cheat on, to me, is something that is not sustainable to live on.”