Is The Paleo Diet Good For Diabetes?

Is The Paleo Diet Good or Bad For Diabetes

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Hello, I'm Ty Mason from TheDiabetesCouncil.com, researcher, writer and I have type 2 diabetes.  Today I'm going to answer the question, is the Paleo Diet good for diabetes. But before we get into that, make sure you download my free diabetes management book which also includes a diabetes grocery shopping guide (foods to eat and avoid).

This is the third question I have received concerning diets.  If you haven’t already, you might want to check out our videos on the Zone Diet and the Vegetarian Diet.  Today we are going to examine the Paleo or Caveman Diet.

So I guess the logical place to start is what is the Paleo Diet.  The name itself lends us some indication.  “Paleo” means old or ancient.  So in a nutshell the Paleo Diet takes its followers back to eating the way it used to be.  In other words, you eat no processed foods.  A list of Paleo friendly foods would include:

Lean meats, Fish, Seafood, Eggs, Vegetables, Some fruit (Berries and the less sugary fruits are best), Nuts  in moderation (and not peanuts) and Natural oils (olive, coconut and avocado oils
For the strict Paleo diet follower this means no dairy and no grains.  Legumes are also not considered to be a part of the Paleo Diet.

The theory behind the Paleo Diet is that it turns your body from a carb burning machine into a fat burning machine, causing major weight loss.  In other words, the Paleo Diet is much like any other low carb diet in theory.

There have been many studies that praise the low carb, high fat diet like the Paleo.  The problem with those studies is that they were short term.  Until recently there had not been a long term study on the effects of these types of diets.

But, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine decided to do a year long study on the effects of both a low carb diet and a low fat diet and do a comparison.  The study reported the following, “In conclusion, our study demonstrates that among overweight patients with type 2 diabetes, there was no significant difference in the weight or A1C change in participants after a low-carbohydrate compared with a low-fat diet for 12 months. Participants in both arms achieved an average 3.4% weight reduction but did not reduce A1C. Differences in the short-term effects of each diet were not sustained.”

Is the Paleo Diet good for diabetes?  Much like any other low carb diet, it can be, but there is a risk factor of ketosis, plus the psychological game that these type diets play on you can be frustrating.  I won’t say they are bad for you, but I wouldn’t recommend it either.

If you choose to try this diet I would suggest that you fill in the nutrient gaps, with supplements that include folate, B vitamins, calcium, and vitamin D.

I hope this answered your question is the Paleo Diet good or bad for diabetes. Don’t forget to get your diabetes management book.

Let me know if you have any other diabetes related questions.