The Paleo diet (short for Paleolithic diet) is a nutritional plan based on the foods believed to be consumed by our prehistoric ancestors during the Paleolithic era, a period of about 2.5 million years that ended around 10,000 years ago with the age of agriculture. Often referred to as the hunter-gatherer diet, it is centred around foods that were readily available to the caveman such as lean meats, fruits and vegetables, so the consumption of grains, dairy and legumes is prohibited. When it was first made fashionable in the 1970′s by gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin, the Paleo diet was claimed to be therapeutic for people with poor digestive health. More recently, it has been cited as being particularly effective for people struggling to lose weight, which has led to an increase in its popularity.
The driving principle behind the diet is that our genes have not had adequate time to adapt to the changes brought about by the age of agriculture, which has led to poor nutrition, weight gain and digestive diseases in today’s society. This is a controversial subject amongst dieticians and nutritional specialists who argue that there is little scientific evidence to support the efficacy of the Paleo diet and warn it may even pose a risk to a person’s health.
Supporters of the diet claim that our prehistoric ancestors were healthier than we are today, as they were lean and largely free of digestive diseases, and that by following their eating habits, people can lose weight and improve their digestive health. Critics, on the other hand, suggest that the health benefits of the Paleo diet resulted from the lack of calories available during the Paleolithic era rather than the diet itself, which may be supported by evidence of modern societies that consume a low calorie diet and have a longer than average lifespan.
The Paleo diet has also been criticised on the basis that it cannot be put into practice on a global scale. Experts say that if such a diet was widely implemented, it would seriously affect the security of supplies to populations dependent on grains as a major source of food. In countries where grains are not essential, however, returning to a grain-free diet may be beneficial in terms of cutting the cost of long-term healthcare. Others have expressed concern that less intensive farming techniques, such as organic farming as recommended by the Paleo diet, will not produce sufficient meat to feed the world’s population.
Special Diets
People suffering from chronic conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), digestive diseases or allergies may find that eating like a caveman provides some degree of relief. It is believed by many that grains, dairy and legumes are responsible for causing or aggravating such conditions, so eliminating them from the diet may go some way to alleviating a person’s symptoms. By following Paleo recipes and meal plans, people can ensure they maintain a varied, nutritionally balanced and interesting diet whilst enjoying better digestive health.
Athletes and others looking to maximise their physical performance often follow a diet regimen that is high in lean protein and low in carbohydrates (in particular high G.I. (Glycemic Index) carbohydrates) which is similar in structure to the Paleo diet. Studies have shown that with appropriate training, this results in a leaner, more muscular physique than if the subject were to consume a more typical modern diet. Dairy, grains and legumes are not excluded in such diets but, as they are similar to the Paleo diet, the results support the claim that it can help people lose weight and maintain a leaner physique.