Eat as the Cavemen Did

One of the most marketable diets to gain traction lately is the paleolithic (paleo) diet, also known as the ‘caveman diet’, ‘hunter-gatherer diet’ and ‘stone age diet’. It centers around the thought that if we eat like our ancestors did long, long ago, we’ll be on our way to losing weight and fighting off diseases left and right (Kohn, 2015).

If a caveman didn’t eat it, neither should you. This is the paleo way of eating.

This diet dates back to the pre-agricultural revolution. The Paleolithic period began about 2.5 million years ago, when humans started using stone tools. It ended when the arrival of agriculture came 100,000 years ago (Klonoff, 2009).

Although it seems as if this diet has been grabbing America’s attention over the last few years, it was actually introduced in 1985 by anthropologists Eaton and Konner when they shared this idea of ‘paleolithic nutrition’ with the medical community (Frassetto et al, 2009).

So, what foods did the cavemen eat? While eating on boulders under the sun, their diets usually consisted of meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, veggies, roots and berries. Remember, it was only foods that could be hunted, fished or gathered (Kohn, 2015). After all, they certainly weren’t taking Ubers to the grocery store. One of the biggest differences between the paleo diet and others is the absence of whole grains, legumes and dairy of any sort.

No sugar, no added salt, no genetically modified crops or oils. No frozen yogurt with sprinkles on top, no potato chips, and the term ‘super-size’ was certainly not in their vocabulary. You didn’t see the glowing McDonald’s arches back in those days.

A Typical Day’s Menu:

Curious to what your meals may look like when following this diet? Take a look at this sample menu:

Breakfast: Broiled salmon and cantaloupe

Lunch: Broiled lean pork loin and salad (romaine, veggies, nuts and lemon juice dressing)

Dinner: Lean beef sirloin tip roast, steamed broccoli, mixed greens and strawberries for dessert

Snacks: An orange, carrot sticks or celery sticks (Mayo Clinic)

Broiled salmon for breakfast? Adventurous. Perhaps you may consider swapping for eggs in the morning.

Paleo advocates all over the internet are blaming the contemporary American diet for the numerous chronic diseases that this country faces (Frassetto et al, 2009).

Proponents of the paleo diet claim that it is evidence-based, but there’s only a small number of controlled clinical trials that compare the outcomes of the paleo diet to others.

What’s the Research Saying?

A small study done by the Journal of Internal Medicine reviewed ten overweight or obese postmenopausal women for five weeks who were following the paleo diet (remember, no whole grains). It was found that participants’ fat stored in the liver, which has been linked to higher chances of heart disease, decreased by nearly 50% (Ryberg et al, 2013). Results also showed that there were improvements in waist and hip circumference, levels of fasting serum glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. However, insulin sensitivity levels did not change (Ryberg et al, 2013).

A much larger study showed quite the opposite in terms of heart health. In a 2010 study done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 200 subjects ate a diet that included either wheat, wheat or oats, or they were in a control group for twelve weeks (Tighe et al, 2010). It was seen that the subjects who ate at least three portions of whole grains everyday had a reduction in blood pressure as well as lower risks of heart disease and stroke by at least 15% (Tighe et al, 2010).

Another study done in 2013 looked at the difference in satiety levels of subjects who were following a paleo diet compared to a diabetic diet. The diabetic diet, unlike the paleo diet, incorporated more dietary fiber, whole grain breads and had less fat overall (Jönsson et al, 2009). 13 individuals with type 2 diabetes were assigned to one of the two diets. It was reported that the paleo diet kept them fuller for longer, however they also commented that it was more difficult to adhere to compared to the diabetic diet (Jönsson et al, 2009).

One of the strongest studies focused on the long-term effects of a paleo diet. Over the course of 24 months, 70 participants were either following a paleo diet or a diet according to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) (Melberg et al, 2014). The paleo diet consisted of lean meat, fish, eggs, berries and nuts with absolutely no dairy, added salts/sugars or refined fats. The NNR diet was higher in carbohydrates and lower in protein and fat and, in contrast, emphasized low-fat dairy and high-fiber foods (Melberg et al, 2014). No significant differences were found in the baseline characteristics (body weight, BMI, waist circumference, total fat/lean mass) between the two groups (Melberg et al, 2014).

What’s the Potential Risk of the Paleo Diet?

Additionally, diets that restrict whole food groups can be hard to commit to long-term and individuals may be missing out on important nutrients that dairy and whole grains provide.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Jim White, RDN, shared his opinion on the exclusion of whole grains in an article published by the Academy. White explains how eliminating whole grains, legumes and dairy can be risky in terms of developing nutrient deficiencies. He explains how these food groups are nutrient-rich and are full of important vitamins and minerals our bodies need such as calcium and vitamin D (Kohn, 2015). White believes that staying away from these food groups will ultimately lead to a need for supplementation (Kohn, 2015). And, not only that, but he believes following a paleo diet in the long run may not be sustainable due to the lack of variety, need for planning and cost of high-quality proteins (Kohn, 2015).

The Take-Away:

The paleo diet remains controversial for more reasons than one, however one of the biggest complaints by health professionals is the exaggerated health claims that come from wellness bloggers and celebrity chefs (Pratt, 2016). Many of whom know very little about nutrition and the relationship between nutrition and disease. Claims that this way of eating can cure polycystic ovary syndrome, autism, mental illness, dementia and obesity has caused quite the uproar (Pratt, 2016).

At this point in time, following the paleo diet short-term may provide some metabolic improvements. However, studies much longer in duration have shown that living a paleo lifestyle may not bring you significant results, and your risk of nutrient deficiencies may be increased. As with many nutrition trends, further research is needed.

References:

(1) Kohn, Jill. "Should We Eat Like Our Caveman Ancestors?" Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, Jan. 2015.

(2) Frassetto, LA, M Schloetter, M Mietus-Snyder, RC Morris Jr, and A Sebastian. "Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 63, 11 Feb. 2009. Accessed 28 Feb. 2018.

(3) Pratt, Christopher E. "Cutting through the Paleo hype: The evidence for the Paleolithic diet." American Family Physician, vol. 45, no. 1-2, Jan. 2016. Accessed 28 Feb. 2018.

(4) Mayo Clinic. Paleo diet: What is it and why is it so popular?, Mayo Clinic. , https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/paleo-diet/art-20111182?pg=1. Accessed 28 Feb. 2018.

(5) Ryberg, M, S Sandberg, C Mellberg, O Stegle, and B Lindahl. "A Paleolithic-type diet causes strong tissue-specific effects on ectopic fat deposition in obese postmenopausal women." Journal of Internal Medicine, vol. 274, no. 1, July 2013, pp. 67-76, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23414424. Accessed 28 Feb. 2018.

(6) Tighe, P, G Duthie, N Vaughan, J Brittenden, and WG Simpson. "Effect of increased consumption of whole-grain foods on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk markers in healthy middle-aged persons: a randomized controlled trial." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 92, no. 4, 4 Aug. 2010, pp. 733-40, doi:10.3945, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20685951. Accessed 28 Feb. 2018.

(7) Melberg, C., S. Sandberg, M. Ryberg, M. Eriksson, and S. Brage. "Long-term effects of a Paleolithic-type diet in obese postmenopausal women: a 2-year randomized trial." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 68, 29 Jan. 2014, pp. 350-57.

(8) Jönsson T, Granfeldt Y, Ahren B, et al. Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: A randomized cross- over pilot study. Cardiovasc Diabetol 2009;8:35.

(9) Klonoff, David. "The Beneficial Effects of a Paleolithic Diet on Type 2 Diabetes and Other Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease." Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, vol. 3, no. 6, 29 Nov. 2009, pp. 1229-32, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2787021/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2018.

Images:

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