Paleo Diet Facts

The Paleo diet is a popular nutrition protocol consisting of foods that are assumed to have been available to humans prior to the establishment of agriculture. The principal components of the Paleo diet are the consumption of wild-animal source and uncultivated-plant source foods, such as lean meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, roots, eggs, and nuts. The diet excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils and does not involve counting calories.  The absence of grains and dairy products reduce the amount of fiber, vitamin D, calcium, thiamin, riboflavin and iron an individual takes in, so additional supplementation may be necessary  (Klonoff, 2009). 

Despite the chance of a decrease in certain vitamin and mineral intake, Frassetto, Schloetter, Mietus-Snyder, Morris & Sebastian (2009), report that the paleolithic type diet improves BP and glucose tolerance, decreases insulin secretion, increases insulin sensitivity and improves blood lipid profiles.  Contrary to popular belief, the Paleo diet protocol is not necessarily a low carb eating plan contrary to the keto diets. 

References

Frassetto, L. A., Schloetter, M., Mietus-Synder, M., Morris, R. C., & Sebastian, A. (2009). Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63(8), 947-955. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.4 

Klonoff D. C. (2009). The beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on type 2 diabetes and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.Journal of diabetes science and technology, 3(6), 1229–1232. doi:10.1177/193229680900300601