Paleolithic diet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about a modern nutritional approach. For information on the dietary practices of
Paleolithic humans, see Paleolithic#Diet and nutrition.
Paleolithic humans, see Paleolithic#Diet and nutrition.
First popularized in the mid 1970s by a gastroenterologist named Walter L. Voegtlin,[5][6] this nutritional concept
has been promoted and adapted by a number of authors and researchers in several books and academic journals.[7]
A common theme in evolutionary medicine,[8][9] Paleolithic nutrition is based on the premise that modern humans
are geneticallyadapted to the diet of their Paleolithic ancestors and that human genetics have scarcely changed since
the dawn of agriculture, and therefore that an ideal diet for human health and well-being is one that resembles this
ancestral diet.[4][10]Proponents of this diet argue that modern human populations subsisting on traditional diets
allegedly similar to those of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers are largely free of diseases of affluence,[11][12] and that two
small prospective studies of the Paleolithic diet in humans have shown some positive health outcomes.[13][14]
Supporters point to several potentially therapeutic nutritional characteristics of allegedly preagricultural diets.[10][15]
The modern dietary regimen known as the Paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly
referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan based on the presumed
ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various human species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic—a
period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture.
In common usage, such terms as the "Paleolithic diet" also refer to the actual ancestral human diet.[1][2] Centered on
commonly available modern foods, the "contemporary" Paleolithic diet consists mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit,
roots, and nuts; and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.[1][3][4]
This dietary approach is a controversial topic amongst nutritionists[16][17] and anthropologists,[7][18] and an article
on the National Health Service of England Choices website suggests that it may be a fad diet.[19] Critics have argued
that if hunter gatherer societies failed to suffer from "diseases of civilization", this was due to a lack of calories in their
diet, or a variety of other factors, rather than because of some special diet composition.[20] Some researchers have taken
issue with the accuracy of the diet's underlying evolutionary logic,[20][21][22] and have disputed certain dietary
recommendations and restrictions on the grounds that they provide no health benefits or pose health risks[20][21] and
are not likely to accurately reflect the features of ancient Paleolithic diets.[22][23] It has also been argued that extreme
versions of the diet are not a realistic alternative for everyone.[24][25]
on the National Health Service of England Choices website suggests that it may be a fad diet.[19] Critics have argued
that if hunter gatherer societies failed to suffer from "diseases of civilization", this was due to a lack of calories in their
diet, or a variety of other factors, rather than because of some special diet composition.[20] Some researchers have taken
issue with the accuracy of the diet's underlying evolutionary logic,[20][21][22] and have disputed certain dietary
recommendations and restrictions on the grounds that they provide no health benefits or pose health risks[20][21] and
are not likely to accurately reflect the features of ancient Paleolithic diets.[22][23] It has also been argued that extreme
versions of the diet are not a realistic alternative for everyone.[24][25]
Practices
The Paleolithic diet is a modern dietary regimen that seeks to mimic the diet of preagricultural hunter-gatherers,
one that corresponds to what was available in any of the ecological niches of Paleolithic humans.[1][4] Based
upon commonly available modern foods, it includes cultivatedplants and domesticated animal meat as an
alternative to the wild sources of the original preagricultural diet.[1][3][54] The ancestral human diet is inferred
from historical andethnographic studies of modern-day hunter-gatherers as well as archaeological finds,
The Paleolithic diet consists of foods that can be hunted and fished, such as meat, offal and seafood, and
can be gathered, such as eggs, insects, fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs and spices
(Paleo Diet Food List).[1][3] Some sources advise eating only lean cuts of meat, free of food additives,
preferably wild game meats and grass-fed beef since they contain high levels of omega-3 fats compared
with grain-produced domestic meats.[1][3][54][59] Food groups that advocates claim were rarely or never
consumed by humans before the Neolithic (agricultural) revolution are excluded from the diet, mainly grains,
legumes (e.g. beans and peanuts), dairy products, salt, refined sugar and processed oils,[1][3]although some
advocates consider the use of oils with low omega-6/omega-3 ratios, such as olive oil and canola oil, to be
healthy and advisable.[54] Practitioners are permitted to drink mainly water, and some advocates recommend
tea as a healthy drink,[54] but alcoholic and fermented beverages are restricted from the diet.[3][54] Furthermore,
eating a wide variety of plant foods is recommended to avoid high intakes of potentially harmful bioactive
substances, such as goitrogens, which are present in certain roots, vegetables and seeds.[1][55][60] Unlike
raw food diets, all foods may be cooked, without restrictions.[1][61] However, there are also raw, palaeolithic
dieters who believe that humans have not adapted to cooked foods, and so they eat only foods which are
According to certain proponents of the Paleolithic diet, practitioners should derive about 56–65% of their
(19–35% energy) and relatively low in carbohydrates (22–40% energy), with a fat intake (28–58% energy)
similar to or higher than that found inWestern diets.[54][64][65] Furthermore, some proponents exclude from
the diet foods which exhibit high glycemic indices, such as potatoes.[3] Staffan Lindeberg advocates a
Paleolithic diet, but does not recommend any particular proportions of plants versus meat or macronutrient
green leafy vegetables and other dietary sources of calcium is limited.[1] More moderately, Dr. Kurt G. Harris
recommends avoiding fructose, linoleic acid, and gluten grains as the primary neolithic agents responsible
Rationale and evolutionary assumptions
According to S. Boyd Eaton, "we are the heirs of inherited characteristics accrued over millions of years;
the vast majority of our biochemistry and physiology are tuned to life conditions that existed before the
advent of agriculture some 10,000 years ago. Genetically our bodies are virtually the same as they were
at the end of the Paleolithic era some 20,000 years ago."[68]
medicine.[8][9][69] The reasoning underlying this nutritional approach is that natural selection had sufficient
time to genetically adapt the metabolism and physiology of Paleolithic humans to the varying dietary
conditions of that era. But in the 10,000 years since the invention of agriculture and its consequent major
change in the human diet, natural selection has had too little time to make the optimal genetic adaptations
to the new diet.[1]However, alleles conferring lactose tolerance increased to high frequencies in Europe just
result from the suboptimal genetic adaptations to the contemporary human diet, which in turn contribute to
More than 70% of the total daily energy consumed by all people in the United States comes from foods such
as dairy products, cereals, refined sugars, refined vegetable oils and alcohol, that advocates of the Paleolithic
diet assert contributed little or none of the energy in the typical preagricultural hominin diet.[10] Proponents of
this diet argue that excessive consumption of these novel Neolithic and Industrial era foods is responsible for
the current epidemic levels of obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes,
osteoporosis and cancer in the US and other contemporary Western populations.[10] There are suggestions
that Paleolithic societies were processing cereals for food use at least as early as 23,000 years ago[70][71],
more than 100,000 years ago[72], and perhaps as early as 200,000 years ago.[73]. However, Loren Cordain
has stated that the new evidence shows only sporadic consumption of grains, and he has also pointed out
that that consumption of wild grass seeds of any kind requires extensive technology and processing to yield
Nutritional factors and health effects
glycemic load, fatty acid composition, macronutrient composition, micronutrient density, acid-base balance,
These dietary compositional changes have been theorized as risk factors in the pathogenesis of many of
the so-called "diseases of civilization" and other chronic illnesses that are widely prevalent in Western
societies,[4][10][86][87][88][89] including obesity,[90][91][92]cardiovascular disease,[93][94][95] high blood pressure,
[96]type 2 diabetes,[97][98] osteoporosis,[99][100] autoimmune diseases,[101]colorectal cancer,[102][103][104] myopia,
[105] acne,[106][107][108][109] depression,[110] and diseases related to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.[101][111][112][113]
Macronutrient composition
Protein and carbohydrates
"The increased contribution of carbohydrate from grains to the human diet following the agricultural revolution
has effectively diluted the protein content of the human diet."[114] In modern hunter-gatherer diets, dietary
protein is characteristically elevated (19–35% of energy) at the expense of carbohydrate (22–40% of energy).
[64][65][115] High-protein diets may have a cardiovascular protective effect and may represent an effective weight
loss strategy for the overweight or obese.[10] Furthermore, carbohydrate restriction may help prevent obesity
and type 2 diabetes,[116][117] as well as atherosclerosis.[95] Carbohydrate deprivation to the point of ketosis
Fatty acids
Hunter-gatherer diets have been argued to maintain relatively high levels of monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats, moderate levels of saturated fats (10–15% of total food energy[124]) as well as a
low omega-6:omega-3 fatty acid ratio.[10][125][65] Cows fed a grass-based diet produce significant amounts
of omega-3 fatty acids compared to grain-fed animals, while minimizing trans fats and saturated fats.
[126] The diet does include a significant amount of cholesterol due to the inclusion of lean meat.[127] These
nutritional factors may serve to inhibit the development of cardiovascular disease.[10] This high ratio of
polyunsaturated to saturated fats has been challenged. While a low saturated fat intake was argued for[65]
it has been argued that hunter-gatherers would selectively hunt fatter animals and utilise the fattiest parts
of the animals (such as bone marrow).[128]
Micronutrient density
Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and seafood, which are staples of the hunter-gatherer diet, are more
nutrient-dense than refined sugars, grains, vegetable oils, and dairy products. Consequently, the vitamin
and mineral content of the diet is very high compared with a standard diet, in many cases a multiple of
micronutrients, such as iodine, iron, zinc, copper, and selenium, that are crucial for proper brain function
and development.[111]Terrestrial animal foods, such as muscle, brain, bone marrow, thyroid gland, and
other organs, also represent a primary source of these nutrients.[60] Calcium-poor grains and legumes are
Fiber content and glycemic load
Unrefined wild plant foods like those available to contemporary hunter-gatherers typically exhibit low
glycemic indices.[132] Contemporary diets devoid of cereal grains, dairy products, refined oils and sugars,
and processed foods have been shown to contain significantly more fiber (~42.5 g/d) than either current
or recommended values.[3] Moreover, dairy products, such as milk, yoghurt, and cottage cheese, have low
glycemic indices, but are highly insulinotropic, with an insulin index similar to that of white bread.[133][134]
These dietary characteristics may lower risk of diabetes, obesity and other related syndrome X diseases
by placing less stress on the pancreas to produce insulin, and preventing insulin insensitivity.[135]
Sodium-potassium ratio
Since no processed foods or added salt are included, the sodium intake (~726 mg) is lower than average
U.S. values (3,271 mg) or recommended values (2,400 mg). Further, since potassium-rich fruits and
vegetables compose ~30% of the daily energy, the potassium content (~9,062 mg) is nearly 3.5 times
greater than average values (2,620 mg) in the U.S. diet.[3] The inverted ratio of potassium to sodium in
the U.S. diet adversely affects cardiovascular function and contributes to hypertension and stroke, compared
Calcium and acid-base balance
Diets containing high amounts of salt or cereals and other foods that induce and sustain increased acidity
of body fluid may contribute to the development of osteoporosis and renal stones, loss of muscle mass,
and age-related renal insufficiency due to the body's use of calcium to buffer pH. The paleo diet may not
contain the high levels of calcium recommended in the U.S. to prevent these effects.[127] However, because
of the absence of acid yielding cereals and energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods in the hunter-gatherer
diet - foods that displace base-yielding fruits and vegetables - the diet produces a net base load on the body,
Bioactive substances and antinutrients
Furthermore, cereal grains, legumes and milk contain bioactive substances, such as gluten and casein,
which have been implicated in the development of various health problems.[4] Consumption of gluten, a
component of certain grains, such as wheat, rye and barley, is known to have adverse health effects in
individuals suffering from a range ofgluten sensitivities, including coeliac disease. Since the Paleolithic
diet is devoid of cereal grains, it is free of gluten. The paleodiet is also casein-free. Casein is a protein
found in milk and dairy products, which may impair glucose tolerance in humans.[4]
Compared to Paleolithic food groups, cereal grains and legumes contain high amounts of antinutrients,
including alkylresorcinols, alpha-amylase inhibitors, protease inhibitors,lectins and phytates, substances
known to interfere with the body's absorption of many key nutrients.[4][87][101] Molecular-mimicking proteins,
which are basically made up of strings of amino acids that closely resemble those of another totally different
protein, are also found in grains and legumes, as well as milk and dairy products.[4][87][101] Advocates of the
Paleolithic diet have argued that these components of agrarian diets promote vitamin and mineral deficiencies
and may explain the development of the "diseases of civilization" as well as a number of autoimmune-related
Everything stated here is copied and pasted from Wikipedia. I have not included everything, but have chosen certain aspects of
the page to share. To see the entire Wikipedia page devoted to the Paleolithic Diet, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet
I share this because nutrition/health/fitness/evolutionary biology is one of my many passions.
I have done much research on this subject, and have been incorporating this particular diet
to my life for approximately 6 months now. I do try to consistently stick to this type of
nutritional consumption MOST of the time. But... I myself am an advocate of the saying,
"Everything in Moderation". The reason I relate this saying to this diet, is because I think
not only of myself, but for my future offspring, and their future offspring and so on. I
personally believe that if I am very strict about what I allow myself to eat, my digestive
system is adapting to just those foods, and will be less able to digest new foreign foods.
I can't know how my children, or future generations will eat. I want to prepare my body and
genes fully and most effectively to be able to combat any nutritional situations that might
arise. With this in mind, I believe the best diet is a combination of pure present health, as
well as small adaptive exercises. To me, this means that I consistently, or most of the time,
eat what I see to be the healthiest way to eat for myself in the present. This I believe is the
Paleo Diet. But, on occasion, I absolutely allow myself to eat those things that the Paleo
Diet consider "Bad". By occasionally eating bread, pasta, sugar, potatoes, etc., I am
allowing my digestive system to stay on its toes and to be able to react and adapt to
anything that may be thrown its way in my future or in the future of my offspring.
I will definitely be posting more about this concept in the future, also including evolutionary
fitness and other related subjects.
