Is the Paleo Diet Worth the Hype?
Key takeaways:
The paleo diet emphasizes whole foods that would have been available in the Stone Age, like nuts, vegetables, and meat.
The diet is based on the idea that the human body hasn’t adapted to modern foods — especially ultra-processed foods.
The paleo diet appears to improve markers of heart health, like weight, inflammation, and cholesterol levels.
People following a paleo diet only eat foods that would have been available during the Paleolithic Era. That was more than 10,000 years ago and before farming. The diet rose to popularity around 2013, particularly among active young adults interested in maximizing lean body mass.
How does the paleo diet work?
Also called the Stone Age diet, the paleo diet is based on theories that eating like hunter-gatherers makes you lean and strong. The modern take on the paleo diet attempts to replicate eating off the land — in other words, eating whole foods — and regular physical activity.
In particular, it includes hunted proteins like lamb, turkey, and fish. Foraged foods like berries, nuts, and vegetables are also an important part of the diet. This is in contrast to the modern diet, which is largely made up of processed foods. These foods are linked to inflammation and metabolic syndrome.
Discover a simple way to manage diabetes
Patients can use GoodRx to save up to 40% on OneTouch Ultra Strips.
What can you eat and drink on the paleo diet?
Hunted and gathered foods are mainstays of the paleo diet. They include:
Meat
Seafood
Eggs
Fruits
Vegetables
Nuts and seeds
Herbs and spices
Plant-based oils such as olive, flaxseed, and coconut
Water or sparkling water
Kombucha or tea that is lightly sweetened or unsweetened
Honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar for sweeteners, preferably in limited amounts
Some versions of the diet allow foods such as:
Gluten-free grains like rice
Dark chocolate
Grass-fed butter
Grain-free alcohol like mead, wine, and spirits
What foods can you not eat on the paleo diet?
The paleo diet restricts foods that wouldn’t be available without modern technology. Those foods include:
Grains, like bread, pasta, and cereal
Dairy, including milk, cheese, and cream
Legumes, such as beans and lentils
Added sugar, including artificial sweeteners, which eliminates candy, ice cream, and sugar-sweetened beverages
Ultra-processed foods, like frozen pizzas, cookies, and fast food
How effective is the paleo diet at improving health?
Research suggests the paleo diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease. That’s because when people follow a paleo diet, they significantly reduce the amount of ultra-processed food they consume. Ultra-processed foods tend to be high in sodium, added sugars, and unhealthy fats. According to scientists, what isn’t consumed on the paleo diet might account for more health benefits than what is.
The paleo diet also appears to improve glucose and insulin levels, which are linked to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. However, research shows that the paleo diet had about the same impact on insulin as comparable healthy diets.
What research has been done on the paleo diet?
Following a paleo diet appears to lower the risk of metabolic syndrome, according to one study. Compared to control diets, the paleo diet was linked to:
Reduced waist circumference
Healthier triglyceride (blood fat) and cholesterol levels
Lower blood pressure
Lower fasting blood-sugar levels
Reduced levels of C-reactive protein, a sign of inflammation
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
One limitation is the short-term nature of the study. Research participants were on the paleo diet from 2 weeks to 2 years. So the long-term effects of this diet are unknown.
Researchers also found that the paleo diet may improve athletic performance by lowering body mass. But there is little evidence that paleo improves resistance or cardiovascular performance.
Finally, a small number of studies suggests that the paleo diet might have a positive effect on VO2 max. This is a measure of how much oxygen the body can use during exercise and is considered a gold standard when it comes to measuring a person’s fitness. More research is needed to understand if the diet can improve sports performance.
Is the paleo diet good for weight loss?
Based on current evidence, it may be. In a study on postmenopausal women with obesity, those who followed a paleo diet had higher levels of an appetite-reducing hormone, glucagon-like peptide 1. On average, women on the paleo diet lost 10% of their weight after 2 years compared to 6% for the control group.
A review of studies also found that those on the paleo diet experienced weight loss and a reduction in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. But experts have stressed the need for more and larger randomized controlled trials.
What are the risks of following the paleo diet?
Any diet that restricts groups of foods comes with a risk of missing out on certain nutrients. The paleo diet could lead to inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, which are essential for bone health. Calcium is abundant in dairy products. And dairy and cereal, which the paleo diet avoids, are often fortified with vitamin D.
Since the diet tends to be high in meat, there is also a risk of eating too much saturated fat. This type of fat is associated with high cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease.
Who is the paleo diet best for?
Following a paleo diet might be a healthy choice for people with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease or those who want to lose weight.
Always check with your healthcare provider and dietitian or nutritionist before starting a new diet. They can help you decide whether the paleo diet is right for you based on your unique situation.
How do you make a healthy paleo diet meal plan?
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean protein makes up the basics of healthy eating. For the healthiest version of the paleo diet — for you and the planet — make your produce the star of your plate.
Start with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Add a small portion of lean meat.
If you choose to eat gluten-free grains, oatmeal and rice can be healthy choices to add fiber and energy.
The paleo diet can be expensive because of its focus on in-season, fresh fruits and vegetables. Nuts and meat can also be expensive. Modern conveniences, like buying in bulk and freezing berries and vegetables, can help you save.
What’s the difference between paleo and keto?
Both the ketogenic (keto) and paleo diets emphasize and restrict many of the same foods. The difference is that the paleo diet doesn’t have to be low-carb. Participants can eat all the vegetables and fruit they want.
Keto relies on very low-carb intake to work. When carbohydrate intake is not enough, the body switches to burning fat for energy.
The bottom line
Following a paleo diet may help you lose weight and improve your heart health. But it might also lead to eating more saturated fat and less fiber and other nutrients. Eliminating ultra-processed foods — without restricting beneficial food groups — might have similar health-promoting effects. Talk with your healthcare and nutrition team to find out whether the paleo diet is right for you.
Why trust our experts?
References
de la O, V., et al. (2021). A score appraising paleolithic diet and the risk of cardiovascular disease in a Mediterranean prospective cohort. European Journal of Nutrition.
Frączek, B., et al. (2021). Paleolithic diet—effect on the health status and performance of athletes? Nutrients.
Jamka, M., et al. (2020). The effect of the paleolithic diet vs. healthy diets on glucose and insulin homeostasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Clinical Medicine.
LeMond, G., et al. (2015). Gauging fitness. The Science of Fitness.
Manheimer, E. W., et al. (2015). Paleolithic nutrition for metabolic syndrome: Systematic review of meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Menezes, E. V. A., et al. (2019). Influence of paleolithic diet of anthropometric markers in chronic diseases: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Journal.
Otten, J., et al. (2019). Postprandial levels of GLP-1, GIP and glucagon after 2 years of weight loss with a paleolithic diet: A randomized controlled trial in healthy obese women. European Journal of Endocrinology.
