Diet Review: The Paleo Diet for Weight Loss
by
Kaitlin Little
Everyone’s been raving about the Paleo diet lately, leading many to believe it’s a novel way of eating. But, in reality, the idea of eating like a “caveman” has been around since the 1970s.
A forward-thinking gastroenterologist by the name of Dr. Walter Voegtlin published a book The Stone Age Diet in 1975. In the book, he described a diet that resembled the eating patterns of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. The diet was rich in animal fats and proteins, and very low in carbohydrates. Dr. Voegtlin reported that the diet significantly improved the health of his patients, who suffered from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and Crohn’s Disease.
Since then, the Paleo diet was swept under the rug….. until now. Or more specifically, until the 2002 release of the New York Times best-selling book, The Paleo Diet.
Today, advocates of the paleo diet believe returning to the way our ancestors ate can reduce the risk of modern-day health issues. Why? Because our ancestors did not face the same chronic “diseases of civilization” that plague society today, such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. With that said, the life expectancy of our predecessors was only a fraction of how long people live today. But then again, life expectancy in Western civilization has recently been declining, a trend not seen since World War I.
If you’ve been hiding in a cave, no pun intended, and you haven’t heard of the Paleo diet, here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Paleo Diet?
The Paleo diet, also known as the Paleolithic, Primal, Caveman, or Stone Age diet combines eating and lifestyle principles from our Paleolithic ancestors. In its most basic form, the Paleo diets allow you to eat only what humans ate when they first inhabited the planet millions of years ago.
The diet encourages the consumption of whole, unprocessed foods, which are loaded with vitamins and minerals, including meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and honey, in addition to healthy oils (olive). It limits processed foods that slow the metabolism and encourage fat storage, such as grains, cereals, legumes, sugar, and dairy. Coffee and alcohol are also generally not permitted.
The Paleo diet consists of approximately 30% of daily energy intake from protein, 40% from fats, and 30% from carbohydrates.
How Does the Paleo Diet Work?
According to the original theory by Dr. Voegtlin, the Paleo diet realigns our eating habits with the foods our body was historically and genetically programmed to eat. The human genome was shaped through millions of years of evolution and has remained unchanged since the agricultural revolution. But our diet has progressively diverged.
Just 500 generations ago, the human diet consisted solely of unprocessed food foraged and hunted for within the environment. Nowadays, we drive our car to the supermarket and fill our carts to the brim with highly processed, packaged food. By returning to our ancestor’s natural way of eating, it is believed we can restore health and ward off modern diseases.
The foods eaten on the Paleo diet are those that our body is well adapted to eating, as we have been consuming them for tens of thousands of years. Foods that the Paleo diet discourages are those we are not genetically adapted to, as these “new” foods have only existed for the last 1% of human history.
With obesity reaching epidemic proportions and alarming levels of chronic disease, there’s something to be said about these “new” foods. The evidence has literally been carved in stone and placed on the plaque for all of us to see.
Does the Paleo Diet Help with Weight Loss?
The Paleo Diet is a safe and effective way to lose weight, without the need to count calories.
In fact, one study assessed the effectiveness of the Paleo diet on 27 overweight and obese women and found an average weight loss of 9.0% (17 lbs) after six months and 10.6% (20 lbs) after 12 months. In addition, participants on the Paleo diet lost significantly more fat mass compared to participants following the recommended low fat diet at 6 months (14 lbs vs. 6 lbs). However, the difference was less pronounced at 24 months (10 lbs vs. 6 lbs), suggesting that the effects may not be sustained or long term adherence is difficult. [1]
Another study, involving 29 patients with heart disease found that those on a Paleolithic diet lost 1 inch more around their waist, compared to those on a Mediterranean diet. [2] Research also shows that the Paleolithic diet can have favorable metabolic effects on healthy individuals too. In one study, 20 healthy medical students lost an average of 5 lbs and had a 0.6 inch reduction of their waist circumference. [3]
Why does the Paleo Diet Work?
The Paleo Diet can be effective because it is:
High in omega-3 fatty acids: It can be a hard pill to swallow, but the truth is, you need to eat fat to lose fat. Or more specifically, you need to eat “healthy” fats. One type of fat that drives weight loss is omega-3 fatty acids. These are often referred to as “essential’’ as the body needs them to function properly, but we can not produce them ourselves. Omega-3 fatty acids aid weight loss by helping to regulate insulin production. An inability to regulate insulin is associated with increased abdominal fat.
On the Paleo Diet, you’ll receive ample fatty acids from seafood, avocado, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. In fact, a recent study found that the Paleolithic diet improved insulin sensitivity, decreased circulating triglycerides, and reduced lipogenesis in overweight, postmenopausal women leading to greater weight loss, compared to a calorie controlled diet. [4]
High in protein: The Paleo diet is loaded with lean proteins that help build lean muscle when accompanied by regular excise. A higher percentage of lean muscle mass increases resting metabolic rate, meaning you can burn more fat while sleeping, resting, and exercising. In addition, high-protein diets have been shown to increase fat loss and weight loss compared to low-protein diets. [5]
Very low in sugar: Eating too much sugar can have a detrimental effect on your weight loss efforts and your overall health. Whether it’s white, brown or raw, sugar adds significant calories without providing any nutritional value. This is why sweets and sugary drinks are often called “empty calories”. Not to mention, high sugar intake is associated with blood sugar fluctuations, increased risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The Paleo diet removes all refined sugars and replaces them with natural sources from fresh fruits and vegetables.
High in Low-glycemic carbohydrates: Although the Paleo diet encourages you to give up grains and legumes, that doesn’t necessarily mean the diet is low in carbs. In fact, it’s packed full of low-GI carbohydrates from brown rice and starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, and corn. Low-GI carbs provide a sustained source of energy as they are slowly released into the bloodstream, which helps ward off hunger and reduce cravings.
High in fiber: Choosing foods that will ward off hunger is a critical part of the weight loss puzzle. The paleo diet is loaded with fiber from plant-based food, which can help you feel fuller for longer. In fact, research shows that paleo meals increase satiety more than high carb/ low-fat meals.[6] Furthermore, research has demonstrated that a paleo diet has a positive effect on hunger-regulation hormones, including peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1, compared to a traditional diet recommended by the World Health Organization [7].
Low in calories: Consuming fewer calories than you burn through physical activity is an essential requirement for weight loss. The Paleo diet typically reduces calorie intake by default without the need for calorie counting, by eliminating all processed and packaged foods, which are often laden with hidden calories, and lead to sugar crashes and increased cravings.
Are there other Potential Health Benefits of the Paleo Diet?
May Reduce Risk of Heart Disease: Research shows that following the Paleolithic diet for just 7 days, significantly improves blood pressure and lipid profiles. [8] These benefits are confirmed in longer-term studies, including one clinical trial that demonstrated an increase in “good” HDL cholesterol, which acts as a protective factor against heart disease and stroke by reducing the build up of fatty deposits in arteries. [9]
Helps Reduce Risk and Slow Progression of Diabetes: The Paleolithic diet can improve glucose tolerance and insulin regulation in healthy individuals, helping to reduce the risk of metabolic disease and diabetes. [8] The diet can also facilitate metabolic balance in people who already have type II diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity, glycemic control, and leptin levels. Leptin is an important hunger-regulation hormone that tells our brain when we no longer need to eat. [10]
What are the Potential Drawbacks of the Paleo Diet?
Before you dive headfirst into the paleo cave, you need to be adequately informed. As with any type of diet, there are some potential drawbacks.
Inadequate Calcium: Due to the exclusion of dairy products, a poorly formulated paleo diet can increase the risk of osteoporosis. For example, one short-term study found a 53% reduction in calcium intake compared to baseline while following the Paleo diet. [3]
Can get expensive: With most of your shopping taking place in the meat and fresh produce section of the supermarket, the cost of the paleo diet can quickly add up, especially if you’re buying organic produce and grass-fed meat.
Elimination of Essential Vitamins and Minerals: The paleo diet eliminates entire food groups such as all legumes, grains, and dairy. This means that you can be missing out on essential nutrients and vitamins that you will need to obtain from other sources.
Can be difficult for vegetarians: When you’re eating salmon for breakfast, grass-fed steak for lunch and chicken for dinner, you’d be right in saying the paleo diet was not meant for vegetarians. However, that’s not to say it’s impossible. It is difficult, but with the right substitutes, vegetarians can still get their protein intake by increasing beans or by taking plant-based protein supplements.
Do Your Research Before Adopting the Paleo Diet
Despite a lot of hype, the paleo diet is still under-researched. It lacks the long-term studies needed to accurately assess the benefits and potential risks.
While it is clear that the paleo diet can contribute to weight loss, and may also have other health benefits, adopting our ancestors’ diet should be done with caution. You need to ensure you have appropriate substitutes for essential vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium. And, before starting any type of diet, it is always wise to consult with your health care provider or a registered dietician.
References
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24473459
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17583796
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17522610
[4] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-017-1558-0
[5] https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/82/1/41/4863422
[6] https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/honorsprojects/599/
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25661189
[8] https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn20094
[10] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/dmrr.2828
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