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Home » Diets that Work » The Paleo diet is a modern take on the Stone Age, but does it work? – ABC Local

Think back to what foods humans may have eaten before the development of agriculture 10,000 years ago, when they were living as ancient hunter gatherers, and you have the basis for this modern-day Stone Age diet.

It consists of meat, poultry and seafood along with eggs, fruit and vegetables.

Cereal grains such as wheat, along with dairy foods and anything processed is not allowed as part of this regime.

The Paleo or Paleolithic diet first appeared in the 1970s, but has received renewed interest over the past few years, with a number of versions, including some promoted by marketers of so-called paleo products.

It is claimed the diet reduces body weight and helps prevent conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood cholesterol, stroke, osteoporosis, and inflammatory diseases.

Nutritional aspects of the diet equate to:

Thinking about trying a new diet? Before you do, read this advice from Dr Sandro Demaio.

Breakfast: Omelette with prosciutto, fruit and herbal tea.

Snack: Sliced lean grass-fed beef, fruit.

Lunch: Chicken and avocado salad with an olive oil and lemon dressing, herbal tea.

Snack: Apple slices, walnuts.

Dinner: Beef curry with cauliflower rice, broccoli, carrots, plus blueberries, raisins and almonds.

The foods available to our ancestors were very different from those available to us now, and in practice, we can no longer eat a true paleo diet.

For instance, the meats eaten by our ancestors were wild and very lean compared with the meat most people eat today, which with the exception of kangaroo is from domesticated animals.

Life expectancy was also low so fewer people lived long enough to develop many modern health problems.

One key problem with the rationale behind the diet is that experts in evolutionary biology and archaeology say grains, legumes and foods related to the modern potato were in fact consumed at least 30,000 years ago.

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With its restrictions, it is likely followers of the Paleo diet may lose weight and this may have health benefits.

There are some useful messages in the diet, including the need to avoid salt, most types of alcohol, and processed foods and to eat more fruit and vegetables.

We've examined seven popular diets to find out what you can eat and whether they work.

However, valuable types of dietary fibre from grains and legumes are absent, calcium intake may be low because dairy food is not permitted and there is a risk of eating more red meat than is recommended for good health.

The World Cancer Research Fund says a high intake of red meat, especially processed meat, raises the risk of bowel cancer.

Current guidelines in Australia suggest eating a maximum of seven serves of lean red meat a week, which is equivalent to around 655g raw red meat a week.

Cutting out whole food groups in this case dairy products, legumes and all grains is contrary to the recommendations in evidence-based dietary guidelines and will likely lead to deficiencies in important nutrients.

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.

This story, which was originally written by Pamela Wilson and published by ABC Health and Wellbeing, has been reviewed by Dr Rosemary Stanton OAM, nutritionist and visiting fellow, School of Medical Sciences, University of NSW, and was updated in 2019.

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The Paleo diet is a modern take on the Stone Age, but does it work? - ABC Local

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Home » Diets that Work » The Paleo diet is a modern take on the Stone Age, but does it work? – ABC Local