Earlier, I wrote about the artificial sweetener aspartame with reference to my preference for a diet rich in natural, unprocessed foods. Such a diet might be described in various ways, including a "hunter-gatherer," "caveman," or "Paleolithic" diet. However such a diet is described, the aim is the same: to feed the body with foods that have been long-term elements of the human diet. This way, in theory at least, we'll be giving the body the foods it has evolved to eat and that are, therefore, the best for it.
Back to Basics
My belief is that there's an abundance of evidence indicating that going back to basics with our diet is the way for those wishing to optimize health, and a recently published study seems to have added to this body of evidence.The study in question tested the impact of a "Paleolithic" diet on 20 men and women aged 20 to 40 [1]. The dietary instructions given to participants of this study were as follows:
Foods Permitted in Unlimited Quantities:
All fresh or frozen fruits; berries and vegetables except legumes; canned tomatoes without additives except for citric acid; fresh or frozen unsalted fish and seafood; frozen unsalted lean meats and minced meat; unsalted nuts (except peanuts); freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (as dressing); flaxseed or rapeseed oil [canola oil] (as dressing); coffee and tea (without sugar, honey, milk, or cream); and all salt-free spices.
Food Permitted in Limited Quantity:
Dried fruit (two days a week); salted seafood (one meal a week); fat meat (one meal a week); potatoes (two medium-size a day); honey (used in marinade once a week); cured meats (as entrée once a week); and mineral water (only when drinkable tap water is not available).
Prohibited Food:
All milk and dairy products; all grain products (including maize and rice); all legumes (beans, lentils, peanuts); processed meats (e.g. sausages, pâtés); canned food (except tomatoes—see above); and all forms of confectionery, ice cream, sorbet, soft drinks, juices, syrups, liquor, sugar, and salt.Individuals were instructed to eat this diet for three weeks. Fourteen of the 20 individuals who volunteered for the study actually finished it.
Compared with what they had been eating previously, eating the Paleolithic diet led to a significant reduction in overall food intake (about 900 calories less per day on average). Fat consumption went down by about 20g per day, but more notably, I think, is that carbohydrate consumption fell on average by 177 g per day. (It has been previously been noted that primitive diets tends to be lower in carbohydrate than a typical Western diet [2]). The Paleolithic diet was also higher in vitamin C and lower in sodium than the baseline diet.
Healthier Outcomes
After just three weeks, there were some significant changes. Most notably, they were: An average weight reduction of 2.3 kg (about 5 lbs.) An average reduction in waist circumference of 1.5 cm (about one-half inch) An average reduction in systolic blood pressure (the higher of the two blood pressure readings) of 3 mm Hg (milligrams of mercury) A 72 percent reduction in the levels of a substance known as plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (This would be expected to reduce the clotting tendency of the blood, which might translate into a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.)
Easy Weight Loss
This study is somewhat hampered by the absence of a control group (a group eating a diet against which the Paleolithic diet could be compared) and its small scale (just 14 people). However, its results very much mirror what I find in my practice: When individuals move their diet in a primal direction, they very often end up eating less quite naturally and tend to shed weight with relative ease. Also the results from such a dietary change, in my experience, can be quick (as this study demonstrates).Longer-term studies of a Paleolithic diet would be nice. However, in their absence, all we have to go on are our experiences. Here again, mine are generally positive. Because eating this sort of diet usually allows individuals to lose excess weight without hunger, it is something individuals tend to find sustainable in the long term, which obviously ups the chances of good results in the long term too.
Generally speaking, I reckon going back to our nutritional past is the way forward for those seeking to be healthy as well as be a healthy weight.
References:
1. Österdahl M, et al. Effects of a short-term intervention with a paleolithic diet in healthy volunteers. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008; 62:682–685 2. Cordain L, et al. Plant-animal subsistence ratios and macronutrient energy estimations in worldwide hunter-gatherer diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000; 71(3): 682–92
Dr. John Briffa is a London-based doctor and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine.
Dr. Briffa's Web site
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