Eat like the hunters and gatherers of the Paleolithic, but without having to hunt or gather yourself: The Paleo diet only puts on the plate what was available to our Stone Age ancestors 2.5 million years ago. We reveal the reasons and advantages of the Stone Age diet here.
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What is the Paleo Diet?
In human history, the Paleolithic refers to the epoch of the Old Stone Age, which began around 2.5 million years ago when our ancestors first made and used stone tools. Paleolithic humans were hunter-gatherers, subsisting only on what they could hunt or glean from nature. Agriculture and animal husbandry were not practiced at this time in human history. This is exactly where the idea of the Paleo diet comes in: The food that we humans ate for most of our evolutionary history was always natural and not influenced or changed by breeding or cultivation.
The argument of supporters of the Paleo diet is that we humans have fed on natural foods for millions of years and that our digestive systems have optimally adapted to these foods. Widespread diseases such as diabetes, intolerance and allergies only developed with the relatively young, from the point of view of the entire history of mankind, animal husbandry, agriculture and finally industrial food production.
Paleo Diet: What’s on the Plate?
The Paleo diet is intended to give our bodies only the food that it would have evolved to specialize in digesting. For people who eat according to Paleo principles, this means a menu with:
- flesh
- fish
- vegetables
- fruit
- nuts and seeds
- Owner
- honey and maple syrup
- Fats such as olive oil, nut oil, avocado oil
- Potatoes and rice in moderation
Paleo diet: what is forbidden?
Anything that our Stone Age ancestors had no access to is forbidden. Agriculturally produced food or industrially manufactured products are absolutely taboo. This means a strict renunciation of:
- Grain products such as pasta, bread made from grain or couscous
- Milk and all milk products such as cheese and yoghurt
- sugar, sweetener
- Artificial additives of any kind
- alcohol
- coffee
- cured meats
What are the benefits of the Paleo diet?
One thing should be said directly: So far, researchers have not been able to scientifically confirm that our digestive system is in any way evolutionarily optimized specifically for Stone Age foods. The Paleo diet’s approach of focusing on healthy, natural and easily digestible foods as far as possible still has many health benefits.
1. The risk of diabetes decreases
Although the Paleo diet can also be sweetened with honey or maple syrup, refined sugar and, above all , hidden, additionally added industrial sugar are completely avoided. This not only has a direct impact on the waist circumference, but also on blood sugar levels and the release of insulin in our body. Not only does the risk of diabetes decrease with a sugar-free diet such as the Paleo diet, researchers were even able to prove that insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetics improved by around 45 percent after just 12 weeks of the Paleo diet, while at the same time it fell in the study participants also the blood pressure.
2. Blood lipid levels improve
The most important nutrient suppliers of the Paleo diet include fish, low-fat meat and healthy vegetable oils and fats. Regular consumption of such foods has positive effects on blood lipid levels. For example, studies have found an improvement in cholesterol levels in study participants. While the Paleo diet raised levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol fell. At the same time, this reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure or cardiac arrhythmia. The risk of related heart attacks or strokes also decreased.
3. Obesity can be reduced
Obesity is becoming a widespread disease in western industrialized countries. The reasons are unhealthy diets and the excessive consumption of high-calorie but nutrient-poor foods. Obesity leads to a number of secondary diseases, has negative effects on the cardiovascular system, promotes joint diseases and type 2 diabetes. Those who do without additional sugar with a Paleo diet and instead consume more foods with lots of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals can effectively reduce excess weight.
4. Food allergies and intolerances are reduced
Food intolerances and intolerances affect many people. Those who suffer particularly from gluten intolerance or lactose intolerance can prevent symptoms with a tailor-made diet. The Paleo diet is characterized by its naturalness and is perfectly suited for people who cannot tolerate dairy products or have problems digesting grain products. By eliminating foods that typically cause stress and irritation in the gastrointestinal system, the affected organs can recover and function normally. The Paleo diet can be a real health booster for allergy sufferers.
Paleo diet tips
If you’re looking for more information on the benefits of the Paleo diet related to allergies and autoimmune diseases, we recommend checking out Mickey Trescott’s book The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook . Here you will also find inspiration for many delicious Paleo recipes to cook at home.
Also interesting to learn about which Paleo foods boost the immune system and how a Stone Age diet can help as a treatment aspect of autoimmune diseases and allergies is Sarah Ballantyne ‘s “The Paleo Therapy “.
