Paleo Diet: Advantages and Disadvantages

Rose Stella

Throughout the years, human seeks for the best diet plan. Various diet plans and fads emerge from time to time from The vegan diet, Dukan diet, Keto diet, and Paleo Diet.

What is Paleo Diet? What are the advantages and disadvantages of practicing this kind of diet strategy? Is it safe and beneficial? Read this until the end to know!

What is Paleo Diet?

Paleo Diet is also known as the Hunter-gatherer diet, Primal diet, Stone Age diet, and caveman diet. It runs on the premise that humans should eat like our Paleolithic ancestors, who existed approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest diet plans.

The Paleo diet plan promotes eating simple and unprocessed food like fish, lean meats, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. This diet excludes foods produced during the Agricultural Revolution like grains, beans, cereals, and dairy products.

Advocates of the Paleo Diet believe that eating processed foods disbenefit our health which caused the rapid rise of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Thus, eating foods similar to our hunter-gatherer ancestors will help diminish health problems.

Advantages of Paleo Diet

Help lose weight

The Paleo diet prohibits eating high in calories and processed foods. It encourages eating nutrient-rich foods. These foods are also high in proteins which lower ghrelin levels to help you feel full longer.

Improved insulin sensitivity

Decreasing intakes of processed foods also mean downscaling intakes of food that are high in sugar. Limiting sugar intake will help increase insulin sensitivity which will benefit people prone to diabetes mellitus type 2- a chronic result of too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream.

Several rising research results that the Paleo diet helps reduce the risk factors for heart disease thus, improving heart health. A study in 34 people who observed the Paleo diet for two weeks showed reduced blood pressure, cholesterol level, and triglycerides.

Another study conducted on 20 people with high cholesterol levels who followed this slimming regime for four weeks resulted in a decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol and an increase in HDL (good) cholesterol.

Better appetite management

Following this meal strategy improves satiety a feeling of fullness between meals, due to the higher intake of protein and fats resulting in proportionate meals.

Disadvantages of Paleo Diet

Can get costly

Since this weight-reduction plan promotes eating lean meat and unprocessed foods makes this is quite expensive. Prices of healthy meats cost more compared to non-meat protein sources.

Prohibiting grains and dairy

Consuming grains and dairy products is prohibited. Not eating it hinders the intake of calcium which is beneficial for bones and teeth health. Eating grains and dairy is beneficial to our health, so not eating this has its downside.

Difficult for vegetarians

This diet is not ideal for vegetarians. Beans and legumes are the meat substitute for vegetarians. As such, this meal strategy can be challenging for them because they need to find other meat alternatives.

Conclusion

The Paleo diet has its perks and drawbacks. It’s definitely one of the best diet plans out there. It depends on the person considering practicing this diet plan to weigh the pros and cons. Furthermore, since the ideal ratio of meat and carbohydrate differs from one person to another, it is essential to consult your doctor before plunging into this new meal plan.

Is this diet the one that you're looking for? Will you practice this diet?