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How successful is the Paleo Diet really?

How many people you know are living the Paleo 'lifestyle'?

Just a quick glance at the enormous number of clicks our articles on the Tim Noakes Diet, to carb or not to carb, The Real Meal Revolution and the danger to kidneys from a high-protein diet are getting shows that we've only just started exploring this (new) way of eating and there is still an enormous amount of research needed before we can say for sure it's the way we are meant to eat.

Our top story this week is DietDoc's look at the Paleo diet. She cites a Swedish study that took 70 healthy postmenopausal women - all around 60 and in the obese range - and split them into two groups.

The one followed Paleo principles, the other the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR), a typically balanced high-fibre diet that emphasises low-fat dairy without refined starches, sugars, sweetened cold drinks and alcohol (how the Scandinavians took to that last no-no is unclear... but no worries, it's not allowed under Paleo either)

Here's more about what they ate:

Paleo (PD): 30% of energy was from protein, 40% from fat  and 30% from carbohydrates.

NNR:  15% of energy from protein, 25-30% from fat and 55-60% from carbohydrates.

At the end of the study - 2 years later - there was basically no difference in the amount of weight lost by the two groups in the preceding 18 months (2.6kg vs. 2.9kg) though the PD group lost significantly more total lean muscle mass (-1.3kg vs -0.4kg) than the NNR group.

The PD group also had the most significant decrease in triglyceride levels (high triglyceride levels are associated with heart disease and diabetes). 

With regards to the lean muscle mass loss, DietDoc says why this happens in the group that was eating more protein isn't clear, but it could be that the lack of carbs in the PD diet made the subjects use up their body protein for energy. 

In closing she suggests that, instead of slumping in front of the TV or our PCs, we should be engaging in mammoth hunts at sub-zero temperatures or walking vast distances to collect wild seeds, nuts and plants for our cave.

If we want to follow the Tim Noakes Diet, to carb or not to carb, The Real Meal Revolution and the danger to kidneys from a high-protein diet are getting shows that we've only just started exploring this (new) way of eating and there is still an enormous amount of research needed before we can say for sure it's the way we are meant to eat.

Our top story this week is DietDoc's look at the Paleo diet. She cites a Swedish study that took 70 healthy postmenopausal women - all around 60 and in the obese range - and split them into two groups.

The one followed Paleo principles, the other the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR), a typically balanced high-fibre diet that emphasises low-fat dairy without refined starches, sugars, sweetened cold drinks and alcohol (how the Scandinavians took to that last no-no is unclear... but no worries, it's not allowed under Paleo either)

Here's more about what they ate:

Paleo (PD): 30% of energy was from protein, 40% from fat  and 30% from carbohydrates.

NNR:  15% of energy from protein, 25-30% from fat and 55-60% from carbohydrates.

At the end of the study - 2 years later - there was basically no difference in the amount of weight lost by the two groups in the preceding 18 months (2.6kg vs. 2.9kg) though the PD group lost significantly more total lean muscle mass (-1.3kg vs -0.4kg) than the NNR group.

The PD group also had the most significant decrease in triglyceride levels (high triglyceride levels are associated with heart disease and diabetes). 

With regards to the lean muscle mass loss, DietDoc says why this happens in the group that was eating more protein isn't clear, but it could be that the lack of carbs in the PD diet made the subjects use up their body protein for energy. 

In closing she suggests that, instead of slumping in front of the TV or our PCs, we should be engaging in mammoth hunts at sub-zero temperatures or walking vast distances to collect wild seeds, nuts and plants for our cave.

If we want to follow the Paleo Diet, maybe a substantial increase in physical activity could make an even greater difference to our weight loss and our health!

Read DietDoc's column: Paleo diet - is it worth the switch? And don't forget to add your thoughts to the comments just below the article! And if you have any questions for DietDoc, fire away here

Read more on how to have a super healthy heart in our special Healthy You section

Image: cave man after his meat from Shutterstock
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