'caveman' diet gains traction

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Against the grain, 'caveman' diet gains traction

September 15th, 2011 in Health

Could Paleolithic man hold the key to today's nutrition problems?

A growing number of adherents to the so-called " caveman " diet contend that a

return to the hunter-gatherer foods of the Stone Age -- heavy on meats,

devoid of most grains -- could alleviate problems like obesity, type 2

diabetes and many coronary problems.

The Paleo diet movement is backed by some academics and fitness gurus, and

has gained some praise in medical research in the US and elsewhere even

though it goes against recommendations of most mainstream nutritionists and

government guidelines.

Loren Cordain, a professor of health and exercise science at Colorado State

University, said he believes millions in the United States and elsewhere are

following the Paleo diet movement, based on sales of books such as his own

and Internet trends.

" It was an obscure idea 10 years ago, and in the last two to three years it

has become known worldwide, " Cordain, one the leading academics backing the

Paleo diet, told AFP.

" There are at least a half-dozen books on the best seller list that are

promoting this, " he added.

The underlying basis for the Stone Age diet is a belief that homo sapiens

evolved into modern humans with a hunter-gatherer diet that promoted brain

function and overall health. Backers say the human genome is essentially

unchanged from the end of the Paleolithic era 10,000 years ago after

evolving over millions of years.

" It's intuitive, " Cordain said. " Obviously you can't feed meat to a horse,

you can't feed hay to a cat. The reason for that is that their genes were

shaped in different ecological niches. "

He said peer-reviewed research has shown the Paleo diet better than the

Mediterranean diet, US government recommendations and diets aimed at

controlling adult diabetes.

One study published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology showed

a Paleolithic diet " improved glycemic control and several cardiovascular

risk factors compared to a diabetes diet. "

A Swedish study published in the Journal Nutrition and Metabolism found that

a Stone Age diet is " more satiating per calorie than a Mediterranean-like

diet, " making it something to be considered in fighting obesity.

High-energy foods at the lowest energy cost

Some aspects of the Paleo diet are widely accepted, such as shunning many

refined and processed starches and sugars in favor of fresh fruits, nuts and

vegetables. But the controversy stems from its elimination of most cereals,

legumes and dairy products, relying instead on high-protein meats, fish and

eggs.

The Paleo diet has a devoted following, some who link it to improved fitness

and longevity, including Arthur De Vany, a 74-year-old former economics

professor who promotes vigorous workouts and wrote a 2010 book, " The New

Evolution Diet: What Our Paleolithic Ancestors Can Teach Us about Weight

Loss, Fitness, and Aging. "

" Our forager ancestors sought out high-energy (meaning high-calorie,

high-fat) foods that could be obtained at the lowest energy cost, " De Vany

says in his book.

" We began getting heavier and developing new diseases once we ceased to be

hunter-gatherers and instead became farmers -- or more specifically once we

started eating the food we grow rather than gathering food. "

But a US News survey of nutritionists ranked the Paleo diet last among 20

possible options, far below the Mediterranean, vegan or Weight Watchers

diets.

It noted that the Paleo diet gets 23 percent of calories from carbohydrates

compared to 45 to 65 percent in US government recommendations, and that the

Stone Age regime is higher than recommended for protein and fat.

" While its focus on veggies and lean meat is admirable, experts couldn't get

past the fact that entire food groups, like dairy and grains, are excluded

on Paleo diets, " US News said.

n Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at

New York University, told AFP that the Paleo diet " would not be appropriate

for today's sedentary lifestyles. "

Nestle and others also dispute some of the historical claims of Paleo diet

advocates. " The claim that half the calories in the Paleolithic diet came

from meat is difficult to confirm, " she said.

In a research paper, Nestle said the life expectancy of Stone Age man was

around 25 years " suggesting that the Paleolithic diet, among other life

conditions, must have been considerably less than ideal. "

Cordain argues however that there are modern societies of hunter-gatherers

where the theory can be tested.

In these societies, " elderly people have been shown to be generally free of

the signs and symptoms of chronic disease (obesity, high blood pressure,

high cholesterol levels) that universally afflict the elderly in Western

societies, " he says on his blog.

" When these people adopt Western diets, their health declines and they begin

to exhibit signs and symptoms of 'diseases of civilization.' "

Cordain acknowledges that because of the way society has evolved, it is

impractical to feed the world with Paleo diets because many societies have

become dependent on cereals.

But he says it can be successfully used in many Western countries, and

argues that despite jokes about the Stone Age, mainstream nutritionists will

come around to his conclusions.

" This is not a fad, this is not Fred Flintstone, this is the wave of the

future, " he said.

© 2011 AFP

" Against the grain, 'caveman' diet gains traction. " September 15th, 2011.

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-grain-caveman-diet-gains-traction.html

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Karl Stonjek