The Paleo Diet: Some Supporting Evidence

In The Paleo Diet Update v.5, #6 – “How Healthy Were Our Ancestors?,” Mr. Pedro Bastos writes:

This evolutionary template shows that to achieve optimal health, body composition and physical fitness, we should try to emulate our ancestors’ diet and lifestyle.

Some of the reasons for this conclusion are:

1. Lower total blood cholesterol in primitive populations versus average American populations. 2. Lower blood pressure among hunter-gatherers. 3. Lack of association between blood pressure and age in Yanomamo Indians compared to North Americans. 4. Good insulin sensitivity in populations adopting a primitive lifestyle. … 9. Higher maximum oxygen consumption (Vo2 max) in primitive populations versus average Americans. 10. Lower fracture rates in Papua-New Guinea primitive populations compared to Western populations. 11. Better bone health markers in hunter-gatherer fossils compared to primitive agriculturists and Western populations. 12. Very low incidence of chronic degenerative diseases (such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, acne and myopia) in primitive populations compared to Western populations, ancient Egyptians, and medieval Europeans. These comparative markers of health collectively indicate that our hunter-gatherer ancestors were lean, healthy, fit, and free of the signs and symptoms of most diseases seen in modern civilization.

Good stuff. I have not delved into and mastered the science behind the Paleo Diet or behind Art DeVany’s Evolutionary Fitness, but from what I have read it all seems inductive and integrated — they seem to have a solid, indisputable case for their health, nutrition and exercise claims. A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is supposed to work wonders for cats and dogs, too.