Benefits And Risks In Following Paleo Diet

In today’s age, staying fit and healthy is of utmost importance to many people, and there are many diets and exercises which one can follow to achieve this. The Paleo diet is one such experiment that gained massive traction in the past couple of years wherein people eat food that our ancestors aged a couple of centuries ago. 

Benefits And Risks In Following Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet is based on having large quantities of nuts, seeds, fruits, and meat. This diet restricts the consumption of dairy products, refined sugar, soft drinks, processed foods, grains, and legumes. 

The main thought behind this meat-based diet is that our ancestors were more robust and healthier till late age due to this diet. However, research shows that even our ancestors depended on a plant-based diet more, and only 3% came from animal-based food. 

As per the supporters of this diet, the benefits of having a paleo diet are that it will reduce your weight as there are no fast foods or dairy-based products which can induce fats in large amounts. Since the fat consumption is low, there is a lower chance of cholesterol issues in a person. This diet also keeps the blood pressure in check and reduces the mortality rate of a person.

Few of the benefits of this diet have been proven by science as well, like most of the processed foods are rich in sodium which can lead to cholesterol and blood pressure. Switching to fruits is quite healthy in maintaining these diseases at par. Weight loss has also been proven due to this diet as there are not many food items that can induce fat into your body, and the food items are mostly broken down in building muscles which can also improve the posture of the body.

In a 2015 review of the Paleo diet among 159 people, it was found that there were improvements in blood pressure, weight loss in a good way, good levels of lipoprotein, lower blood sugar levels, and good amounts of triglyceride acids. It was also found that the BMI (Body to Mass Index) of people has been improving with the Paleo diet.

However, the Paleo diet does have some disadvantages as well because dairy products and legumes are not included in it. Dairy products are a good source of vitamin D and calcium, which are essential for the development of bones and muscles in the body. If there is a deficiency of these nutrients, then bone fracture would not heal quickly or could also result in permanent damage.

The Paleo diet also removes legumes and beans from the diet, which are a high source of fiber and minerals. These nutrients are also essential in lowering the cholesterol levels of the body and also provide satiety. Therefore a person won’t keep on eating and eating, thereby maintaining good weight levels.

Some of the studies done on the Paleo diet also saw that people saw higher amounts of trimethylamine N-oxide. This is highly dangerous as it could lead to cardiovascular and even breathing issues if not controlled at the right time.

Another disadvantage of the Paleo diet is that it’s mostly based on meat, and meat is said to contain more unsaturated fats. A person should know the amount of unsaturated fat that is entering their body, and it should not be more than 13 gm per day as it could lead to cardiovascular issues.

In Summary, it could be said that the Paleo diet has its own merits and demerits at a particular place. It would be highly advisable to follow this diet after getting the go-ahead from your dietician, who can weigh all the pros and cons as per your body requirement so that there are no health issues.