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Those who advocate that contemporary humans regularly consume a Paleolithic diet base their advocacy on the premise that natural selection had 2 million or more years to genetically adapt the various human species to such a diet, and that in the 10,000 years since the invention of agriculture and its consequent major change in the human diet, natural selection has had too little time to make the optimal genetic adaptations to the new diet. According to those advocates, physiological and metabolic maladaptations result from those suboptimal genetic adaptations, which in turn contribute to many of the so-called diseases of civilization.1 Those considerations give rise to a simple theme: if a food item resembles one that can be found in the wild, obtained with bare hands or simple tools, and ingested immediately without cooking, processing, and by simple preparation (i.e., peeling, cracking, washing, etc.), ''and'' cause the consumer no ill effects either during or after consumption, then it can be considered edible, and therefore permissible to eat. Any food meeting this standard can then be cooked and prepared by the simplest means as are practical and consumed in modest quantities. Overview Supporters of this theory argue that since human Genetics have scarcely changed since the Stone Age , an ideal Diet would be a reconstructed Stone Age diet such as the one Humans and Proto-humans used before the Neolithic Revolution . Therefore through studying Archeology and modern Hunter-gatherer s it could be determined what a healthy diet would comprise. Interest in paleolithic nutrition has grown in recent years as Low-carbohydrate Diet s have become more popular, as the two practices have certain similarities. This dietary concept is concerned primarily with health issues, as opposed to ethical or economic concerns. Advocates of paleolithic nutrition believe that the best foods for the human body are those that humans are best adapted to eat. Proponents argue that many diseases are diet related and can be caused by straying from this approach. History History of the human diet ''Contributions are needed for this section'' History of this theory One of the first suggestions that following a diet similar to that of the late Paleolithic area would improve a person's health was made in the '' New England Journal Of Medicine '' in 19852. This was followed up by a book, ''The Paleolithic Prescription''3, which focused on achieving the same proportions of nutrients ( Fat , Protein , and Carbohydrate s, as well as Vitamin s and Minerals ) as were present in the diet of late Paleolithic people, not on excluding foods that were not available before the development of agriculture. As such, this early version of the paleolithic diet recommended such foods as skim Milk , Whole Grain Bread , Brown Rice , and Potato es prepared without fat, on the argument that such foods have the same nutritional properties as paleolithic foods. More recent versions of the paleolithic diet, such as ''NeanderThin''4 and ''The Paleo Diet''5, focus on eliminating all foods that were not available to human beings in Paleolithic times, such as Milk , Dairy Product s, and Grains . Practices One of the basic premises of this nutritional theory is that many of the foods that humans eat today are not suitable for consumption due to the extensive preparation and processing methods utilized in today's kitchens. These foods, if eaten in their natural state, are ill-tasting, unchewable, and sometimes toxic to the human body. Without modern processing methods, these foods are, in effect, inedible. Foods in the diet Foods which are included in the diet are ones that can be obtained by using paleolithic tools and practices, like Meat (preferably Game , though many followers of the diet eat farmed meat for practical reasons), Fish , and gathered or foraged Fruit s, Leave s, and Root s of plants, Mushroom s, Nut s, Egg s, and Honey . Some practitioners allow the use of Oil s derived those foods which can be obtained and produced through paleolithic means and are edible in their natural, uncooked state. Examples could include Sesame oil and Safflower oil, but not Olive Oil or oils derived from beans (for example, Peanut Oil ) or grains (for example, Corn Oil ). Others avoid the use of any oil, as it is a processed food. The non-animal foods available in the diet are the same as those available in Raw Veganism . However, there are two fundamental differences between raw veganism and the paleolithic diet: Firstly, practitioners consume meat and other animal products (in fact usually more is consumed than on a standard modern diet, in some cases substantially more). Secondly, any and all food ''may'' be cooked if desired. Foods not in the diet Vegetable foods which are not edible raw and unprocessed are excluded from the diet. The foods falling into this category are mainly Grains ( Wheat , Corn , Rice , etc.), Starch y Vegetables (i.e., Bean s, and Potato es), certain fruits and nuts (e.g. Olive s and Cashew s), and refined Sugar s. Alcoholic Beverage s are generally excluded because Fermentation is also a form of processing, although some paleolithic eaters allow certain exceptions (i.e., wine, since fermented (over-ripe) fruit can be found and consumed in small quantities with little ill effect). Dairy Product s are excluded despite being edible raw, since they cannot be found or consumed easily in nature, at least in any considerable quantity, and are consequently a post-agricultural food. Intake The generally prescribed proportions of Protein , Fat , and Carbohydrate are approximately 20-35%, 30-60%, and 20-35% respectively by Calories . By calories the diet is commonly around 45-65% animal products and 35-55% plant products. Alternatively, because of the large amount of Water in fruits and vegetables, the diet is, by weight, roughly 2/3 plant products and 1/3 animal products. Consequently, because of the high water content of fruits and vegetables, it is generally accepted that slightly less non-food water is required for optimal health. This is also supported by the fact that fresh water is not always readily available in the wild and that humans must rely on other sources for their water needs. This is not a reduction in need for water, but a shift in where water can be obtained. The Vitamin and Mineral content of the diet is very high compared to a standard diet, in many cases a multiple of the RDA . Food sources and preparation For many practitioners of paleolithic nutrition, the foods' source is just as important as the kind of foods being consumed. It is common practice to obtain paleolithic foods from as Natural a source as possible. Farmed meats, especially those Organically Farmed , are available from many natural sources, from Free Range poultry to Grass Fed Beef , with many proponents preferring, thought not as practical, wild Game meats like Quail , Rabbit , and Venison . It is common practice among paleolithic eaters that when cooking, unconventional cooking means should be avoided, such as the use of Microwave Oven s, and that foods are cooked just enough to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present. Modern-day practitioners of the paleolithic diet must be careful to get necessary nutrients found in foods that are not on the diet. For example, , and since it can be expensive to eat fish several times a week, many followers of the diet may choose to take calcium and vitamin D Supplements to be sure they get enough of these nutrients. Benefits The benefits of a paleolithic diet are, as with most dietetic theories, widely debated. There are however a number of medically diagnosed conditions whose sufferers have been shown to benefit directly from specific components of the diet. Some examples of this include:
Other key health benefits commonly associated with and supported by this theory include:
Support Phytic Acid , a chemical present in grain, is a strong Chelator of important Mineral s such as Calcium , Magnesium , Iron , and Zinc . It, in essence, 'binds up' these minerals, and since humans lack the Digestive Enzyme Phytase required to break this bond, these important minerals are not Bioavailable , contributing significantly to mineral deficiencies. This problem is increased when dietary mineral supplements are not available, such as in Developing Countries . Criticism
One criticism of the Paleolithic diet is that it is possible that the human body has indeed Evolved to some extent since early man. Small changes in the human body could still have occurred within the time frame from early in the paleolithic up until recent times. For example, populations that have had agriculture for a while, may have had the time to adapt to it, at least to a small extent ( Microevolution ). One example is Lactose Intolerance . Although most modern humans retain the ancestral feature of not being able to digest the sugar Lactose which is found in milk after Weaning from their mother's milk, the populations (mostly Europeans , Arab s, India ns, and the Maasai ) that raised animals for dairy, did indeed evolve the ability (lactose tolerance) to digest it. Since there could have been changes to our body design (albeit small ones) since the last Ice Age, it may not be true that what was good for the Stone-age humans is good for modern people. As a counterpoint, the ability to consume lactose is not a large genetic leap, as we are already predesigned to consume breast milk; i.e. milk is much less objectionable from an evolutionary perspective when contrasted with other foods that are disallowed. Also, one should consider that, despite the claim that eating a paleolithic diet (which is more natural) can expand and improve one's lifestyle, the actual paleolithic peoples would have lived a very short, harsh lifestyle (perhaps only thirty or forty years). Many modern innovations (e.g. cooking, pasteurizing and inspecting food quality) have contributed greatly to our health, longevity and well-being. As a counterpoint, the paleolithic diet certainly does not object to improved food quality. Additionally the paleolithic diet does not frown on fire as it was available for a few hundred thousand years; hence cooking may also be ok - for some foods. (However grain products which almost always require extensive processing prior to cooking would be much less likely to be acceptable under the diet.) Cautions about poisoning As the consumption of raw foods gains popularity, some unsafe foods have occasionally entered the human diet. It should be pointed out that it is generally accepted among the supporters of paleolithic nutrition that while it ''is'' necessary to eat only those things that ''can be'' consumed raw, it ''is not necessary or advisable'' to eat those foods raw. Many foods can harbor dangerous Pathogen s, including, among other things, Salmonella , Norovirus , and '' Trichinella Spiralis '', many of which can have serious health consequences if not first killed by means of heating, i.e., cooking. For this reason, cooking is allowed of things that, under normal healthy circumstances, would not require cooking to be consumed (grains still being discounted). The heating to an adequately high temperature of meat, poultry, and fish will normally destroy harmful Bacteria and in worse cases Parasite eggs (such as Tapeworm ). Raw eggs can also contain many harmful substances, most commonly salmonella. However, recent studies have shown that the level of salmonella infection found in commercial eggs is negligible.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12022671&dopt=Abstract References See also Some closely related diets, such as that recommended by the and Longevity . Dairy , Whole Grain s, Legume s, and Potato es are therefore encouraged insofar as one's specific ancestry allows them to be tolerated, and culturing of foods is encouraged. ''Other related diets'':
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