Nutrition And Genetics: Stone Age Diet
We have recently seen many diets and theories that promise miraculous results to whoever follows them. It ranges from losing weight without counting calories or starving yourself, to guaranteeing a longer life and better health. One of the most popular is the Stone Age diet.
Stone Age diet: What is it all about?
People call the Paleolithic diet “palæo” or “stone age diet”. This diet is based on the idea that our genes play a fundamental role in the effect food has on our body. As such, man has not adapted to the new foods that agriculture has brought with it.
They claim that evolution only changes the human body to an extremely slow degree. This is why the new foods that our ancestors started eating after the Stone Age have a detrimental effect on our body.
Because of this, proponents of this diet believe that we should go back to eating only what the caveman did. That means we should only eat fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, grains and certain roots and tubers.
Why do they think grain is bad for you?
For fans of the Stone Age diet, cereals are one of the biggest enemies of health. Since Robb Wolf, one of the first proponents of this type of diet, made the diet popular, its followers have strongly criticized this type of food. They claim that agriculture was one of the biggest mistakes in modern history.
The main argument that supporters of this caveman diet use to speak out against grain products has two parts. First, they claim that cereals do not contain sufficient nutritional value.
Specifically, they say that grain products cannot provide you with the nutrients you need to survive. Second, they believe that grain products are loaded with antinutrients. These substances interfere with your body’s ability to absorb all vitamins and minerals. And what’s worse is that they make you sick
They do not care that society has always seen bread and grain as good things. People who eat stone age diets should completely abstain from these foods. But is it worth it? Does this diet actually work?
Scientific evidence backs up Stone Age diet
One of the main problems with nutrition is that researchers do not yet know everything about it. Another major problem is that it is difficult to make scientific experiments to prove the effects of one or the other diet. That is why there is no official scientific consensus on what is healthy and what is not.
What should I eat according to this diet?
The premise of the Stone Age diet is quite simple: Eat only the foods that your ancestors could find in nature. You are not allowed to eat cereals, but otherwise you can actually eat almost anything that comes from animals or plants.
You should also avoid processed foods. After all, there were no sodas and fries in the environment from which we evolved. Since these are very new inventions, they harm the body more than grains do.
Although scientific research does not back up quite a few modern diets, it seems that Stone Age diets are an exception. However, always consult a specialist before making any radical changes. Only they can tell you whether it’s good or bad to follow a particular diet, depending on exactly your circumstances.
