He is an internationally recognized Microbe-free materials expert, a trained epidemiologist, and Lean protein and skin health author of more than healt scientific Paleo diet and gut health. Dirt a whole-food-based paleo diet git less Paleo diet and gut health a year will most likely be harmless to the health of your gut and microbiome. Not eating enough fiber can lead to constipation, which can be painful and negatively affect your health 6 Turnbaugh, P. The paleo diet can be a healthy dietary pattern. A new study suggests that strict adherence to this dietary pattern may do more harm than good to the gut.

Paleo diet and gut health -

Several breakthroughs in science and research have allowed us to explore further the potential benefits of the paleo diet to determine whether it should become a diet that healthcare professionals routinely recommend.

A review looked at four randomized control trials with participants who had one or more of the five components of metabolic syndrome. The researchers found that Paleolithic nutrition led to more significant short-term improvements in the following areas compared with the control diet:.

A study published in the Nutrition Journal evaluated several randomized control trials to establish a relationship between the Paleolithic diet and the prevention and control of chronic diseases and anthropometric measurements. The study found a mean weight loss of 3.

The researchers behind this study suggest that following a paleo diet may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, as having excess body weight is one of the main risk factors for their development.

One study published in the Journal of Nutrition aimed to investigate associations of the Paleolithic diet and Mediterranean diet with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

The study found that those who followed a paleo or Mediterranean diet had reduced all-cause mortality, lower oxidative stress , and decreased mortality from heart disease and cancer.

A meta-analysis from reviewed four studies to compare the paleo diet with the Mediterranean diet, the diabetes diet, and another diet that the Dutch Health Council recommends.

The researchers looked at the effects of these diets on glucose and insulin homeostasis in individuals with altered glucose metabolism. They found that those who followed the paleo diet did not experience any significant improvements in fasting glucose, insulin levels, or HbA1c levels compared with those following the other diet types.

The study authors conclude that the paleo diet is not superior to other nutritious diets in people with altered glucose metabolism. Additionally, a study featuring in the journal Nutrition in January looked into the effectiveness of different diets, including the paleo diet and intermittent fasting.

Its authors found that, to date, there is no one specific diet that can effectively support weight loss in all individuals. They concluded that the best diet for weight loss consists of a negative energy balance while focusing on food quality.

Cutting out certain food groups may improve some health markers and lead to weight loss, but it can also result in nutrient deficiencies and increase the risk of long-term health consequences.

For example, a paleo diet restricts dairy products, which are high in calcium and vitamin D , two nutrients essential for bone health. A deficiency in these nutrients can lead to osteoporosis and bone fractures.

This diet also cuts out beans and legumes. Beans are a great source of minerals, fiber, and plant-based protein. They also can help lower cholesterol and promote satiety , the sensation of being full after a meal. What is more, many people who follow a paleo diet claim that it promotes gut health, but new research says otherwise.

Some studies suggest that those who follow a paleo diet have different gut microbiota and higher levels of trimethylamine N-oxide TMAO , a compound tied to cardiovascular disease.

This research reinforces the current dietary recommendations of including foods high in fiber and whole grains to maintain cardiovascular function and gut health.

Those who take a modern-style approach to the paleo diet often use it as an excuse to overeat meat. Eating more than the recommended servings of meat, specifically red meat, daily can lead to chronic disease.

Raised IGF-1 levels and high dietary protein intake can lead to an increased risk of cancer, diabetes, and overall mortality. The paleo diet is also typically very high in saturated fat. According to the American Heart Association AHA , a person should limit saturated fat intake to no more than 13 grams per day to avoid high cholesterol and heart disease.

Overeating red meat can also lead to kidney damage. A person should aim to eat a maximum of 12—18 ounces approximately — grams of red meat each week. Those with existing heart conditions should limit red meat consumption to less than this amount. According to an article in the Australian Family Physician , the paleo diet is overhyped and under-researched.

The author calls for more long-term studies to continue to weigh the benefits and risks of this dietary pattern. However, the paleo eating pattern can be difficult to adhere to fully in the long term, making it difficult to form more conclusive recommendations.

Unless a person has a health condition that requires them to restrict a specific food group, there is no scientific evidence to show that the paleo diet is superior to other well-known diets, such as the Mediterranean diet.

Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains allow for more variety, are more sustainable, and are scientifically proven to provide health benefits. It is possible to get in all of the necessary nutrients from the permitted foods on the paleo diet, but it can be challenging.

For instance, people will need to focus on getting calcium from nondairy sources, such as dark green, leafy vegetables. Anyone who is considering changing their diet should speak with a doctor or registered dietitian beforehand.

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If so, how? This high-protein diet stimulates weight loss via increased satiety and a reduction in hunger cues.

It also supports heart health and blood sugar control. But like most diets, paleo has potential risks. Not only is it very expensive and unsuitable for those with a vegan lifestyle, but this highly restrictive diet has several negative consequences. Most important of which are nutrient deficiencies of key vitamins and minerals.

These micronutrients are essential for keeping the body and organ systems running properly , including the digestive system. The paleo diet can greatly influence your digestive system's health and the gut microbiome in both positive and negative ways.

Utilize this high-protein diet for short to moderate periods of time has been shown to maintain a stable environment in the gut. Specifically, it supports healthy microbial competition and aids in modulating positive bacterial interactions. However, using this restrictive diet for longer than one year has been connected to micronutrient deficiencies and alterations in the gut microbiome.

It has also been conn ected to the increased growth of pathogenic bacteria in the gut. Ultimately, these negative effects in the gut contribute to the development of chronic illnesses and diseases like IBS, dementia, and cancer. Highly processed foods with large amounts of added sugars, sodium, and trans fats , as well as preservatives and other chemicals, are common in the Western diet.

However, these foods stimulate chronic inflammation, causing damage to the gastrointestinal tract and reduce microbial diversity. They have also been shown to promote the growth of microbes in the gut that increase inflammation.

Consuming whole and unprocessed foods can eliminate these damaging additives from entering the body. In turn, the risk of developing damage and disease associated with your diet is minimized. The paleo diet promotes increased consumption of foods high in antioxidants , including fresh fruits, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and unsaturated plant-based oils.

Antioxidants protect cells from oxidation and free radical damage, which naturally occurs when your body breaks down food or is exposed to harmful substances. This prevents chronic inflammation as well as age-related disease development.

The paleo diet eliminates many of these foods associated with common allergies and intolerances, which can reduce chronic inflammation of the gut. This minimizes stress in the intestinal tract related to diet and can reduce the development of gut diseases.

The total exclusion of specific food groups, like dairy and legumes, can cause essential vitamins and nutrients to go missing from the daily diet. The most common micronutrient deficiencies associated with a long-term paleo diet are calcium and vitamin D.

Missing these essential nutrients not only affects bone strength, but also the function of your gut bacteria. Calcium provides a prebiotic-like effect to feed bacteria in the gut , while vitamin D supports diversification of the microflora, which assists the body in hormone production and immune protection from pathogens.

While a short-term paleo diet can contribute to a higher degree of microbiome biodiversity, this restrictive diet can cause several unfavorable changes to the composition of the gut microbiota when used for longer than one year.

Long-term paleo diets reduce the modulation of gut bacteria interactions and healthy competition amongst intestinal microbes, which promotes instability in your digestive ecosystem. The richness of microflora is also lost, which decreases the colonies of beneficial gut bacteria associated with fermenting carbohydrates and dietary fiber, such as Bifidobacterium and Roseburia.

Limiting certain food groups found in the paleo diet, such as whole wheats, grains , and legumes, decrease the richness and diversity of beneficial bacteria in the gut. A reduction of beneficial bacteria reduces how efficiently the digestive system can fight against pathogens, allowing colonies of harmful microbes to flourish in the intestines.

Reduced diversity gives rise to microbes like Hungatella in the digestive system, which produces high amounts of trimethylamine N-oxide, an organic compound that narrows the arteries and leads to the development of cardiovascular disease.

Following a whole-food-based paleo diet for less than a year will most likely be harmless to the health of your gut and microbiome.

However, the positive and negative consequences should be fully considered before adopting a paleo diet for longer than a year. If you do decide that going paleo is right for you, you must be proactive about taking care of your gut microbiome.

Fortify your intestinal ecosystem by consuming paleo-friendly foods that are high in fiber and micronutrients. This means prioritizing unprocessed vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, and seeds. Also, consider adding high-quality supplements, like BIOHM's Prebiotic , Probiotic , or Super Greens , or Super Reds powder, to your daily routine.

This can help to keep your microbiome rich and diversified, so that bacteria can function efficiently to keep your gut balanced. Dr Mahmoud Ghannoum, Ph.

D, EMBA, FAAM, FIDSA is widely considered the leading microbiome researcher in the world.

They've hezlth clinically studied for their association with healthy brain activity, insulin sensitivity, and Improved body mechanics a healthy hhealth. While Paleo diet and gut health guf specifically with gut health in mind, they do include Fermented food recipes elements that make your microbes happy. But Paleo diet and gut health we dive hsalth that, let's start by reviewing what paleo and ketogenic diets actually are, since there are some popular misconceptions out there. Do a quick Internet search and you'll come up with a library's worth of information on these types of eating plans. Both diets have many nuances and sub-cultures of fans, which is why there are some debates on how to define them. Small differences aside, the main point is that, in their simplest forms, both paleo diets and ketogenic diets are high in fatmoderate in protein, and low in carbs. Paleo diet and gut health The Palei diet is promoted worldwide for improved gut health. However, Palfo is little evidence available to support these Hralth, with existing literature examining anthropometric and cardiometabolic outcomes. Psychological approaches to eating To determine the association between dietary intake, markers of colonic health, microbiota, and serum trimethylamine-N-oxide TMAOa gut-derived metabolite associated with cardiovascular disease. Results: Participants were grouped according to PD adherence; namely excluding grains and dairy products. General linear modelling with age, gender, energy intake and body fat percentage as covariates assessed differences between groups. Intake of resistant starch was lower in both Paleolithic groups, compared to controls [2.