The paleodion, also known as the Stone Age brush, is a nutritional philosophy based on the eating habits of people living in Paleolithic times - a period ranging from about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago, before agriculture's rise changed human diet dramatically. This was a time when humans were hunters and collectors, dependent on nature's offerings such as wildlife, fish, wild plants, nuts and seeds. At the heart of the paleodion is the belief that our genetics is still best adapted to these foods, and that modern processed products such as grain, legumes, dairy products and refined sugar can contribute to health challenges such as overweight, diabetes and heart disease. The diet focuses on whole, unprocessed foods and excludes agricultural products and industrially produced goods. The goal is to promote general health and well -being through a natural, nutritional diet that reflects what our ancestors ate. This article provides an in -depth analysis of the origin of the paleodiet, principles, benefits, technical details, variations and its relevance in today's world, supported by scientific sources and practical examples.
Benefits of the diet.
The Paleodion has gained popularity for its potential contributions to general health and well -being, without making direct medical claims to treat or prevent specific diseases.
Here is a detailed review of its effects, supported by both user experiences and research:
🌿 Better control of blood sugar: The paleodion eliminates fast carbohydrates such as refined sugar and grain, replacing them with fiber -rich vegetables and fruits with low glycemic index, such as berries. This can help stabilize blood sugar and reduce fluctuations that often lead to energy pits and hunger. Studies have shown that such a diet can support healthy glucose tolerance, which is important for general metabolic health.
⚡ Stable energy level: Without the rapid blood sugar rises that refined carbohydrates and sugar, many experience a smoother energy supply throughout the day. Healthy fat sources such as avocado, nuts and oily fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, provide long-term energy and support normal functioning of brain and heart. This can be especially useful for people with demanding weekdays or active lifestyles.
💪 Increased satiety and natural weight reduction: Many who follow the paleodiet experience a natural reduction in body weight or simpler maintenance of a healthy weight. This is due to diets' focus on foods with high nutrient density, such as lean meat, vegetables and fruits. Protein -rich foods stimulate hormones such as ghrelin and leptin, which regulate hunger and satiety, thus reducing overeating without the need for calorie counting.
🔥 Reduced intake of inflammatory foods: By excluding dairy products, grains and processed foods - which can contain gluten, lectins and trans fat - the paleodion can help reduce systemic inflammation. Research suggests that this can support the body's natural balance and give a sense of increased well -being, although it is not directly linked to the treatment of inflammatory conditions.
🌱 Improved digestion: Elimination of grain and legumes, containing anti -nutrients such as phytic acid and lectins, are reported to provide less bloating and better intestinal comfort. Fiber from vegetables such as broccoli and sweet potatoes help maintain a healthy intestinal flora, which is essential to the immune system and general well -being. This can also support the absorption of nutrients from the food.
🍎 Increased intake of nutrient -dense foods: The paleodion is rich in vitamins (such as C from vegetables and A from liver), minerals (such as magnesium from nuts and iron from meat) and antioxidants (from berries and leafy vegetables). This wide spectrum of micronutrients can strengthen the body's natural processes and give a sense of vitality.
🧠 Mental clarity and stress reduction: Some users are experiencing increased focus and reduced stress, possibly due to stable blood sugar and nourishment from omega-3 and B vitamins in animal products. This can support the body's ability to handle mental challenges and promote a balanced state of mind.
🌞 Healthy skin and vitality: Increased intake of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables can protect the cells from oxidative stress, which contributes to a healthy skin barrier. Elimination of dairy products, which in some can trigger inflammation, can also provide a clearer skin tone. Water intake and natural foods also promote cell -level hydration.
🏃♂️ Recovery after activity: Protein from meat, fish and eggs provides essential amino acids for muscle repair, while minerals such as magnesium and potassium help maintain the electrolyte balance after exercise. This makes the paleodion attractive to athletes and exercisers who want to support the body's natural recovery processes. The Paleodiet is a nutritional framework based on specific food groups and principles. Here is a detailed overview of its structure:
🍗 Allowed food:
-
Proteins: Lean meat (grassy ox, lamb, wildlife such as deer and moose), poultry (chicken, turkey), fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel-rich in omega-3), seafood (shrimp, mussels, oysters) and eggs. These are sources of high quality protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12.
-
Vegetables: Leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, ruccola), root vegetables (sweet potatoes, cabbage root, parsnip), the cruciform family (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts). These provide fiber, vitamin C, K and folate.
-
Fruit: Berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), apples, pears, citrus fruits - often with low sugar content. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins and natural sugar sources.
-
Healthy: Nuts (almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts), seeds (pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds), avocado, olive oil, coconut oil. Sources of monounsaturated and medium fatty acids, as well as magnesium and vitamin E.
🚫 Excluded foods:
-
Grain: Wheat, rice, oats, barley, quinoa - contains gluten and anti -nutrients that can bind minerals and irritate the gut.
-
Legumes: Beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, soy - have lectins and phytic acid that can reduce nutrient absorption.
-
Dairy products: Milk, yogurt, cheese, butter - contains lactose and casein, which some cannot tolerate.
-
Refined sugar and processed foods: Candy, soft drinks, chips, ready -made foods - high in sugar, salt and trans fat.
-
Vegetable oils: Soy oil, sunflower oil, corn oil-often refined and pro-inflammatory due to high omega-6 content.
🌍 Seasonally adaptation: The paleodion is dynamic and reflects the rhythms of nature. In summer, it can include more carbohydrates from fruits such as berries and vegetables such as squash, while winter can be richer in fat and proteins from animal sources such as oily fish and wildlife, in line with a ketogenic approach. This reflects how our ancestors adapted to the environment and availability of food.
🐄 Nose-to-tail principle: A core idea is to utilize the entire animal - including organs (liver, heart, kidneys), bone marrow, leather and fat. Liver is one of nature's richest sources of vitamin A, iron and B12, while bone marrow provides collagen and healthy fatty acids. This maximizes nutritional intake, reduces food waste and reflects a sustainable approach to nutrition.
Comprehensive and detailed description
The paleodion has roots in an evolutionary understanding of human nutrition. In paleolithic times, humans depended on hunting, fishing and sinking, and the diet varied significantly based on geography, climate and season. In tropical areas, as with the Kitavan people at Papua Ny-Guinea, the diet consisted of roots (yam, sweet potatoes), fruit, coconut and fish-high in carbohydrates, but still unprocessed. In Arctic regions, as in the Inuit in North America and Greenland, fatty fish, seals, whales and reindeer-low in carbohydrates, but rich in fat and protein dominated. Despite these differences, both populations were known for robust health, which emphasizes that the Paleodion is not a rigid template, but a flexible framework adapted to local conditions.
Historical development
The concept was first theorized in the 1970s by gastroenterologist Walter Voegtlin, who in his book The Stone Age Diet (1975) argued that a hunter-collector diet could reduce chronic diseases in modern times. However, it received broad recognition with Loren Cordain's book The Paleo Diet in 2002. Cordain claimed that agricultural entry 10,000 years ago introduced foods such as grain and legumes, which the human body was not fully adapted to digest. Industrialization for the last 100 years reinforced this by adding ultra-processed foods such as sugary drinks, ready-made foods and refined oils, correlating with the increase in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Cordain's hypothesis is based on anthropological and archae. For example, studies of skeletons from paleolithic shows that humans had strong bone health and minimal with tooth decay compared to agricultural communities, where caries and malnutrition became more common due to unilateral grain -based diet. At the same time, findings of tools to paint wild grain and plant fossils in teeth show that the diet was more varied than previously thought, which has led to a debate about the diets' historical accuracy.
Variations of the paleodiet
The paleodion is found in several forms, adapted to different needs and preferences:
-
String paleo: Only foods from the Stone Age, no exceptions - ideal for purists who want to mimic the ancestors accurately.
-
Primal paleo: Allows fermented dairy products such as kefir and yogurt for their probiotic content, based on Mark Sissons The Primal Blueprint.
-
Ketogen paleo: Low carbo and high fat intake - Suitable for winter seasons or dimensions of fat burning and ketosis.
-
Autoimmune Paleo (AIP): Excludes nuts, seeds, eggs and night shadow plants (tomato, bell peppers) to reduce inflammation in people with autoimmune conditions such as rheumatism or Crohn's disease.
-
Pegan: Combines paleo and veganism, with emphasis on plants (75 % of diet), but allows some animal protein - developed by Dr. Mark Hyman.
-
Carnivorous (carnivore): Only animal products, an extreme variant focused on meat, fish and eggs, popular with some biohackers.
Scientific basis
Research on the Paleodion is limited compared to other diets such as Mediterranean diet, but small studies provide insight. A study from 2009 (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition) showed that participants in a paleodiat experienced weight loss, lower blood pressure and better glucose tolerance after just three weeks. A meta -analysis from 2015 (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) Confirmed similar effects in people with metabolic syndrome, including reduction in triglycerides and waist. A Spanish observation study found that long-term Paleo intake correlated with lower cardiovascular risk factors, thanks to high intake of fruits and vegetables and avoidance of processed food. Critics claim that the diet overlooks evolutionary adaptations to paleolithic times. For example, many populations developed lactase parsistecia (the ability to digest milk sugar) in Europe and Africa after the domestication of animals, and increased copies of the Amy1 gene provide better starch digestance in agricultural-based societies. Archaeological finds also show that wild grains were consumed as early as 30,000 years ago, which challenges the idea that grain is "unnatural". Nevertheless, followers defend the diet by pointing to its focus on nutritional density and elimination of modern inflammatory foods such as trans fat and sugar.
Practical application
The paleodion is more than food choices - it is a holistic lifestyle that encourages:
-
Physical activity: Inspired by the movements of hunter-collectors-long walks, lifting heavy objects, short sprinter. This reflects a natural activity form without modern exercise equipment.
-
Local ingredients: In Norway, this can mean cod, reindeer, mullets and cranberries in the fall, or salmon, mushrooms and wild herbs in the summer. This supports sustainability and seasonal nutrition.
-
Seasonal variation: Summer diet with carbohydrate -rich berries and vegetables, winter diet with high -fat fish and wild - in line with nature's cycles and the needs of the body.
-
Minimally processed foods: Everything is prepared from scratch, without additives or artificial flavors.
Example of a week's menu:
-
Monday:
-
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach and avocado.
-
Lunch: Grilled chicken with sweet potato salad and olive oil.
-
Dinner: Baked salmon with steamed broccoli and blueberries.
-
Snacks: walnuts and carrot sticks.
-
-
Tuesday:
-
Breakfast: Omelette with mushrooms and pumpkin seeds.
-
Lunch: Steak strips with kale salad and coconut oil dressing.
-
Dinner: Fried cod with cauliflower puree and raspberries.
-
Snacks: almond and a bulb.
-
-
Wednesday:
-
Breakfast: Smoothie bowl with berries, coconut milk and chia seeds.
-
Lunch: Turkey breast with fried root vegetables.
-
Dinner: Wild stew with cabbage root and apple pieces.
-
Snacks: Hasselnuts and celery lists.
-
Comparison with other diet
-
Paleo vs. Keto: Both are low carb, but keto focuses on ketosis and allows dairy such as butter and cheese, while Paleo completely excludes it. Paleo allows more fruits and root vegetables.
-
Paleo vs. Mediterranean food: Both emphasize whole foods, but the Mediterranean brush includes grain (such as whole grain bread), legumes and dairy (such as feta cheese), and has stronger evidence of heart health.
-
Paleo vs. Vegan: Paleo is based on animal protein, while veganism excludes it completely and includes grain and legumes. Paleo focuses on evolutionary adaptation, veganism often on ethics.
-
Paleo vs. Weston A. Price: Weston A. Price allows fermented grain, dairy and traditional food such as sourdough bread, while Paleo is stricter and excludes them. Both value nutrient density.
-
Paleo vs. Dash: Dash (for blood pressure control) includes whole grains, lean dairy products and low sodium, while Paleo drops grain and dairy and does not focus on salt.
The Paleodion in a global perspective
The paleodion can be adapted to different cultures and climate. In the Mediterranean region it can include olives, fish and wild herbs, while in the Nordic countries it may include oily fish, berries and root vegetables. In tropical regions, it can look like the kitavan diet with coconut and yams. This shows the universal appeal and flexibility of diets, while retaining its focus on unworked raw materials.
Disclaimer and reservation
The paleodion is intended as a tool for general well -being and support for the body's natural processes, not as a substitute for medical treatment. Uno Vita AS does not claim that the diet can cure or prevent diseases. People with special health needs, such as diabetes, kidney disease or malnutrition, should consult a physician before use. Pregnant women, breastfeeding and children should also receive professional guidance. The diet should be adapted individually to ensure balanced nutrition, especially with regard to calcium and fiber, which may be lower without dairy and grain.
Freedom of speech and right to information
Uno Vita AS supports the right to share publicly available research and information on the Paleodion, in line with the UN Human Rights (1948), Article 19, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (1966), Article 19, Norwegian Constitution § 100, and the US First Amendment. The information is intended to promote knowledge and choices in health and well -being, without replacing medical advice.
References
-
Cordain, L. (2002). The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy By Eating The Foods You Were Designed To Eat. Wiley.
-
Eaton, S. B., & Konner, M. (1985). Paleolithic Nutrition: A Consideration of Its Nature and Current Implications. New England Journal of Medicine, 312(5), 283-289.
-
Frassetto, L. A., et al. (2009). Metabolic and Physiologic Improvements from Consuming a Paleolithic, Hunter-Gathier type diet. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63(8), 947-955.
-
Lindeberg, S. (2010). Food and western Disease: Health and Nutrition from an Evolutions Perspective. Wiley-Blackwell.
-
Manheimer, E. W., et al. (2015). Paleolithic Nutrition for Metabolic Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 102(4), 922-932.
-
Kuipers, R. S., et al. (2010). Estimated Macronutrient and Fatty Acid Intaks from an East African Paleolithic Diet. British Journal of Nutrition, 104(11), 1666-1687.
-
Pitt, C. E. (2016). Cutting Through The Paleo Hype: The Evidence for the Palaeolithic Diet. Australian Family Physician, 45(1), 35-38.
-
Jönsson, T., et al. (2009). Beneficial effects of a paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 8, 35.
-
Carrera-Bastos, P., et al. (2011). The Western Diet and Lifestyle and Diseases of Civilization. Research Reports in Clinical Cardiology, 2, 15-35.
-
Turner, B. L., & Thompson, A. L. (2013). Beyond the paleolithic prescription: Incorporating Diversity and Flexibility in the Study of Human Diet Evolution. Nutrition Reviews, 71(8), 501-510.
-
Hardy, K., et al. (2015). The importance of dietary carbohydrate in human evolution. Quarterly Review of Biology, 90(3), 251-268.
-
WHALEN, K. A., et al. (2016). Paleolithic and mediterranean diet pattern scores and risk of incident, Sporadic Colorectal Adenomas. American Journal of Epidemiology, 184(11), 827-835.
