Paleo Diet: Can Our Caveman Ancestors Teach Us the Best Modern Diet?

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I think Dr. Cordain is a real hero for being instrumental in helping to light the way to a more sane lifestyle.
That said, there are many variations, some going by small-p 'paleo, LC paleo, high fat paleo, primal, ancestral, evolutionary fitness, and so on.
Why? Well, because our ancestors emerged out of Africa 50,000ish years ago and spread across the globe, and they adapted to different things, a prime example being the ability in some to digest lactose beyond weaning, which is actually a genetic mutation some 7,000ish years ago that turned off the gene that halts lactase production. So, it's reasonable to assume there are other adaptations and mutations, some subtile and some profound.
In the end, studies of primitive peoples not in contact with industrial civilization demonstrate one thing very clearly: people can live healthfully on natural diets from equator to arctic circle, and those diets can include vast differences in macronutrient content. Protein can't be more than about 30% of intake, so that leaves carbohydrate & fat. That swings wildly, being very high in many tropical places to almost nil in regions far away. For example, the Kitavans get about 70% of energy from natural carbs (starchy roots & tubers, mostly). They exhibit no "diseases of civilization." On the other extreme were the now "civilized" Inuit, getting maybe 2-3% of intake from carbs, and at times as much as 90% from fat. Again, when studied, none of our typical laundry list of diseases.
I think it's far more important to begin with a principle, which is to eat only real, whole, non-industrial foods: meat, natural fats (animal, olive, coconut), vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Then, attempt to ascertain where your ancestors most likely came from; tropical, far north, or in-between. Were they isolated from civilization for most of the time since agriculture so few adaptations to it? These can all be clues as to what might work best for you. In my case, I'm northern Euro, and what works for me is lots of meat and animal fats, plenty of vegetables, fruits episodically, and nuts. I've lost over 50 pounds, so far, corrected my own blood pressure from 160/100 to normal ranges, corrected and reversed gum disease for which I had two surgeries in 2001, and relieved myself of a couple of prescription medications, for GERD and allergies, the latter that I had been on for decades.
As documented on my blog, I now sport HDL (good) cholesterol at an astounding 135 (above 60 recommended) and triglycerides (fat in the blod) in the 40s (below 150 recommended).
Whichever style of version of paleo works best for you (and there's probably great variation) I can say this this is my style for life. At 48, I feel better, more energetic, more full of life than at any time I can remember.
Richard Nikoley
Free the Animal
www.freetheanimal.com

Richard Nikoley of CA 2:01PM April 29, 2009

Dear Ms. Hobson,
Great to see you feature The Paleo Diet and Professor Cordian's work. Certainly, with America's overall health is serious decline, it's critical to get this kind of life changing information exposed to as many people as possible.
One note: I think readers might miss the message when at the conclusion of the article with a statement like "Eat a balanced diet and a diversity of foods" like your Mom told you. Most would think that means any of the "foods" you can find in any isle of the local supermarket.
But, if a reader wants to think about that quote the way you introduced Professor Cordain and The Paleo Diet, then a "balanced diet and a diversity of foods" needs be considered in the context of the native human diet. As Professor Cordain said, that's "lean meats (especially grass-fed beef, wild game, and free-range birds rather than farm-raised animals), fish, plants, fruit, and nuts."
Btw, you'll be able to see and hear much more of Professor Cordain and his research in our upcoming documentary 'In Search of the Perfect Human Diet (TM)" later this year.
Sincerely,
CJ Hunt
Executive Producer
www.perfecthumandiet.com

CJ Hunt of CA 6:56PM April 28, 2009