title: Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study Established dietary estimates of net acid production do not predict measured net acid excretion in patients with Type 2 diabetes on Paleolithic–Hunter–Gatherer-type diets A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease Paleolithic nutrition improves plasma lipid concentrations of hypercholesterolemic adults to a greater extent than traditional heart-healthy dietary recommendations. Long-term effects of a Palaeolithic-type diet in obese postmenopausal women: a 2-year randomized trial Mediterranean alpha-linolenic acid-rich diet in secondary prevention of coronary heart disease
abstract: Background Our aim was to compare the effects of a Paleolithic ( ' Old Stone Age ' ) diet and a diabetes diet as generally recommended on risk factors for cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes not treated with insulin . Methods In a r and omized cross-over study , 13 patients with type 2 diabetes , 3 women and 10 men , were instructed to eat a Paleolithic diet based on lean meat , fish , fruits , vegetables , root vegetables , eggs and nuts ; and a Diabetes diet design ed in accordance with dietary guidelines during two consecutive 3-month periods . Outcome variables included changes in weight , waist circumference , serum lipids , C-reactive protein , blood pressure , glycated haemoglobin ( HbA1c ) , and areas under the curve for plasma glucose and plasma insulin  in the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test . Dietary intake was evaluated by use of 4-day weighed food records . Results Study participants had on average a diabetes duration of 9 years , a mean HbA1c of 6,6 % units by Mono-S st and ard and were usually treated with metformin alone ( 3 subjects ) or metformin in combination with a sulfonylurea ( 3 subjects ) or a thiazolidinedione ( 3 subjects ) . Mean average dose of metformin was 1031 mg per day . Compared to the diabetes diet , the Paleolithic diet result ed in lower mean values of HbA1c ( -0.4 % units , p = 0.01 ) , triacylglycerol ( -0.4 mmol/L , p = 0.003 ) , diastolic blood pressure ( -4 mmHg , p = 0.03 ) , weight ( -3 kg , p = 0.01 ) , BMI ( -1 kg/m2 , p = 0.04 ) and waist circumference ( -4 cm , p = 0.02 ) , and higher mean values of high density lipoprotein cholesterol ( + 0.08 mmol/L , p = 0.03 ) . The Paleolithic diet was mainly lower in cereals and dairy products , and higher in fruits , vegetables , meat and eggs , as compared with the Diabetes diet . Further , the Paleolithic diet was lower in total energy , energy density , carbohydrate , dietary glycemic load , saturated fatty acids and calcium , and higher in unsaturated fatty acids , dietary cholesterol and several vitamins . Dietary GI was slightly lower in the Paleolithic diet ( GI = 50 ) than in the Diabetic diet ( GI = 55 ) . Conclusion Over a 3-month study period , a Paleolithic diet improved glycemic control and several cardiovascular risk factors compared to a Diabetes diet in patients with type 2 diabetes . Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov NCT00435240 Background / objectives : Formulas developed to estimate diet-dependent net acid excretion ( NAE ) generally agree with measured values for typical Western diets . Whether they can also appropriately predict NAE for ‘ Paleolithic-type ’ ( Paleo ) diets — which contain very high amounts of fruits and vegetables ( F&V ) and concurrent high amounts of protein is unknown . Here , we compare measured NAEs with established NAE estimates in subjects with Type 2 diabetes (T2D).Subjects/ methods : Thirteen subjects with well-controlled T2D were r and omized to either a Paleo or American Diabetes Association ( ADA ) diet for 14 days . Twenty-four hour urine collection s were performed at baseline and end of the diet period , and analyzed for titratable acid , bicarbonate and ammonium to calculate measured NAE . Three formulas for estimating NAE from dietary intake were used ; two ( NAE_diet R or L ) that include dietary mineral intake and sulfate- and organic acid ( OA ) production , and one that is empirically derived ( NAE_diet F ) only considering potassium and protein intake . Results : Measured NAE on the Paleo diet was significantly lower than on the ADA-diet ( + 31±22 vs 112±52 mEq/day , P=0.002 ) . Although all formula estimates showed similar and reasonable correlations ( r=0.52–0.76 ) with measured NAE , each one underestimated measured values . The formula with the best correlation did not contain an estimate of dietary OA production . Conclusions : Paleo-diets are lower in NAE than typical Western diets . However , commonly used formulas clearly underestimate NAE , especially for diets with very high F&V ( as the Paleo diet ) , and in subjects with T2D . This may be due to an inappropriate estimation of proton loads stemming from OAs , underlining the necessity for improved measures of OA-related proton sources Aims /hypothesisMost studies of diet in glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes have focused on intakes of fat , carbohydrate , fibre , fruits and vegetables . Instead , we aim ed to compare diets that were available during human evolution with more recently introduced ones . Methods Twenty-nine patients with ischaemic heart disease plus either glucose intolerance or type 2 diabetes were r and omised to receive ( 1 ) a Palaeolithic ( ‘ Old Stone Age ’ ) diet ( n = 14 ) , based on lean meat , fish , fruits , vegetables , root vegetables , eggs and nuts ; or ( 2 ) a Consensus ( Mediterranean-like ) diet ( n = 15 ) , based on whole grains , low-fat dairy products , vegetables , fruits , fish , oils and margarines . Primary outcome variables were changes in weight , waist circumference and plasma glucose AUC ( AUC Glucose0–120 ) and plasma insulin AUC ( AUC Insulin0–120 ) in OGTTs . Results Over 12 weeks , there was a 26 % decrease of AUC Glucose0–120 ( p = 0.0001 ) in the Palaeolithic group and a 7 % decrease ( p = 0.08 ) in the Consensus group . The larger ( p = 0.001 ) improvement in the Palaeolithic group was independent ( p = 0.0008 ) of change in waist circumference ( −5.6 cm in the Palaeolithic group , −2.9 cm in the Consensus group ; p = 0.03 ) . In the study population as a whole , there was no relationship between change in AUC Glucose0–120 and changes in weight ( r = −0.06 , p = 0.9 ) or waist circumference ( r = 0.01 , p = 1.0 ) . There was a tendency for a larger decrease of AUC Insulin0–120 in the Palaeolithic group , but because of the strong association between change in AUC Insulin0–120 and change in waist circumference ( r = 0.64 , p = 0.0003 ) , this did not remain after multivariate analysis . Conclusions /interpretationA Palaeolithic diet may improve glucose tolerance independently of decreased waist circumference Recent research suggests that traditional grain-based heart-healthy diet recommendations , which replace dietary saturated fat with carbohydrate and reduce total fat intake , may result in unfavorable plasma lipid ratios , with reduced high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) and an elevation of low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) and triacylglycerols ( TG ) . The current study tested the hypothesis that a grain-free Paleolithic diet would induce weight loss and improve plasma total cholesterol , HDL , LDL , and TG concentrations in nondiabetic adults with hyperlipidemia to a greater extent than a grain-based heart-healthy diet , based on the recommendations of the American Heart Association . Twenty volunteers ( 10 male and 10 female ) aged 40 to 62 years were selected based on diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia . Volunteers were not taking any cholesterol-lowering medications and adhered to a traditional heart-healthy diet for 4 months , followed by a Paleolithic diet for 4 months . Regression analysis was used to determine whether change in body weight contributed to observed changes in plasma lipid concentrations . Differences in dietary intakes and plasma lipid measures were assessed using repeated- measures analysis of variance . Four months of Paleolithic nutrition significantly lowered ( P < .001 ) mean total cholesterol , LDL , and TG and increased ( P < .001 ) HDL , independent of changes in body weight , relative to both baseline and the traditional heart-healthy diet . Paleolithic nutrition offers promising potential for nutritional management of hyperlipidemia in adults whose lipid profiles have not improved after following more traditional heart-healthy dietary recommendations Background / Objectives : Short-term studies have suggested beneficial effects of a Palaeolithic-type diet ( PD ) on body weight and metabolic balance . We now report the long-term effects of a PD on anthropometric measurements and metabolic balance in obese postmenopausal women , in comparison with a diet according to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR).Subjects/ Methods : Seventy obese postmenopausal women ( mean age 60 years , body mass index 33 kg/m2 ) were assigned to an ad libitum PD or NNR diet in a 2-year r and omized controlled trial . The primary outcome was change in fat mass as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry . Results : Both groups significantly decreased total fat mass at 6 months ( −6.5 and −2.6 kg ) and 24 months ( −4.6 and −2.9 kg ) , with a more pronounced fat loss in the PD group at 6 months ( P<0.001 ) but not at 24 months ( P=0.095 ) . Waist circumference and sagittal diameter also decreased in both the groups , with a more pronounced decrease in the PD group at 6 months ( −11.1 vs−5.8 cm , P=0.001 and −3.7 vs−2.0 cm , P<0.001 , respectively ) . Triglyceride levels decreased significantly more at 6 and 24 months in the PD group than in the NNR group ( P<0.001 and P=0.004 ) . Nitrogen excretion did not differ between the groups . Conclusions : A PD has greater beneficial effects vs an NNR diet regarding fat mass , abdominal obesity and triglyceride levels in obese postmenopausal women ; effects not sustained for anthropometric measurements at 24 months . Adherence to protein intake was poor in  the PD group . The long-term consequences of these changes remain to be studied In a prospect i ve , r and omised single-blinded secondary prevention trial we compared the effect of a Mediterranean alpha-linolenic acid-rich diet to the usual post-infa rct prudent diet .  After a first myocardial infa rct ion , patients were r and omly assigned to the experimental ( n = 302 ) or control group ( n = 303 ) . Patients were seen again 8 weeks after r and omisation , and each year for 5 years . The experimental group consumed significantly less lipids , saturated fat , cholesterol  , and  linoleic acid  but more  oleic  and  alpha-linolenic acids  confirmed by measurements in plasma . Serum lipids , blood pressure , and body mass index remained similar in the 2 groups . In the experimental group , plasma levels of albumin , vitamin E , and vitamin C were increased , and granulocyte count decreased . After a mean follow up of 27 months , there were 16 cardiac deaths in the control and 3 in the experimental group ; 17 non-fatal myocardial infa rct ion in the control and 5 in the experimental groups : a risk ratio for these two main endpoints combined of 0.27 ( 95 % CI 0.12 - 0.59 , p = 0.001 ) after adjustment for prognostic variables . Overall mortality was 20 in the control , 8 in the experimental group , an adjusted risk ratio of 0.30 ( 95 % CI 0.11 - 0.82 , p = 0.02 ) . An alpha-linolenic acid-rich Mediterranean diet seems to be more efficient than presently used diets in the secondary prevention of coronary events and death
target: The home-delivery ( n = 1 ) and dietary recommendation ( n = 3 ) RCTs showed similar effects with the exception of greater improvements in triglycerides relative to the control with the home delivery .
  None of the RCTs evaluated an improvement in quality of life .
  The Paleolithic diet result ed in greater short-term improvements in metabolic syndrome components than did guideline -based control diets .
background: BACKGROUND Paleolithic nutrition , which has attracted substantial public attention lately because of its putative health benefits , differs radically from dietary patterns currently recommended in guidelines , particularly in terms of its recommendation to exclude grains , dairy , and nutritional products of industry .
  OBJECTIVE We evaluated whether a Paleolithic nutritional pattern improves risk factors for chronic disease more than do other dietary interventions .