Food

Here's What Nutritionists REALLY Think About All the Most Popular Diets

Experts weigh in on the pros and cons of keto, Paleo, Whole30 and more

by Sharon Feiereisen | COMMENT

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Paleo Diet "Its premise is that we've adapted to eating particular kinds of foods, including meat and other animal products like bone marrow, fats and plant-based foods and, only recently (in the last 10,000 years), the agricultural revolution introduced unnatural food sources, including grains with gluten, animal products (milk, cheese, etc.), white refined sugar, synthetic trans-fats (partially hydrogenated fats) and packaged foods with additives and glow-in-the-dark chemicals," explains Dr. Robert Zembroski, specialist in functional medicine, clinical nutritionist and author of REBUILD. The idea here is to go back to how caveman ate.

Pros: "It promotes the consumption of whole, nutrient-dense foods, including lean meats, wild-caught seafood, healthful fats, oils, fruits, vegetables and starchy root vegetables," says Zembroski. "Eating the way our ancestors did will reduce body fat and normalize blood sugar, glucose tolerance and blood fats and Paleo eating has made us more aware of the dangers of processed foods."

Cons: "There's conflicting information on the evidence behind the exclusion of legumes and grains," says Zembroski. "The complete elimination of grains means decreased fiber in the diet, which may cause deleterious results to the gut flora (bacteria)."

Image via @paleogrubs

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