Why the paleo diet may be bad for your health

Scientists have disproved the theory behind the Paleo diet trend. The British study, titled "The Importance of Dietary Carbohydrates in Human Evolution," has poked a hole in the Paleo diet's most basic belief: that early humans did not eat carbs, states Parent Herald.

In addition, the paper concludes that the Paleo diet is not a well-balanced diet, but rather an imbalanced one, which can lead to several bodily complications.

The currently trending diet advocates eating like our ancestors during the Stone Age, clarifies Latinos Health. According to Robb Wolf, the only foods allowed in the Paleo diet are as follows: fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, nuts & seeds, and healthy fats.

Notice that there are no sources of carbs or starches in the foods allowed, since the creators of the Paleo diet believe that those food groups were not available at the time.

Paleo diet supporters believe that the caveman diet boosts the energy levels of the body and helps stimulate the brain. In fact, it is widely believed that the Paleo diet is responsible for the growth and development of the cavemen's brains.

However, researchers from University College London in the UK have discovered that cavemen did have a source of starch during their time. The study revealed that cavemen actually relied on starchy plants for carbs, which coincidentally helped their brains grow faster, reports Parent Herald.

In addition, the British researchers found that cavemen tended to avoid certain carbohydrates simply because they could not consume them. According to Utah People's Post, the digestive tract of cavemen were much bigger compared to our digestive tracts today.

As a result, cavemen were not able to properly digest food that we eat today for sustenance. Furthermore, their bigger digestive tract most likely forced them to rely on starchy plants as a source of carbs, since it is easy to digest.

The authors of the study conclude that there have been several modifications to the human body since the Stone Age. Hence, the Paleo Diet does not fully meet the needs of our bodies today.

While the Paleo Diet may help in the weight loss process, the researchers believe that it is not meant to be followed long-term because it is an imbalanced diet.

There are many health risks tied to following an imbalanced diet. For instance, bowel cancer cases have increased of late, due to the fact that people do not follow the five basic food groups anymore.