2013 is the year of the caveman diet—at least so far. During the first week of January, “Paleo diet” was the most searched-for diet on the web, according to Experian Marketing Services data.

Typically, searches for diets peak at the beginning of the year (think: resolution time) and predict what diets will be popular through the year, according to Experian Marketing Services. “People are looking for answers to lose weight and manage their health, and people tend to gravitate toward the Paleo diet because a lot of it intuitively makes sense,” says Cynthia Wu, RD, Ph.D., outpatient dietician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

The Paleo (short for Paleolithic) diet is simple: Eat a strict hunter-gatherer diet of meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables. That means grains, dairy, legumes, salt, processed foods, and refined sugars are off the menu. Proponents of the diet maintain that obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are consequences of a modernized diet, and returning to pre-civilization eating habits will prevent their occurrence.

But even if a fat caveman is impossible to find, is the diet right for 2013? Here, we weigh the pros and cons of the Paleo diet:

PALEO DIET PROS

It Eliminates Processed Foods Processed foods, which are outlawed on the Paleo diet, are high in refined sugars. Stripped of their vitamins and minerals and reduced to quickly digested calories, refined sugars can increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Meanwhile, about 75 percent of the average American’s sodium intake (which is almost twice what it should be!) comes from commercially prepared foods, contributing to high blood pressure, heart disease, stomach cancer, weak bones, and water retention, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

It Increases Lean Protein High-protein diets minimize post-meal sugar spikes, reduce fat storage, improve appetite control, and help maintain lean muscle, says Wu. A diet in which about a quarter of the calories come from lean protein sources reduces blood pressure, LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, and triglycerides better than traditional diets, according to research from Johns Hopkins University.

It Promotes Fruits and Vegetables While fruits and vegetables contain simple sugars, they also contain micronutrients and appetite- and blood sugar-stabilizing fiber. A diet rich in produce can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, Wu says. And a recent study from the University of Warwick and Dartmouth College found that happiness and mental health are highest among people who eat seven portions of fruits and veggies a day.

PALEO DIET CONS

It Cuts Out Healthy Food Groups Research shows that the nutrients in legumes, whole grains, and dairy—all of which are taboo on the diet—can help to lower the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, reduce blood pressure, and promote a healthy weight, Wu says. Cutting dairy, the primary source of calcium and vitamin D in modern diets, is especially troubling to women who want to keep their bones strong for decades to come, she says.

It Includes Too Much Meat While not only impossible for vegetarians, the diet requires more animal protein than Wu advises her patients consume. Fresh fish and meat from grass-fed cows, chickens, and pigs are lean, but as they can be difficult to find and afford, so many Paleo dieters end up eating less-than-lean meats, she says. In one study, researchers from the Imperial College London found that an extra 250 grams of meat a day (about equal to a small steak) leads to an additional weight gain of 5 pounds over five years, even without adding calories.

It’s Very Difficult If you haven’t guessed by now, eating only meats and produce requires a lot of planning, prep-time, and dedication. “The diet isn’t sustainable over the long term, and can result in intense cravings,” Wu says. What’s more, as it allows for only fresh meats and produce—both of which tend to be expensive—the diet can get costly very quickly.

THE BOTTOM LINE

While the Paleo diet has a lot of nutritional benefits, it falls short on do-ability and—if you aren’t a supplement connoisseur—on nutrients. Instead of subscribing to an all-or-nothing Paleo approach, Wu suggests taking the diet as a starting point, swapping out Flintstones-worthy slabs of meat for healthy, nutrient-rich (but Paleo-banned) foods, such as whole grains, dairy, and legumes. And since milk, cheese, yogurt, beans, and lentils are excellent sources of protein, you can get the benefit of a protein-packed diet without all of the meat.

More from WH:
The Best Protein for Weight Loss
Healthy High-Fiber Foods
Delicious Whole Grain Recipes

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