Diets
The paleo diet explained
Paleo is built on a simple pitch: eat like humans did before agriculture. The actual food list and evidence are more nuanced than that pitch suggests.
What's in and what's out
Paleo includes lean meat (especially grass-fed or wild game), fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds — foods that could plausibly be hunted or gathered. It excludes grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, and most processed food. Macronutrient-wise, it typically runs high protein (19-35% of calories), moderate fat (28-58%), and relatively low carbohydrate (22-40%) compared to a standard diet.[1]
What the evidence actually shows
Paleo tends to produce weight loss and improved blood markers in short-term studies, largely because it cuts refined sugar and ultra-processed food — changes that would help on almost any eating pattern, not something unique to "eating like a caveman." Excluding whole grains and legumes also cuts out significant, well-established sources of fiber and micronutrients, so a poorly planned paleo diet can fall short there.[2]