A Paleolithic-like diet improves glycaemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes
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This randomized cross-over study was designed to compare the effects of a Paleolithic-like (“Old Stone Age”; pre-agricultural) diet and a standard diabetes diet, the latter as generally recommended for cardiovascular disease prevention in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with oral glucose-lowering medications. During two consecutive 3-month periods, 13 patients with type 2 diabetes were instructed to eat a Paleolithic-like diet based on lean meat, fish, fruit, root vegetables, eggs and nuts, and a diabetes diet designed according to dietary guidelines. Compared to the diabetes diet, the Paleolithic-like diet resulted in lower mean values of HbA1c, triglycerides, diastolic blood pressure, weight, BMI and waist circumference, and higher mean values of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Compared to the diabetes diet, the Paleolithic-like diet was poor in cereals and dairy products (actually, both were absent from human diet during the Paleolithic era), and high in fruits, vegetables, meat and eggs; it was also lower in total energy, energy density, carbohydrates, dietary glycaemic load, saturated fatty acids, and calcium, and higher in unsaturated fatty acids, dietary cholesterol, and several vitamins. In conclusion, when compared to a diabetes diet, a Paleolithic-like diet over a 3-month period improved glycaemic control and several cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes.
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