Australian research highlights Paleo side effects

Research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has uncovered negative side effects from the Paleo diet.

The Paleo, or ‘caveman’, diet is increasing in popularity, and earlier research from ECU found it was more effective for weight loss than the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) diet.

The recent study followed 39 healthy woman for a four-week period, with half following the Paleo diet while the rest were assigned the AGHE diet.

More than one in five women who ate the Paleo diet reported instances of diarrhoea, compared with none of the AGHE group.

The Paleo group also reported higher rates of tiredness, and trouble sleeping.

Associate Professor Amanda Devine said the side effects may be a result of the Paleo diet cutting out dairy foods and grains, although more research was needed to determine the exact causes.

“We know that whole grains are a great source of dietary fibre, and a lack of fibre can impact the microbes in your gut, which could in turn cause problems like diarrhoea,” she said.

“Similarly, dairy products contain the amino acid tryptophan, which increases sleep-inducing compounds serotonin and melatonin, which helps regulate sleeping patterns. So removing dairy from your diet could adversely affect your sleep.”

The ancient diet could also prove costly to household budgets, with more than half of the Paleo group reporting that the diet increased their average cost of groceries, compared to only 6% of the AGHE group.

Lead researcher Angela Genoni said work was now underway on a new research project examining the long-term impact of following the Paleo diet, particularly on gut health.

“Removing entire food groups like dairy and grains from your diet is likely to impact overall health,” she said.

“This is why we are recruiting for a larger study involving participants that will look at the long-term effects of adhering to a Paleo diet.”

Compliance, palatability and feasibility of Paleolithic and AGHE diets in healthy women: a 4wk dietary intervention was published in Nutrients.