• Health

You Asked: Should I Go Paleo?

4 minute read

The Paleo premise seems tantalizingly sensical: For hundreds of thousands of years, human beings ate and lived in ways that bear little resemblance to our modern modes of existence. It stands to reason that our bodies and minds haven’t had time to adapt, and that the unhappy consequences are stress, obesity, disease and a general feeling that, well, our primitive ways were probably preferable.

The solution, according to Paleo proponents, is a return to our roots. From aligning your sleep schedule with the rise and fall of the sun to exercising like your ancient ancestors—barefoot running, climbing, lifting heavy stuff—there are countless ways to channel your Paleolithic predecessors. And for most people, “going Paleo” starts in the kitchen.

Eating a Paleo diet involves consuming lots of lean meat, as well as eggs, fruits, some nuts, seeds and vegetables—basically, the kinds of foods humans were forced to subsist on for most of history. Dairy, grains, beans and all other foodstuffs unavailable in cave-dwelling days are verboten. So are foods with added hormones and artificial additives like processed sugars.

MORE: What’s Right and Wrong About Eating Like a Caveman

Proponents of the Paleo diet claim miraculous gains in energy, mental acuity, physical strength and general health. But naysayers point out the diet is expensive, difficult and probably not sustainable. (There are 7 billion people on Earth, and there’s only so much meat to go around.)

But what does the research show? Several studies have compared Paleo-style diets to the average American diet and found, unsurprisingly, that Paleo pounds our standard fare. Among the Paleo crowd, weight fell off faster, body composition improved and both blood pressure and blood sugar scores tacked toward healthier numbers, found one paper from the University of California San Francisco.

Another long-term study from Sweden saw similar health gains after comparing a meat-centric Paleo plan to a carb-heavy Nordic diet. In particular, triglycerides—a type of blood fat that raises your risk for heart disease—plummeted among the Paleo dieters, the Swedish study shows.

MORE: Can the Paleo Diet Help You Lose Weight?

But not so fast. “I do not believe there is anything magical about the Paleolithic diet,” says Caroline Mellberg, a doctoral researcher at Sweden’s Umeå University and coauthor of the Swedish study, in addition to several others that have looked into the viability of a Paleo-style diet. While she doesn’t dispute the diet’s benefits, she says her team’s findings aren’t surprising when you consider all the foods you have to ditch when you stick to a Paleo-inspired menu.

“Most unhealthy food items are excluded, and no empty calories are allowed,” she explains. Take out the crap from any diet, and she says you’d likely see many or all of the same health benefits.

You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered

You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy?
You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver?Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Is Dessert Bad For Me?
You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth?
You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Is Meditation Worth It?
You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener?
You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Should I Go Paleo?
You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad?
You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside?
You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits?
You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me?
You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

MORE: How To Be A Modern-Day Caveman

Other nutrition experts say there just aren’t any research-backed reasons to drop dairy, legumes and grains, and that doing so might have unintended health consequences. “These foods provide many nutrients that have been shown over and over again to be beneficial for optimal health,” says Stephanie Maxson, senior clinical dietitian at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Maxson is quick to add that she thinks Paleo diets can be healthy. Her point—and one that many others have also argued—is that the extremes Paleo diets prescribe are unnecessary. “Dieting is tough,” Maxson says. And when it comes to a meal plan that restricts you to a slim cluster of food groups, your chances of staying with it are just as small, she says.

If you’re in the market for a healthy diet, you might want to consider Paleo for its impressive health benefits—but only if you’re also ready to take a caveman club to most of your current kitchen, too.

Read Next: Are All Calories Created Equal?

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com