Is the Paleo diet worth the effort?

Should you try a Paleo diet? The benefits might be surprising, but the negative impacts could make you reconsider. Here are a few reasons on either side to help you decide.

Eat like a caveman? That's what the paleo diet's inventor, Loren Cordain, Ph.D., would have you do for ultimate health.

• Follow the idea that foods we consume have evolved more quickly than our bodies.
• If you believe this theory, then simply eliminate all processed foods from your diet and up your intake of lean meats and vegetables.

In reality, you're going to be eating:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Lean meats and fish
• Animal products, such as eggs or honey
• Raw nuts and seeds
• A few added fats (like coconut oil and avocado)

You'll specifically not be eating these foods:

• Grains
• Starchy vegetables
• Legumes or beans
• Dairy and dairy products
• High fat and processed meats
• Sugars and things made with sugar
• Any processed or salty foods

The results, say paleo enthusiasts, is a diet that is easy to digest and which is high in soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, low-glycemic carbohydrates and monounsaturated fat.

• You can ostensibly reduce inflammation, lower the risk of chronic disease, lose weight and increase your energy.

• The idea that we're primarily meat eaters does not hold up. It's more likely that early humans ate more vegetation than meat.
• We are far more sedentary than the earlier hunters and gatherers, so there is a question about whether this is a healthy diet for today's less active lifestyle.

This diet overlooks the positive benefits gained from complex carbohydrate consumption and is not the ideal diet for an athlete, who requires complex carbohydrates to provide the energy for a workout.

• In addition, the diet makes no use of legumes, which research shows have great benefit to us nutritionally.

The diet is easy to follow, since there's no need to count calories or measure portions. This is a "clean" diet in the sense that there are no additives or processed foods involved.

• It is naturally low in sugar, trans-fats, salt and high-glycemic carbohydrates, and is gluten free. Due to a higher intake of fats and protein, you are likely to feel satisfied on this diet.
• Most important, the diet relies on fresh fruits and vegetables, which are healthier for a person no matter what the diet.
• Bottom line: the best parts of the Paleo Diet are the things that are most healthy in all diets: avoiding processed foods, eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, eating lean meats and fish and doing away with unnecessary sweets.