Manama: A study has revealed that adopting a “caveman diet” could reduce the chances of getting diabetes and even reverse the symptoms in some patients.
It was conducted by a four-member research team, including two from the Bahrain branch of The Cochrane Collaboration, who found that a palaeolithic, or stone age, style of nutrition can help fight diabetes.
The palaeolithic diet – also known as paleo or caveman diet – is a high-protein, high-fiber eating plan that comprises meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits and nuts in variable proportions and excludes processed food.
Researchers believe the impact of the study could be massive in Bahrain as it has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world.
According to latest figures released by the Health Ministry, 15.4 per cent of Bahrainis aged over 20 suffer from diabetes, while a further 20pc are likely to develop the condition.
The study was titled “Palaeolithic Nutrition for Metabolic Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”.
Impact
It was led by Cochrane Bahrain director Zbys Fedorowicz and member Dr Eric W Manheimer and co-authored by Netherlands Leiden University Medical Centre dermatologist Dr Esther J van Zuuren and Leiden University Medical Internal Medicine endocrinologist Hanno Pijl.
“The impact of the study might be huge on Bahrain and the Middle East in general because of the high prevalence of Type II Diabetes in these
countries,” Mr Pijl told the GDN.
“The study aims to address the metabolic syndrome which is linked to obesity that is again a major issue in Bahrain and the region. Paleo nutrition is more a pattern beyond a diet and this could be beneficial to people with metabolic syndromes.
“Basically, with this diet pattern, people can reverse their condition of the disease or even get off it.
“The right kind of nutrition can improve the metabolism and my clinical experience tells me that the (Paleo) nutrition is the right one, which can make a positive impact on Bahrain’s health care segment.”
Mr Fedorowicz, who is Bahrain-based, told the GDN that the research was based on findings from four trials comparing the paleo diet to other forms of eating patterns.
“These diets are all based on national or international dietary guidelines for people with diabetes,” he explained.
“The four control diets focused on increased consumption of whole grain cereals and low fat dairy products, restriction of saturated fat to less than 10 to 15 per cent of total daily energy, and the allowance of refined vegetable oils and processed foods.
“The meta-analyses showed that the paleo diet resulted in greater short-term improvements in metabolic syndrome components compared to control diets.
“The quality of the evidence was judged as moderate, primarily because the number of people studied was
relatively small.”
He added that the pattern was essentially about avoiding processed food.
“Palaeolithic diet is not about low carbohydrates, instead it is essentially about the processed food which very often is the issue,” he said.
“Paleo nutrition differs radically from nutritional patterns currently recommended in national and international guidelines, particularly in terms of its recommendation to exclude grains, dairy and nutritional products of industry.
“The absence of modern processed food, which can induce low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance, may contribute to the health benefits of Palaeolithic nutrition.”
The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition yesterday, and the team said their recommended eating plan was the most searched diet-related term on Google in 2014.
However, it came in last on a 2015 US News and World Report ranking of 35 diets, citing a lack of randomised trials that showed clinical benefits.
The Cochrane Collaboration is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to providing up-to-date information about the effects of health care.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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