The Potential Health Risks of the Paleo Diet

It seems as if every month gives us a new diet trend. While most of these trends seem to be regurgitations of the usual “eat right and work out” diets, there is one diet out there that is very different. This one is called the paleo diet. The paleo diet is where you eat nothing but protein, fruits, and vegetables. While this sounds like an easy diet to stick to, there are a few health concerns that come with it. These are just three of the health risks that you may encounter when trying out the paleo diet:

1. You miss out on most nutrients you need.

While eating a lot of protein, along with fruits and vegetables, is a good thing, you still need other types of food in your diet to keep your body working regularly. This includes whole grains and dairy. Grains and dairy products give you nutrients you need to survive. They come with the vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy and give you the energy to get through your day. Without them, you are missing out on vital nutrients to keep your body running like a fine-tuned machine.

2. The paleo diet can cause heart problems.

This diet may also cause heart problems. If you don’t get the vitamins, minerals, and extra fats your system needs, it can take a toll on your heart. The paleo diet does not include anything that was not eaten during the “cavemen” days, and that includes a lot of key vitamins and nutrients. Without all of these dietary elements, you are at an increased risk for heart attacks and other heart-health problems.

3. You will fall short of recommended carbohydrate intake.

With the paleo diet, the average person only gets a small percentage of the recommended quantities of carbohydrates. In general, carbohydrates represent most of the calories that people eat. Carbohydrate deficiencies can lead to excessive weight loss as well as fatigue.

The paleo diet is known to have worked for a number of people who have tried it, but this does not mean that everyone who tries this new diet trend will have success with it. Keep these health risks in mind when you consider trying out the paleo diet. Keeping healthy and living a green lifestyle is one thing, but it should never be at the cost of your true health and happiness.