Paleolithic diet

The Paleolithic diet (pronounced: /ˌpeɪlɪəˈlɪθɪk/), also known as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet, or hunter-gatherer diet, is a modern nutritional plan based on the presumed diet of wild plants and animals that various hominid species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic era—a period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture.

Etymology

The term "Paleolithic diet" is derived from the Paleolithic era, also known as the Stone Age, which lasted from approximately 2.5 million years ago to about 10,000 years ago. The diet is thus named because it is designed to emulate the diet of the human species during this time.

Concept

The fundamental concept behind the Paleolithic diet is that modern humans are genetically adapted to the diet of their Paleolithic ancestors and that human genetics have scarcely changed since the dawn of agriculture, and therefore that an ideal diet for human health and well-being is one that resembles this ancestral diet.

Foods

The Paleolithic diet consists of foods that can be hunted and fished, such as meat, offal and seafood, and can be gathered, such as eggs, insects, fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs and spices.

Related terms

Evolutionary nutrition: A theoretical framework that relies on the study of human evolution and the human body's evolutionary adaptations for dietary requirements.
Neolithic diet: The diet of the period that followed the Paleolithic era, characterized by the advent of agriculture.
Ketogenic diet: A diet that shares some similarities with the Paleolithic diet, but emphasizes fat consumption and restricts carbohydrate intake.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Paleolithic diet
Wikipedia's article - Paleolithic diet

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Paleolithic diet