Paleolithic Diet in the Treatment of Diabetes Type 2 in Primary Health Care

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

There is uncertainty about the optimal diet in the prevention and treatment of diabetes type 2. Earlier studies have generally focused on intakes of fat, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, fruit and vegetables. This study is based on another approach which compares foods that were available during human evolution with more recently introduced ones. The basic tenet from evolutionary biology is that if human physiology is less adapted to a relatively recently introduced diet based on agriculture, this could cause disturbances to human physiology and ultimately lead to diseases. Epidemiological studies indicates that diabetes mellitus type 2 is absent or near absent in populations eating a Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age) diet which is free from food items produced in agriculture or the food industry. Our study hypothesis is that a Palaeolithic diet is better than the standard diabetes diet recommended today in treating diabetes type 2. Fifteen patients with diabetes type 2 have been randomized to 1. a Palaeolithic diet based on lean meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, root vegetables, eggs, and nuts 2. a standard diabetes diet as recommended by national health authorities. The patients eat the diet they have been randomized to for three months and then switches to the other diet for another three months. The study is conducted in Primary Health Care stations.

Sweden