Nowadays, the Paleolithic and ketogenic diets are trending if you are to step into the gym or talk to dietitians. People follow this diet to stay healthy, improve overall health or if they want to lose weight. You might be guessing if both diets are so popular, how they differ or the merits and demerits associated with the particular diet.

Don’t worry, in this blog, we will discuss details related to the paleo and keto diets, and what’s common and different with these diets.

Paleo Diet?

The paleo diet is nothing but the food edibles available during the early age of human evolution which is also referred to as “the caveman diet”. The concept came into existence because modern food damages human health because of the processing techniques used.

So, if you are following a paleo diet, it will support the body’s natural biological function which improves digestion and health. The paleo diet includes Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables except for corn, coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee/butter, raw honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, raw stevia etc and excludes grains, legumes, processed sugar and most of the dairy products. Well, it not only focuses on eating practices but also on exercise and wellness practices.

Keto Diet?

In the ketogenic diet, the body uses calories from fat instead of carbohydrates to generate energy which is needed to carry out the normal functioning of the body. This concept explores the metabolic state of the body and aims to induce ketosis through calculated adjustments of dietary macronutrients viz. carbohydrates, proteins and fat.

While following a keto diet, one can consume 65-90% fat, 10-30% protein and less than 5% carbohydrate.

The sole reason for ketosis with a particular diet plan is to break down fat from the body. Apart from losing weight, it also helps to improve blood sugar control of the body.

Common factors in both diets

1. Both include whole foods

Both paleo and keto diet rely on whole food source of nutrients which has undergone minimal processing time. Whole food like vegetables, meat, fish and nuts are included which exclude processed fats, oils and sweeteners in both diets.

2. Both exclude grains and legumes

People following the paleo diet eliminate grains and legumes which were not part of early human diets as they contain lectins and phytates. They are thought to hinder the body’s ability to absorb minerals and nutrients which can lead to discomfort in digestion.

Similarly, the keto diet also restricts the consumption of grains and legumes because of their significant amount of carbohydrate content.

3. Both exclude added sugar

Both diets plans strictly prohibit the consumption of added sugars. The paleo diet is somewhat flexible as it allows unrefined sugar sources like honey and maple syrup whereas the keto diet doesn’t allow any added sugar as it has high carb content.

 

4. Both include healthy fats

Paleo and keto diet recommend the intake of selected refined oils such as olive, avocado oil, nuts, seeds and fish for the betterment of heart health as it has poly and unsaturated fat content. Keto strongly emphasizes fat as it is a major source of energy supply whereas paleo does not support a high-fat diet. But yeah, both diets are suggestive to avoid heavily processed fat such as trans fat which adversely affects the heart if consumed regularly.

5. Both help to reduce body weight  

Both diets are popular and are followed with the intention of weight loss. But extensive studies need to be done to support the notion that these diets are sustainable and give promising results if followed for a longer period. To make a point, a case study on an obese woman was reported who lost 9% of her body fat after 6 months and 10.6% loss at 12 months of following the paleo diet. But beyond 12 months how this body supports weight loss is yet to be explored.

Even with the keto diet, one review supports the hypothesis that short-term weight loss can be witnessed by following a low-carb and high-fat diet. One of the most likely reasons is loss of appetite because of high intake of fat and another reason may be efficient elimination of stored body fat due to ketosis.

Now, let’s shed some light on the differences between the paleo and keto diets

1. The Keto diet focuses on macronutrients while the paleo focuses on lifestyle practices

Along with strict dietary plans, paleo exclusively focuses on lifestyle such as exercise, yoga meditation and other mindfulness in daily activities. The paleo diet is more about physical activity to reduce stress through longer workouts. The perfect combination of diet with total wellness of mind leads to the holistic development of health.

Keto on the other hand majorly focuses on the consumption of macronutrients and its distribution which only restricts or manages eating habits.

2. Paleo allows whole-food carbs while keto strictly restricts carbs

The paleo diet still allows carbs from whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and unrefined sweeteners. Contrarily, the keto diet restricts all rich sources of carbohydrates, including starchy vegetables, most fruits, grains, sweeteners and most legumes. This is because; in the keto diet total carb intake must be below a threshold value to maintain ketosis, high-carb foods do not fall under the keto diet.

3. The Keto diet permits dairy products and soy foods

While the Paleo diet restricts all dairy products, the keto diet on the other permits high-fat dairy products in the form of cream, butter, and yoghurt. Though ice cream ad flavoured milk is prohibited due to the low fat-to-carb ratio. Even soy food is not allowed in the paleo diet because they are included in legume foods but keto allows soy food such as tofu, and tempeh and they are specified under macronutrients.

After considering every corner of both diets which is healthier and can give the best results?

Given many experts, both paleo and keto diets are healthy options and the effect depends on the purpose for which they are used. In general, the paleo diet is healthier as it is flexible and restricts very few edibles. Furthermore, it focuses on body and mind relaxation which includes yoga, meditation and exercise.

The paleo diet is easy to be followed by vegetarians, gluten-free and vegans. Even if one chose to unfollow the paleo diet it won’t hinder the routine food absorption system of the body and hence doesn’t show any adverse effects.

However, the keto diet is selective and doesn’t suit everyone.  It needs a medical history of an individual as specifically, health problems are to be resolved with the keto diet. Keto requires planning and mental readiness as it is more difficult to maintain during social events. Keto sometimes if followed extensively pauses nutrient challenges and can make the situation worst.

As a takeaway of the blog, paleo is still easy to follow as it allows some carbs while keto is a larger shift from the normal routine and is difficult for the metabolic system. Because your digestive system is already acquainted with particular food habits for a longer period and now sudden changes may cause positive or negative effects which might depend on and differ from individual to individual.

Hence, changing eating habits, following a particular diet or incorporating change in your healthy lifestyle may or may not work for everyone. For this, health background, nutritional requirements and medical condition need to be considered by professionals before planning to change or follow a particular diet.