Superfood items and strict Paleo diets are one of the most prominent eating trends among people nowadays. Many individuals believe the wonders of these diets but experts aren't quick to jump to the bandwagon.
Helen Truby, the head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, described strict Paleo diets as too "extreme," ABC News reported. Paleo diets involve eating fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, nuts, seeds, and healthy fat. Followers of this trend should avoid consuming dairy, grains, legumes, starches, alcohol and processed food and sugars, Robb Wolf listed.
A modern Paleo diet is based on Paleolithic or ancestral food groups and for experts, this is where it goes wrong. According to Truby, the people of today "no longer have a lifestyle that's like a caveman so eating like one is probably not a great idea," ABC News further reported.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne found that the high-fat, low-carb Paleo diet can cause rapid weight gain and health problems in just eight weeks. Lead author Sof Andrikopoulos said that this weight gain is most likely to happen among inactive individuals, The Sun reported.
The Paleo diet is also harmful to people with pre-diabetes or diabetes. The trend can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D as well, which can harm a person's bone health, according to the UC Davis Health System.
Truby added that "there is so much misinformation about nutrition and food" and it can be difficult for people to make good and informed choices about their diets, often resorting to extreme ones. Superfood items (e.g. blueberries, kiwifruit, kale, salmon and quinoa) can be harmful too if not consumed appropriately.
Truby advised people to take a wider approach to diets and don't completely rely on single superfood items to balance out bad eating. For instance, a bad diet wouldn't become good if a person adds a couple of blueberries or kiwifruit in it.
"It's very difficult to say that one thing is actually going to really make a huge difference in a diet that's not that good," Truby continued. She said that people's chronic diseases can be prevented through lifestyle choices and by following good diets.
To emphasize her points, Truby established a three-week online course called Food as Medicine. The course provides articles, videos, quizzes, and forums that teach people the right nutritional information and tailors it according to their bodies' needs. Food as Medicine is free and launches on Monday, Oct. 24.
