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There are many public critiques of paleo, especially from the vegetarian / vegan community. While not many actually provide strong evidence, there are some gems out there. As meat eaters we have a responsibility to examine all sides of a dietary argument. I am focusing on health studies, but sustainability studies are welcomed.

This is a similar question: Anti-paleo arguments, but I am specifically looking for studies. Here are a few I have found so far.

Ketogenic diets leads to bone loss in epileptic children http://www.ajcn.org/content/88/6/1678.full

Low carb diets produces a worse "mood" than low fat http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/169/20/1873

Inceased whole grain consumption may lower heart disease http://www.ajcn.org/content/70/3/412.abstract?ijkey=508428b54c82396ddb826d597a03ef2db58b0453&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

Tarahumara Indians eat a diet of 75% carbohydrates, "virtual absence of obesity" http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/ijlink?linkType=PDF&journalCode=ajcn&resid=31/7/1131

Red meat may increase risk of breast cancer http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/166/20/2253

Paleolithic culture found to eat high amounts of legumes http://www.mendeley.com/research/mousterian-vegetal-food-kebara-cave-mt-carmel/

Does anyone know of other studies, and can you refute the ones I've mentioned?

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 The thing is there are countless studies that purport to show something that the Paleosphere considers wrong. Just listing them doesn't seem that helpful, but analyzing them one by one is do-able, or at least classifying them by error. – Ambimorph Dec 11 2011 at 1:10
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 For example there is a correlation-not-causation tag. – Ambimorph Dec 11 2011 at 1:11
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 It's just that someone registers today and posts this as the very first question... (exaperated sigh) It smacks of trollishness. To tediously go through these same tired papers, yet again. I'm so bored! – Dave S. Dec 11 2011 at 1:31
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 A. Nobody here is saying that paleo is (or has to be) low carb. B. Nobody cares anymore about re-enactment - it's about finding what works and what's optimal for you. (I eat a few beans now and then). And 3, Bad epidemiology is bad epidemiology. And IV, ketogenic diets don't have to be low carb either - google "Modified Atkins" - they can be done with MCT oil. If you really want to know the answers to these questions, do your own research (we already have). – Dave S. Dec 11 2011 at 1:38
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 Also, the ketogenic diets that were given to epileptic children were calorie and water restricted, and not whole food based, and they had epilepsy, which could have any number of effects. – Ambimorph Dec 11 2011 at 1:59
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closed as not a real question by Dave S., Ambimorph, Dragonfly, Patrik♦♦ Dec 11 2011 at 4:31

4 Answers

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I sense by the lack of response to this question that people on here are slightly tired of arguing against the same points. All of these answers can be found on this board multiple times with a little bit of searching.

Here's a good place to start http://paleohacks.com/questions/10840/what-are-the-smartest-anti-paleo-arguments-and-our-responses-to-them#axzz1gAnvJXB1

Here's another good one

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/fast-food/meat-and-mortality/

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i found these 2010 Time article interesting;

Simon Fairlie

how grass fed cows could save the planet

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studies like the china study leave out important variables. Like that native study above? they probably walk 20 miles a day, eat mostly fruit and have nothing processed in their lifestyle, (I didn't click on the link). And any red meat study...do they tell you what else is eaten? probably not! Primal Body Primal Mind is an awesome book, check it out.

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Start with some thesis, then Google it, and you'll find a study that corroborates or contests the thesis. The small-sample, curiously interesting, outlier research study tells us nothing, or tells us everything, depending on what we're looking for.

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