Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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What myths would you like to see debunked?
And which myths do we know for sure are just myths that apply to the Paleo diet?

I think we can all agree that "saturated fat is bad" is a myth, "fat makes you fat" is a myth, and "whole wheat carbs help you to lose weight" is a myth.

flag	asked Feb 2 2012 at 23:12 April S.♦ 11.9k●1●13●47

Nance · Answer 1 · 2012-02-03 00:18:28Z UTC

I'd like to see "healthy supplements" receive more skeptical examination.

I call processed foods "manufactured food-like products" and I object to the preservatives, stabilizers, etc., which is why I eat as many whole foods as I can.

Well, IMO many if not most supplements are "manufactured nutrient-like products" and I object to the preservatives, stabilizers, etc., which is why I eat the widest variety of meats, vegetables and fruits I can afford.

I'm not saying we can get absolutely everything from whole foods but I think it's arrogant to assume we know everything that's good in salmon or fruit or greens, etc., OR that popping a bunch of supplements every day instead of eating a wide variety of whole foods is "paleo."

(meekly stepping down from soapbox)

Scotty Von Porkchop · Answer 2 · 2012-02-03 00:05:03Z UTC

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The myth that 'a paleo protein powder sold by a paleo guru is paleo' that goes for all the powders generally. I mainly hold this view because I'm not a guru and so cant make a fortune of the back of it.

answered Feb 3 2012 at 0:05

Scotty Von Porkchop
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Evelyn aka CarbSane · Answer 3 · 2012-02-03 00:15:37Z UTC

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Myths often believed in paleo circles:

Carbs make you fat
Postprandial insulin spikes lead to hyperinsulinemia
Carbs make you insulin resistant
You burn out your beta cells eating carbs
Dietary fat has no impact on body weight/fat mass
You will gain more fat mass eating a pound of cookies than a pound of grass fed beef tallow
Fruit is fattening
Too much protein is fattening because it is turned to glucose
Excess carbs are converted to fat
Just eating "healthy foods" will normalize weight magically
A real whole-foods diet is not fatty enough, you must add more fat

I could go on :-)

answered Feb 3 2012 at 0:15

Evelyn aka CarbSane
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Cool. Seems like a lot of people believe less extreme versions of these. I want to see some more info on these topics. – jatx www.jasonmoore.me Feb 3 2012 at 0:56

So in your view, what happens with excess carbs?? – saiklón Feb 3 2012 at 15:43

@saiklon: In the absence of persistent overfeeding (excess calories) there is basically no such thing as an excess carbohydrate. Our metabolisms are designed to use carbs for energy preferentially and are able to do that. There are enough cultures who thrive on upwards of 75% carbs to demonstrate this. – Evelyn aka CarbSane Feb 3 2012 at 16:16

I only "disagree" with 'Just eating "healthy foods" will normalize weight magically' being a myth. Eating healthy foods is the single most normalizing action I complete that regulates so many other things throughout my day. It also was the basis for my weightloss, and is the basis of maintenance, imho. – greymouser Feb 3 2012 at 16:18

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All carbs are made up of sugar (and all sugars are carbohydrates). Table sugar is a carbohydrate. High fructose corn syrup is a carbohydrate. The carbs in a potato is glucose (blood sugar) molecules chained together. The way your body digests carbs is to break them down into simple sugars. ALL digestable carbohydrates end up as sugar in your body. "There are enough cultures who thrive on upwards of 75% SUGAR to demonstrate this." When you phrase it that way, it has a very different meaning. We were designed to eat sugar, but never at such high levels. – Talldog Feb 3 2012 at 18:09

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Sigrid · Answer 4 · 2012-02-03 00:15:56Z UTC

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Thy myth that if you eat paleo you won't put on weight

answered Feb 3 2012 at 0:15

Sigrid
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I can vouch for this. Gained weight on purpose due to being anorexic. – April S.♦ Feb 3 2012 at 1:59

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yea, I was a perfect weight, and gained weight on paleo by thinking I could overeat. Can't! – Carrie Feb 3 2012 at 3:53

ROB · Answer 5 · 2012-02-03 01:54:34Z UTC

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Legumes!! Are they really a "neolithic agent of disease," I have 90 year old Aunts who consume a ton of beans and are still walking and talking. I think most fear of legumes comes from a small incident in a certain cafeteria where a couple people got food poisoning from undercooked beans.

answered Feb 3 2012 at 1:54

ROB
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Yes, your aunts are walking and talking, but are they farting and farting? Beans are gut irritants full of the stuff that plants make to defend themselves from being tasty. It ain't good for us. – Karen P. Feb 3 2012 at 5:07

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"Beans are gut irritants full of the stuff that plants make to defend themselves from being tasty. It ain't good for us" - I am leaning toward that being a myth as well. Bean lectins and phytic acid are not much to worry about. I think Archevore has completely removed mention of beans from it steps. – Paleo2.0 Feb 3 2012 at 15:36

Just because one person can eat corn and beans and not obviously suffer any ill effects doesn't mean they're optimal food for everyone. I can take up smoking and not suffer any ill effects for decades, if at all -- my grandfather smoked at least a pack a day for over 50 years and died of completely unrelated causes -- but that doesn't make smoking healthy. +++ That being said, properly soaked and sprouted beans are probably in the "not all that bad" category...but why eat them when you can eat far more healthy, nutrient-dense, and antinutrient-poor foods like meat, eggs, and veggies? – J. Stanton - gnolls.org Feb 3 2012 at 22:55

Mythbusters: Paleo Edition

5 Answers