A Comparison and Contrast of the Paleo and Vegan Diets - Research Paper Example

A Comparison and Contrast of the Paleo and Vegan Diets A Comparison and Contrast of the Paleo and Vegan Diets Introduction The vegan and paleo diets are two distinct ways of eating that an individual may consider. Each is having specific characteristics and influence on the health. Besides, most of the people who follow directives regarding these diets mind about their well-being and want to control lifestyle disorders. Both paleo and vegan diets have implications on the health of the individuals who follow them. The increasing frequency of lifestyle related disorder makes many to pay attention to the type of food they consume. Some people opt for the foods that the ancestors ate while there are others who consider animal and their products not good for consumption. The striking differences and some similarities of paleo and vegan diets are the primary focus of this article. The paper further investigates how they influence specific conditions. Diets refer to the kinds of foods that a person or society consume. There is evidence that shows the connection between the types of food a person eats and the probability of developing specific disorders. Part of the evidence also links the type of food taken to the ability to maintain high immunity levels against opportunistic diseases. Hence, there is a high focus on educating people to have a balanced diet in their daily meals. Many factors determine the way we eat. Some of them include culture and society that demands specific types of foods. Most of these cultural influences on foods depend on the beliefs and geographical locations. The knowledge that we acquire on the benefits of some foods may also influence what we consider safe to eat. The economic factors also affect the ability of some families in affording to have the necessary nutrients for body nourishment. The focus of this paper will show some aspects of the paleo and vegan diets in their similarities and differences. There is increasing awareness of these two forms of diets. Their contribution to the prevention of certain clinical conditions is also a significant factor to consider. In consideration for health, the paper will focus on the contents of the foods and the way quantities of nutrients affect the body. Description Paleo diet The Paleo diet gets its basis on the foods that people presume early human took, and they mainly consist of fish, vegetables, meat, and fruits. It aims at creating the diet similar to the caveman. The people observing this kind of diet do not take processed foods, grain and dairy product. According to the paleo diet, there are minimal changes to the human DNA for the past 40000 years (Cordain, 2011). However, during these periods, human relied on hunting and gathering as a source of their food. Hence, while considering the genetic makeup of human being, the dietary needs are still the same. According to this diet, nature always governed the type of food a person consumes before the era of civilization. Using the foods that our ancestors consumed will be ideal for nourishing the body rather than using the modern processed foods since there are no changes in our body system with civilization. The diet gives priority to hunted animals or those fed natural pasture. The hunters and gatherers favored eating animal foods over those obtained from plants. Nonetheless, there is a need to consider the quality of the meat and freshness. It encourages moderate enjoyment of nuts, seeds, and fruits. Moreover, the individuals using this diet system avoid processed foods that easily cause harm to the body. The diet also eliminates grains, legume, dairy and processed foods. According to the foods in paleo diets, it consists of foods that have low to moderate carbohydrate, enough animal protein, and high-fat content. The low carbohydrate content of the food is responsible for the idea of those using the diet to become leaner. The process usually takes weeks or months to accomplish. The low consumption of carbohydrates causes the body to burn more calories than consumed. Besides, the low carbohydrates work in normalizing the insulin metabolism in the body. The normalization of insulin has a good effect in causing some people to eat less; hence, more weight loss. In turn, the low calories in the body cause a reduction in the levels of cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein in the blood. It further causes the rise in quantities of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood. All these factors combined leads to better health of the individuals using paleo diet. The paleo diet encourages consumption of healthy fats, unlike modern diets that do not differentiate between good and bad fats. The diet program encourages consumption of lean proteins for optimal development of healthy muscles, bones and immune system. The proteins also keep people satisfied to avoid overeating. The consumption of fruits and vegetables while using this diet ensures there are enough minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that reduce chances of developing some disorders such as cancer. Hence, the ability of paleo diet to keep individuals satisfied also work to assist the patients in weight reduction (Jönsson, Granfeldt, Lindeberg & Hallberg, 2013). Vegan diet The diet involves having a balanced diet only from consumption of plants and their products. There is no use of any product from animals including dairy and eggs. The diet includes consumption of fruits, leafy greens, vegetables, nuts, whole grain products and legumes. The program requires proper planning to avoid deficiency of essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, and calcium. The individuals using vegan diet easily acquire the necessary proteins if they eat sufficient calorie levels. Scientists’ research shows that the plants products can provide enough amounts of proteins (Norris & Messina, 2011). The plants contain the twenty essential amino acids to the body. The individuals who only eat plants get their proteins from pulses and beans. Hence, the legumes are the most important sources of proteins for the vegans. There is a need to take more plant protein since they are not easily digestible like animal proteins. However, the ability of plant proteins improves digestibility due to processing and cooking. Moreover, instead of dairy products, the program requires individuals to use alternatives such as fortified soya drinks. The grains and starchy foods provide carbohydrate in the diet to meet the energy requirements of the body. The plenty fruits and vegetables consumed to provide the necessary vitamins and minerals to the body. Hence, more often, vegans have a stable immune system to fight against most of the diseases. Similarities of the Two Diets Both diets do not advise people to consume dairy products. The vegan is against it because it is from animals and their use will promote consumption of meat. The paleo diet does not support the use of dairy products since there was no animal husbandry in the ancient periods. Both programs aim at improving the well-being of people. They advocate for healthy living that will reduce the weight limiting the possibility of developing lifestyle disorder. The paleo focuses on the foods ancestors ate to keep them healthy and not affected by lifestyle disorders. The vegans focus on the use of the plant as a food source. Since the use of the animal product has some negative health effects. Differences The paleo diet consists of foods consumed by the Paleolithic human. They consume only food that was available in 15000 years ago. Nonetheless, veganism seeks to exclude animals use for clothing, food or other purposes. Hence, the vegans do not use any animal product. They consume only plant-based foods. The difference in the practices is due to the variation in the reasons for each side. Paleo diet focuses on the nutrition while the vegan considers the morals. The two programs vary in the type of food the individuals should consume. Paleo advocates for consumption of animal products but not legumes and grains like the caveman. The vegan diet, however, uses legumes as a source of proteins but does not allow consumption of animal meat and their products. Moreover, the vegan diet allows consumption of some processed foods such as soymilk and tofu. The only restriction given in this model is never to consume any food that contains animal products. Even the processed plant products are edible in the vegan diet. However, Paleo diet does not allow consumption of any processed foods as part of the diet. The foods consumed must meet the standards similar to those of ancestral time when there was no civilization. The Paleo diet does not allow consumption of wheat and processed sugar since the ancestors never used them as food. However, Paleolithic diet allows consumption of sugar from natural sources such as fruits. The vegan diet allows consumption of both wheat and processed sugar. It is because all their contents are from the plant only and no compositions originate from animals. Possible challenges to the two systems Lack of consumption of animal products in vegan diet possesses a problem of deficiency of essential nutrients. The people using paleo also face a problem of accessing the required animal product due to increasing civilization in most regions. Hence, the use of the two systems of diet requires proper planning and ability to overcome the challenges. Aspects of paleo diet Consideration of not eating processed food and animal products from artificial farming assists in the prevention of chronic diseases. Avoidance of food from the animal husbandry further has a positive impact in limiting the possibilities of having disease resistant pathogens. People subject these animals to medical treatments that expose human to small doses of the medications. The pathogens in the human body that get these small doses mutate and become resistant to the drugs. Hence, consumption of natural foods like the ancestors assists in having fewer incidences of drug resistance. The low carbohydrates and high fiber content in the diet is helpful in keeping the body healthy. The low sugar content in the food is crucial in maintaining body weight. The high fiber contents in the food ensure there is a proper bowel movement. The fiber assists in the retention of water in the gastrointestinal system to limit incidences of constipation. Hence, the dietary content nourishes and maintains the body in a healthy state when a person follows the paleo diet. Modifications should be on the amounts of meat a person consumes. Large quantities of daily meat as with paleo diet can cause inflammation. Hence, vegetables and fruits should form the main part of the diet in the modified version. Such kinds of variations will have health benefits to those who are considering paleo diet. There should be the introduction of some natural grains as part of the diet to improve nutrition. Moreover, there should be the introduction of limited amounts of dairy products to assist in growth and development. Conditions of people such as type II diabetes and hypothyroidism further influence the modification of this diet. Aspects of vegan diet The vegan diet has the negative part by showing the possibility of a deficiency in some essential nutrients. Some of the crucial elements that can easily become deficient in people practicing vegan diet are iron, calcium, and omega 3 fatty acids. All these elements play significant roles in keeping the body healthy. This aspect also brings a challenge that requires proper planning before engaging in a vegan diet. Nonetheless, the strict use of only plants and their product can prove helpful in improving the well-being of the patient. It becomes useful especially in the inflammatory condition, which often worsens due to consumption of meat. People who have conditions such as arthritis may also use a vegan diet to reduce inflammation. The vegan diet also provides the necessary nutrients but requires proper planning. Modification of the vegan diet should include fish such as salmon and sardines. The inclusion of fish will enable provision of omega 3 fatty acids that are essential to the body functions. There is also need to include supplements of other nutrients that may be lacking in the diet. Such kind of modification will enable proper nourishment of the body. Clinical application Paleo diets There is evidence showing that Paleolithic diet has a beneficial effect on type 2 diabetes. It improves the glycemic control in the patients (Klonoff, 2009). It may also lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is worthwhile noting that the paleo diet is not similar to diets for diabetic patients. The diabetic diets often contain high amounts of fiber, vegetables, and whole grain products. The Paleolithic diet consists of lean meat, vegetables, fish, and fruits. It lacks the grains and fibers that are necessary for regulation of glucose absorption in diabetic patients. The paleo diet reduces the levels of hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, and triglycerides. The paleo diet increases the normalization of blood glucose level in the blood of diabetes patients. Hence, it can perform a significant role in the management of the disease. The low sugar levels in the diet also serve as a means for prevention of diabetes and other lifestyle diseases such as obesity. The low carbohydrates ensure the body uses all consumed calories that ensure reduction of body weight. Moreover, increased levels of satisfaction after taking paleo diet assist in the reduction of weight by type 2 diabetes (Jönsson, Granfeldt, Lindeberg & Hallberg, 2013). However, diabetic patients still need to be cautious in their consumption of fruits due to high amounts of sugar. The Paleolithic diet also causes reduction of LDL and increase in HDL in the blood that plays a significant role in reducing chances of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, the paleo diet contains antioxidants that reduce the risk of oxidative damage that often increase the risk of heart disease. One of the antioxidants is omega 3 fatty acids that protect the heart. Other antioxidants are from the numerous vitamins consumed through the paleo diet preventing the formation of free radicals that can damage heart tissue (Davidson, 2013). It can also diminish the risk of high blood pressure. Vegan diet There is medical evidence suggesting that use of vegan diet can assist in the lowering of blood pressure. The number of people who take vegan diet and have high blood pressure are minimal compared to other diets (Nadar & Lip, 2015). Hypertension often has a close relation with other lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The vegan diet assists in the reduction of weight and limits the chances of obesity. The diet is often rich in fruits and vegetables that assist in the reduction of blood pressure. The people following this model also consume limited amounts of salts that have a positive contribution in limiting incidences of hypertension. The model of diet also assists in the glycemic and glycemic control (Barnard, Cohen, Jenkins, Turner-McGrievy, Gloede, Green & Ferdowsian, 2009). It causes the reduction of hemoglobin A1C due to weight loss and low cholesterol levels. The effects are due to high fiber and low-fat content in foods taken in the vegan model. There are limited studies that also show a reduction of iron content causes increased sensitivity to insulin. Hence, patients with diabetes will benefit from the vegan diet through improvement of blood glucose control. Conclusion Both paleo and vegan diets aim at improving the well-being of people in the society. However, they differ in types of food a person should eat. The philosophies of the two type of model also differ with paleo focusing on nutrition while vegan deals with moral issues. Nonetheless, both of them have clinical application in diseases prevention and management. References Barnard, N. D., Cohen, J., Jenkins, D. J., Turner-McGrievy, G., Gloede, L., Green, A., & Ferdowsian, H. (2009). A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-wk clinical trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(5), 1588S1596S. Retrieved November 23, 2015 from http://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736H Cordain, L. (2011). The Paleo diet: Lose weight and get healthy by eating the foods you were designed to eat (Rev. ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Davidson, J. (2013). Medical Conditions Requiring Paleo Diet. Mendon: Jd-Biz Publishing. Jönsson, T., Granfeldt, Y., Lindeberg, S., & Hallberg, A. (2013). Subjective satiety and other experiences of a Paleolithic diet compared to a diabetes diet in patients with type 2 diabetes. Nutrition Journal, 12(1), 1-7. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-12-105 Klonoff, D. C. (2009). The Beneficial Effects of a Paleolithic Diet on Type 2 Diabetes and Other Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, 3(6), 1229–1232. Nadar, S., & Lip, G. Y. H. (2015). Hypertension. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Norris, J., & Messina, V. (2011). Vegan for life: Everything you need to know to be healthy and fit on a plant-based diet. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. Read More