Today, the paleo and ketogenic diets are widely discussed in health and fitness circles, with many individuals adopting them for weight loss and overall health improvement. While both diets are popular, understanding their differences is crucial for making an informed decision. This article provides a detailed comparison of the paleo and keto diets to help you determine which one is best for you.
Understanding the Paleo Diet
The paleo diet, often called the "caveman diet," is based on the idea that eating foods available to early humans will promote optimal health. This diet operates on the fundamental theory that modern food systems and processing techniques are detrimental to human health. By mimicking the eating habits of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, the paleo diet aims to support the body's natural biological functions, improving digestion and overall health.
What You Can Eat on the Paleo Diet
The paleo diet emphasizes whole foods and eliminates grains, legumes, processed sugar, and most sources of dairy. The primary foods permitted on the paleo diet include:
- Meat and fish
- Eggs
- Nuts and seeds
- Fruits
- Vegetables (except corn)
- Selected fats and oils, such as coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, lard, tallow, ghee/butter
- Minimally processed sweeteners, including raw honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, raw stevia
For many, the paleo diet extends beyond just food choices, incorporating lifestyle practices, awareness of the environmental impact of food decisions, and a focus on total body wellness within the paleo philosophy.
Understanding the Keto Diet
The keto, or ketogenic, diet aims to induce ketosis through a calculated adjustment of dietary macronutrients, especially carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Ketosis is the metabolic state in which your body uses fat, instead of carbs, to create the energy needed to carry out its normal functions.
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Macronutrient Breakdown of the Keto Diet
The keto diet macronutrient breakdown typically looks like this:
- Fat: 65-90%
- Protein: 10-30%
- Carbohydrates: less than 5%
Compared to a "standard" diet, the keto diet significantly shifts macronutrient distribution in favor of fat, with moderate protein and very few carbs. The purpose of achieving ketosis with this diet plan is to induce the metabolic breakdown of fat in your body. Thus, it’s imperative that macronutrient intake is tightly controlled, as otherwise you risk throwing your metabolism out of ketosis.
One of the main reasons that the keto diet has gained recent popularity is because of its potential to help you lose weight and improve blood sugar control.
Similarities Between Paleo and Keto Diets
Although distinct, paleo and keto diets share many characteristics. Both emphasize whole foods, eliminate grains and legumes, discourage added sugar intake, and emphasize healthy fats.
Emphasis on Whole Foods
Fundamentally, both paleo and keto diet plans rely on whole-food sources of nutrients. A whole food is minimally processed by the time it reaches your plate. Both diets strongly encourage eliminating all ultra-processed foods and replacing them with whole foods like fresh vegetables, meat, fish, and nuts. This is especially evident with the exclusion of processed fats, oils, and sweeteners in both paleo and keto "rule books."
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Elimination of Grains and Legumes
Though for different reasons, both paleo and keto diets strongly discourage eating grains and legumes. For the paleo crowd, this elimination is largely based on the fact that grains and legumes were not likely part of early human diets and they contain antinutrients. Antinutrients are compounds, such as lectins and phytates, that can be found in some plant-based foods. They interfere with your body’s ability to absorb minerals and nutrients and may cause digestive distress when eaten in large quantities. On the other hand, research suggests that there may also be benefits to eating foods with these compounds. The keto diet also eliminates grains and most legumes, but this is because of their carbohydrate content. Grains and legumes contribute a significant amount of carbs to the diet. If you eat them while following the keto diet, you risk throwing your body out of ketosis.
Discouragement of Added Sugar
Keto and paleo diets strongly discourage the intake of added sugars. For both diet plans, this largely falls under their shared message of avoiding heavily processed foods in general. However, paleo dieters are a bit more flexible with this rule, as unrefined sugar sources like honey and maple syrup are still permitted. Keto, on the other hand, doesn’t allow any added sugar sources, refined or not, due to the high carb content of these foods.
Emphasis on Healthy Fats
In line with their shared goal of achieving optimal health, both paleo and keto diets encourage the intake of unrefined, healthy fats. Both diets also recommend moderate-to-liberal amounts of selected refined oils, such as olive and avocado oils, as well as nuts, seeds and fish. These foods are known to benefit heart health because of their poly- and monounsaturated fat content . Both diets also discourage the use of heavily processed fats, such as trans fats, which are detrimental to health when consumed regularly Keto places very heavy emphasis on fat in general, as it is the cornerstone of the entire diet. Paleo, while not necessarily a high-fat diet, uses this recommendation to support overall health.
Potential for Weight Loss
One of the primary reasons for the popularity of keto and paleo diets is the notion that they will promote weight loss. Unfortunately, there is limited research available for how effective these diets are for sustained, long-term weight loss. However, some short-term research is promising. A small study of postmenopausal, obese women following the paleo diet showed a 9% weight loss after six months and a 10.6% loss at 12 months. No additional significant change in weight was seen at the 24-month mark. One review of research on low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diets, such as the ketogenic diet, indicated that short-term weight loss can occur when switching to this style of eating. This may have been because a high intake of fat usually leads to a decrease in appetite and fewer overall calories consumed. It may also be that the process of ketosis is leading to more efficient elimination of the body’s fat stores. The exact reason is still unclear. Ultimately, more research is needed to determine a clear causal relationship.
Key Differences Between Paleo and Keto Diets
Despite their similarities, the paleo and keto diets have significant differences. These include their ideological messages, macronutrient restrictions, carbohydrate intake, and allowance of dairy and soy.
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Ideological Message and Lifestyle Component
One of the key differences between the paleo and keto diets is the ideological message, or lack thereof. The paleo diet places a heavy emphasis on lifestyle choices beyond just the diet. It explicitly encourages a specific style of exercise and mindfulness in daily activities to accompany the dietary pattern. One of the mainstays of the paleo lifestyle is to incorporate short, intense periods of exercise into your routine. This style of physical activity is thought to reduce the stress that may accompany longer workouts. When paired with the diet, these lifestyle practices are intended to support the total wellness of your body and mind, leading to better overall health. While the paleo diet regimen is very specific, it doesn’t place any emphasis on macronutrients at all. You are permitted to eat as much protein, fat and carbohydrates as you want, provided you’ve chosen them from the set list of "allowable" foods. Keto, on the other hand, doesn’t have an associated ideology or lifestyle component. While it does encourage choosing healthy food sources, the main focus is macronutrient distribution. Any other implemented lifestyle changes alongside the keto diet are the up to the individual and are not part of the diet regimen itself.
Macronutrient Restrictions
The paleo diet does not emphasize macronutrients at all. You are permitted to eat as much protein, fat and carbohydrates as you want, provided you’ve chosen them from the set list of "allowable" foods. Keto only requires that you stay within a set range of carbs, protein and fat.
Carbohydrate Intake
Although paleo does restrict some carb sources, it isn’t necessarily a low-carb diet in the same way keto is. Because paleo does not emphasize macronutrients, your diet could theoretically be very high in carbs, depending on which foods you choose to eat within the specified parameters. Because grains, refined sugars and legumes aren’t permitted, the carb sources on the paleo diet are somewhat limited but not eliminated. Paleo still allows carbs from groups of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and unrefined sweeteners. Conversely, the keto diet restricts all rich sources of carbohydrates, including starchy vegetables, most fruits, grains, sweeteners and most legumes. Due to the fact that total carb intake must remain below a certain threshold to maintain ketosis, many high-carb foods, regardless of their source, simply don’t fit into a keto diet. Keto restricts your carb intake, while paleo allows for many whole-food sources of carbs, provided they fall into the permitted food categories.
Dairy and Soy
Keto permits, even encourages, eating many dairy foods. High-fat dairy in the form of heavy cream, butter and unsweetened full-fat yogurt are mainstays of many ketogenic diet plans. Other dairy products, like ice cream or milk, are prohibited on the keto diet but this is mostly due to their low fat-to-carb ratio. Soy foods like tofu, tempeh and soybeans are allowed on the keto diet as long as they fall within your specified macronutrient allotment. Soy milk, however, is usually discouraged. Paleo, on the other hand, doesn’t allow for any soy and restricts almost all dairy. Grass-fed butter is the one permitted dairy product on the paleo diet. However, there is some disagreement within the paleo community about whether or not this allowance is truly in line with the paleo ideology. Additionally, paleo does not allow for any soy products because they fall into the legume category of foods. Keto encourages eating high-fat dairy foods and some soy, provided that they fit within the recommended macronutrient range. Paleo doesn’t allow dairy or soy, with the exception of some butter.
Which Diet is Right for You?
Both paleo and keto diets can be healthy options, depending on how they are implemented and what they are used for. In a side-by-side comparison, the paleo diet is a healthier option for most people. Paleo allows for more flexibility of food choices and more options for obtaining the wide array of nutrients your body needs on a daily basis. It also encourages an overall healthy lifestyle. Freedom within food choices makes paleo easier to maintain long-term with less potential to be socially isolating. Keto does not suit everyone and may be beneficial as a treatment method for some health conditions. Also, people should generally avoid eating too much saturated fat on a high-fat diet. Studies suggest it may increase the risk of heart disease (7). Keto is more difficult to maintain because of the strict compliance needed to achieve ketosis. It requires careful planning and can be less adaptable to varied social situations. Keto’s lack of flexibility can also make getting adequate nutrients a challenge because of the limited options. Both paleo and keto diets have the potential to be healthy, but paleo is more likely to offer a wider variety of nutritious options. Keto can be difficult to maintain and may not be well tolerated by some people.
Factors to Consider
When deciding on the best diet for you, think about what’s sustainable. You should talk to your doctor or nutritionist about the right diet plan for you. The paleo diet can be healthy by getting you to focus on the current processed foods you’re eating. However, it’s a starting point. Eating a lot of fatty meats can have the opposite effect. If the keto diet interests you more, make sure you’re keeping your doctor in the loop.
- Enjoyability: A healthy diet should also be one that you enjoy. When you like the diet, you’re more likely to stick with it long-term. Consider whether you’re willing to give up certain foods, such as grains, sugar, and other high-glycemic items.
- Your budget: Does your chosen diet allow you to meet your nutritional needs economically?
- Diets you’ve tried in the past: Recall the diets you’ve done previously and whether they’ve worked or not.
- Health condition: Do you struggle to keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, etc. within a normal range? Do you have certain allergies and food intolerances?
- Studies to support the diet: There’s plenty of research showing how keto and paleo can improve your health.
Paleo-Keto Diet
You may be able to merge both diets to get the best of both worlds. A Paleo-keto diet is a low-carb version of Paleo that emphasizes more Paleo-friendly fats.
Here’s a breakdown of how the Paleo-keto diet works.
- Avoids:High-carb fruits and vegetables, Dairy, except for grass-fed butter, Artificial sweeteners
- Allows:Low-carb produce like berries, kale, avocado, cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini, Quality, Paleo-friendly fats, like salmon, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, avocado oil, butter, ghee, tallow, and lard
Potential Benefits and Risks
Paleo Diet
Benefits:
- Eating less processed foods: The biggest selling point of the paleo diet is its insistence on cutting out processed foods. There are negative health effects linked to eating these foods.
- Weight loss: One of the main benefits of the paleo diet is fast weight loss. Studies have shown that by following this plan you’re likely to see a body mass index (BMI) decrease and a waist size reduction.
- Cardiovascular health: Some studies have shown that the paleo diet lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease. Since the paleo diet helps you lose weight and decrease BMI, your blood pressure and total cholesterol levels are reduced.
- Blood sugar regulation: Restricting dairy, refined sugar, and carbohydrates from your diet can help regulate your blood sugar and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Risks:
- High cost: Buying whole foods can be much costlier than their processed counterparts that have been frozen or canned.
- Nutrient deficiencies: Cutting out all grains and legumes leaves you without enough B vitamins like thiamine, folate, niacin, and riboflavin. You might be most at risk for not getting enough calcium or vitamin D.
- High meat intake: The paleo diet requires you to eat more meat. Studies have linked eating more red meat to health risks. These risks include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and an increased risk of death.
Keto Diet
Benefits:
- Weight loss: On the keto diet, you’ll be eating foods high in fat. These types of food make you feel full for longer. There are weight loss effects when you are in ketosis - a state in which your body uses stored fat for energy instead of blood sugar.
- Effects on certain conditions: If you have epilepsy or another neurological disorder, your doctor might prescribe the keto diet. Studies have shown that the keto diet can reduce seizures. There are also emerging studies that show benefits for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Risks:
- Not enough nutrients: Like the paleo diet, you’re cutting out specific foods. By eliminating grains and most fruits, you may not get enough selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins B and C.
- Liver and kidney problems: Metabolizing the fat in this diet can be hard on your liver. The level of protein can be difficult for your kidneys to metabolize. If you already have liver or kidney problems, this diet can make them worse.
- Fuzziness and unclear thoughts: Your brain uses healthy carbohydrates to function. If it doesn’t get the amount it needs to function well, you may feel confused or irritable.
- Keto flu: Some individuals may notice flu-like symptoms at the beginning of their ketogenic diet journey (typically 2-7 days after starting) as your body transitions from carbohydrate metabolism to fat metabolism. The coined term ‘keto-flu’ refers to fatigue, headache, nausea, difficulty sleeping, and constipation that some people experience.
Contraindications for Keto Diet
The keto diet is not recommended for people with:
- Pancreatic disease
- Thyroid problems
- Eating disorders or a previous eating disorder
- Gallbladder disease, or who have had their gallbladder removed