Paleo vs. Keto: Which Diet Truly Fights Inflammation and Boosts Health?

In the ever-evolving landscape of well-being and nutrition, the ketogenic (Keto) and Paleolithic (Paleo) diets have exploded in popularity in recent years. Both diets share the common goal of promoting well-being, whether you are looking to lose weight or improve your overall health. The Paleo diet focuses on consuming foods that were available to our ancestors during the Paleolithic era, such as lean meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables. The Keto diet, on the other hand, is a high-fat, low-carb diet that puts the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.

Navigating the world of dietary choices can be overwhelming, especially when you're dealing with food sensitivities, autoimmune disorders, or specific health goals. Diet trends come and go, but some have stood the test of time due to their effectiveness and growing communities.

Paleo Diet: A Return to Ancestral Eating

The Paleo diet, also known as the Paleolithic or "caveman" diet, is based on the idea of eating foods that our ancestors would have consumed during the Paleolithic era. This approach centers on the unprocessed, truly natural foods humans consumed through hunting and gathering, which ended about 10,000 years ago.

What You Can Eat:

Meat
Fish
Poultry
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts
Seeds

What's Excluded:

Refined or artificial products (including healthy oils like olive oil)
Dairy
Grains
Legumes
Potatoes

The Paleo diet eliminates grains, dairy, legumes, and processed and refined foods, along with hydrogenated and “vegetable” oils that don’t contain any vegetable-like nutrients. Because Paleo naturally avoids refined sugars and processed carbs, it is significantly lower in carbohydrates than the Standard American Diet (or SAD). A paleo diet can be ketogenic if simple carbs are limited enough.

The idea behind this diet is that our bodies are not designed to eat the ultra processed foods that are sadly now part of our every day diets. There is a belief that by eating wholesome and nourishing foods like our ancestors used to, we can improve our overall vitality, health and wellbeing.

Read also: Paleo Granola Recipes

Keto Diet: Fueling with Fat

The keto diet, short for ketogenic diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has gained popularity in recent years. The keto diet (ketogenic diet) is a very high-fat, very low-carb diet that’s unique among other low-carb diets because it puts your body into the metabolic state called nutritional ketosis.

Core Principles:

High amounts of healthy fats
Moderate amounts of protein
Very low amounts of carbohydrates

In a typical keto diet plan, approximately 70% to 75% of daily calories come from fat, 20% from protein, and no more than 10% from carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are largely removed from the diet, the body sometimes enters a state of nutritional ketosis where fat stores are burned instead of carbohydrate stores for energy utilization. A "true" keto diet does not provide enough calories from sources of glucose and other forms of sugar and causes the body to burn fat to create energy. When fat is broken down, ketones are released by fat cells into the bloodstream. The increase in blood ketones lowers the normal acid-base balance in blood to make it more acidic, a state known as ketosis.

Similarities Between Paleo and Keto

Despite their differences, Paleo and Keto diets share some key similarities:

Emphasis on Whole Foods: Both diets encourage the consumption of whole, unprocessed foods.
Elimination of Grains: Both diets restrict or eliminate grains. In the paleo diet, all grains are excluded, while in the keto diet, grains can still be included if they fit within the daily total carb limit.
Low-Carb Approach: Both ketogenic diets and paleo diets are classified as “low carb” diets, leading many in the public to believe the diets are the same.

Key Differences: Paleo vs. Keto

And although there are similarities between the two protocols, keto and paleo are actually very different styles of eating. There are certain foods that are allowed on the Paleo diet and not keto and vice versa. For example, dairy is acceptable on the keto diet but not on Paleo, while starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes are Paleo, but not ketogenic.

Macronutrient Focus: The primary focus of the ketogenic diet is on macronutrient composition. It's a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet designed to induce a state of ketosis, where the body burns fat for energy. The paleo diet doesn't have strict macronutrient guidelines but does emphasise limiting sugar intake and avoiding processed and ultra processed foods. It's more focused on food quality and allows a more balanced intake of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Carb Restriction: Keto is highly restrictive in carbohydrates, typically allowing no more than 50 grams of net carbs per day, which can vary depending on individual goals. While it restricts grains and legumes, the paleo diet allows for higher carbohydrate intake from starchy vegetables and fruits.
Dairy and Legumes: Keto allows for some dairy consumption, primarily high-fat options like butter and full-fat cheese, as long as they fit within the daily carbohydrate limit. Paleo excludes all dairy and legumes, including beans, lentils, and peanuts.
Ketosis: The primary goal of the keto diet is to enter and maintain a state of ketosis, where the body relies on fat for fuel. The Paleo diet does not specifically aim for Ketosis. It's more focused on consuming natural whole foods that our bodies are designed to eat.
Paleo Doesn’t Measure Ketones The keto diet aims to switch the body’s fuel source from glucose to ketones, so paying attention to these levels is essential for ketogenic success. A Paleo diet does not focus on measuring ketones.
Paleo Focuses on Higher Food Quality The Paleo diet focuses on quality of food, especially in choosing grass-fed and wild-caught meat and fish products, organic produce, and free-range poultry. While these aren’t essential for a Paleo diet to work, they are a key aspect of the diet’s framework. While ketogenic eaters should also be concerned about the quality of their food, it’s not one of the essential tenets of the food plan, although a keto diet prizes food quality more than other ultra-low-carb diets like Atkins.
Keto Focuses on Macronutrients A keto diet focuses strongly on the macronutrient ratio - the amount of fats, carbs, and proteins that are eaten each day. This is important to achieve ketosis, as the primary macro for keto is fat, with less protein and restricted carbs. Many keto eaters will consume 100 grams or less of carbs per day, and sometimes 50 grams or less. The macro ratios needed to achieve ketosis are different for everyone based on your hormones, activity level, fitness, genetics, weight, and other health conditions. On Paleo, there are no limitations from counting macronutrients.
Paleo is Lower in Fat While the Paleo diet definitely focuses on consuming plenty of healthy fats, Paleo eaters still eat significantly less fat than keto eaters. Keto dieters aim for a 50 percent or higher ratio of fats in the diet per day, and they balance it between saturated and monounsaturated, and omega-3s and omega-6s.
Sweeteners are Minimal on Keto Speaking of sweeteners, the Paleo diet allows certain kinds of refined sugar alternatives like coconut sugar, dates, maple syrup, stevia, monk fruit, and raw honey. A keto diet can use monk fruit and stevia because they contain no carbs, but the other sweeteners are almost always off-limits for keto eaters because of the carb counts.

Inflammation: A Key Consideration

Both diets can have anti-inflammatory effects. The Paleo diet is popular among people with autoimmune conditions because it eliminates many common allergens, such as dairy and gluten.

Potential Benefits of Paleo for Inflammation:

Improved Digestion: Consuming a diet of whole and unprocessed foods can improve gut health by helping aid digestion and reducing inflammation in the gut.
Increased Nutrient Intake: The Paleo diet encourages the consumption of nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, which can increase overall nutrient intake.
Reduced Inflammation: The Paleo diet is often chosen for its potential to reduce inflammation, promote a more balanced and natural way of eating, and improve overall health and wellbeing.

Potential Benefits of Keto for Inflammation:

Reduced Inflammation: The Keto diet has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, which can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases

Health Benefits of Paleo and Keto

Both the Paleo and Keto diets have been shown to have health benefits, including weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and reduced inflammation.

Paleo Diet: The Benefits

Many people who adopt a Paleo diet report an increased sense of health and wellbeing thanks to the increase in the consumption of whole, unprocessed foods with a focus on high protein and lower carbohydrates. The Paleo diet comes with a variety of health benefits including:

Increased nutrient intake: The Paleo diet encourages the consumption of nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, which can increase overall nutrient intake.
Weight loss: The Paleo diet is low in carbohydrates and high in protein, which can lead to weight loss.
Reduced inflammation: The Paleo diet is often chosen for its potential to reduce inflammation, promote a more balanced and natural way of eating, and improve overall health and wellbeing.

Keto Diet: The Benefits

With a focus on the consumption of healthy fats and limited carbohydrates to induce a state of Ketosis, potential benefits of the Keto diet include:

Weight loss: The Keto diet can lead to rapid weight loss, especially in the first few weeks of the diet as the body adjusts to a new state of Ketosis
Improved insulin sensitivity: The Keto diet can improve insulin sensitivity, which can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Reduced inflammation: The Keto diet has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, which can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases
Balancing blood sugar levels
Lowering blood pressure
Lowering cholesterol
Improving mental clarity, focus, and brain health; even potentially protecting against Alzheimer’s
One of the long-time, medically used reasons for a ketogenic diet is its ability to address and reduce the symptoms of epilepsy.

Potential Downsides and Considerations

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.
Cardiovascular Health: The key here is to work with a physician and measure for markers of heart health, such as LDL-C, before and after going on a ketogenic diet. In some people, a high fat diet will push their cardiovascular biomarkers to unhealthy levels.
Nutrient Deficiencies: With the paleo diet, you have flexibility regarding being in and out of ketosis. However, because grains are not allowed, you would need to find ways to supplement your fiber intake.
Sustainability: Think about which diet you can realistically maintain long-term.
Individualized Approach: It’s important to remember that everyone is different, and what works for one person may not work for another.

Paleo-Keto Hybrid Diet

The Paleo-keto diet is becoming one of the most popular hybrid diets that exist, as it borrows the best aspects from each diet while eliminating mutually exclusive factors. Basically, a Paleo-keto diet is a low-carb version of Paleo that emphasizes more Paleo-friendly fats.

What a Paleo-Keto Diet Looks Like:

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

Which Diet is Right for You?

When deciding between the keto vs. paleo diet, it’s important to consider your goals, preferences, and lifestyle. Whether you’re going Paleo, Keto, or a hybrid of the two, these diets can help to reduce weight, lower inflammation, and balance other body factors like blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose. So, if those factors are all common, how do you know which version is the best for your current needs? While nothing can replace one-on-one advice from your personal physician or practitioner, the following guidelines can help you start the process of elimination.

Read also: Paleo Mayonnaise Recipe

Weight Loss Goals: If your primary goal is weight loss, both the keto diet and the paleo diet can be effective.
Health Conditions: Always discuss dietary changes with your healthcare provider to make sure it’s a safe and effective fit for your needs.
Food Preferences: Consider your food preferences and whether you can adhere to the restrictions of each diet.

Here are some additional guidelines:

For Sustainable, Long-Term Weight Loss: Paleo or Paleo-keto A keto-only diet that is done for a short while might lead to weight gain once normal eating has resumed.
For Beating Sugar Cravings: Keto or Paleo-Keto Because both essentially eliminate all forms of sweets entirely, you’ll have a better chance of kicking the sugar habit.
For Becoming a Healthier Eater: Paleo Paleo allows for a more varied intake of vegetables and fruits in larger quantities, which makes eating healthy much more sustainable.
For Overcoming an Eating Disorder: Paleo Macro counting for Keto eating can become obsessive for some.
For a Busy Lifestyle: Paleo If you’re busy and especially if you travel a lot, counting macros can easily become complicated. Finding quality high-fat foods on the go is more difficult than seeking out Paleo foods, even in most restaurants.
For Balancing Blood Sugar: Keto or Paleo-Keto Diabetics (and pre diabetics) respond well to the highly controlled carbohydrate intake of the keto diet.
For Lowering Cholesterol: Paleo, Keto, or Paleo-Keto Cholesterol responds to reduced inflammation and less processed or refined foods, and all three of these diets provide that.
For Boosting Brain Health: Keto or Paleo-Keto Mental clarity and focus improve on the Keto diet because you’re fueling your body and brain from ketones instead of glucose.
For Beating Autoimmunity: Paleo Autoimmune disorders need higher volumes of vegetables and fruits for antioxidants.
For Beating Hormone Imbalances: Keto, Paleo, or Paleo-Keto It depends on the specific hormone issue.

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