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With so many conflicting messages in the media about which diets are best, it’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed when trying to make healthy choices. While some plans seem to overlap in certain principles, others stand out as polar opposites. Two of the most buzzed-about eating styles that cater to very different approaches are the Mediterranean and paleo diets. While some eating patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, are all about flexibility and a varied approach, others, like the paleo diet, take on a stricter philosophy. Both have their fair share of followers, but what sets them apart is how they view the concept of balance and which foods they prioritize.
In this article, we’ll outline what makes each unique and how they stack up when it comes to overall healthfulness.
Key Differences Between the Mediterranean and Paleo Diets
[READ: 5 Things to Know About the Mediterranean Diet: Mistakes and Myths]
Mediterranean Diet Overview
Picture this: the warm sun setting over a village along the coast of Italy or Greece, where meals are less about quick bites and more about slowing down, savoring each dish and celebrating life with loved ones. That’s the essence of the Mediterranean diet. It’s not so much a diet as it is a lifestyle — one that champions fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains and the occasional glass of wine along with a hefty side dish of connecting with neighbors and getting out in the open air. The idea is to eat a medley of plant-based foods, with the added bonus of heart-healthy fats found in olive oil, avocado and nuts.
The diet also includes a few servings per week of fish and seafood, and moderate portions of dairy, eggs and poultry. Meats and sweets are celebratory, not staples, and desserts are consumed on occasion, not as an after-dinner expectation.
As a bonus side effect, by picking mostly plants and plant proteins, those following a Mediterranean lifestyle get their fill of disease-fighting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients, thereby supporting the prevention of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer risks.
The Mediterranean diet features daily intake of:
— Whole grains
— Fresh vegetables and fruit in season
— Beans and legumes
— Nuts and seeds
[Paleo Diet and Heart Disease: Is There a Connection?]
Paleo Diet Overview
On the flip side, the paleo diet takes you way, way back — think prehistoric times when foraging for berries and hunting animals for dinner was the norm. This way of eating is about getting back to the basics, and it’s fueled by the idea that our bodies thrive best on foods our Paleolithic ancestors consumed.
Lori Chong, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes educator at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center explains, “It’s a diet based on the idea that we’re supposed to eat like our Paleolithic ancestors, before farming and food factories.”
Like the Mediterranean diet, the paleo diet seeks to limit the intake of processed foods and focuses on including a wide variety of plant-based food sources — but only the ones that our ancient selves would have likely come across in their hunter-gatherer days.
The idea is simple: If our Paleolithic ancestors didn’t eat it, we shouldn’t either. This translates into a focus on whole foods, raw fruits and vegetables in season and plenty of meat. It’s a lifestyle that promises more energy and fewer cravings but requires a pretty strong commitment to staying away from modern food staples.
Anything that requires intensive farming is out, so that means cutting out beans and legumes, cultivated grains and dairy. Alcohol is also out. The idea of eating in tune with our biological ancestry has been around since the 1970s, but the diet gained in popularity in the 2000s with the development of CrossFit, an exercise regimen that espoused this approach to eating to fuel sports performance and the ideal body. Today, many food companies offer paleo-friendly products that make following a paleo diet a somewhat more convenient proposition.
[READ: How to Eat Like the Mediterranean Diet With Foods From Other Cuisines.]
Health Benefits: Mediterranean vs. Paleo
Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is very popular among health experts and dietitians because of the many health benefits it’s been associated with.
“Those following this eating pattern not only experience low incidence of heart disease and greater longevity, blood pressure, as well as lower risk of diabetes, stroke, certain cancers and cognitive diseases including Alzheimer’s,” says Lindsey Kane, a registered dietitian.
Paleo diet
Since carbohydrates are the nutrient that we all love and love to hate, the paleo diet can be a good way for people to cut weight quickly because eliminating processed foods, sugars and refined carbohydrates can jump-start a weight loss program. If the focus is on adding unprocessed foods, with lots of vegetables, it can be an alternative to the standard American diet, which could welcome weight loss and potentially reduce the incidence of higher incidence of Type 2 diabetes associated with obesity.
[READ: Types of Vegetarian Diets.]
Health Risks
Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the safest and healthiest approaches to eating because it’s more of a lifestyle than a diet. It doesn’t really include the lengthy “allowed” and “avoid” lists of other diets and its flexibility means you can be sure to cover all your nutritional bases and stay satisfied over the long term. It’s also a diet that your entire family can enjoy together without any associated health risks.
Paleo diet
The paleo diet is considered a restrictive plan, that is not only unrealistic for most people, but it may also be more difficult to stick with long term. The paleo plan also comes with potential health risks. With the elimination of most grains and beans, one area of concern is fiber. Fiber not only fuels your gut with good bacteria but it also helps reduce risks of diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
Because fiber intake could be limited on the paleo diet, it could change the gut microbiome, which relies on fiber as a food source.
“A lot of research these days is focused on the microbiome and how it affects our health. We don’t know everything there is to know about it,” Chong says. But as our understanding grows, that may alter how we look at certain diets and their health impacts.
In addition, by regularly consuming fatty cuts of meat, that could actually increase your risk of heart disease or certain types of cancer. Similarly, processed meats, such as bacon and lunch meat, can elevate risk for colorectal cancer. So be sure to look for lean meats that have been minimally processed if you’re switching to the paleo diet.
Which Is Better for Weight Loss?
Both the Mediterranean and paleo diets can elicit weight loss, though if this is your primary goal, some might turn to the paleo diet since its restrictive guidelines may cause faster weight loss. Protein-heavy diets may be associated with rapid weight loss for some people.
However, if you’re goal is to lose weight and keep it off, less severe and more realistic plans would be recommended. In either case, portion size is the key to dropping weight, and most dietitians recommend striving for a 1 to 2 pound per week weight loss.
Maintaining weight loss is a crucial aspect of any dietary plan. The Mediterranean diet, often considered more of a lifestyle than a restrictive regimen, may offer advantages in sustaining weight loss over time compared to more restrictive diets like paleo. A 2020 study involving 565 participants found that higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a twofold increase in the likelihood of maintaining weight loss over 12 months. This suggests that the Mediterranean diet’s emphasis on balance and variety can support long-term weight management.
Long-term adherence to the paleo diet can be challenging due to its restrictive nature. A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the effects of various diets, including the Paleo diet, on weight loss and maintenance over a 12-month period. The study found that while participants initially lost weight on the Paleo diet, maintaining that weight loss over the long term was difficult, with many individuals regaining weight after the initial loss. This suggests that the restrictive nature of the Paleo diet may make it harder for individuals to sustain weight loss over time.
Cost
The Mediterranean and paleo diets offer similar cost profiles, as both include plenty of fresh produce and some meat. Because the Mediterranean diet includes more grains and legumes, such as beans and lentils, which are often some of the least expensive staples in the grocery store, the Mediterranean diet may be more budget friendly than some interpretations of the paleo diet that include lots of more expensive red meat. In both cases, if you choose to use only organic produce, you can expect to spend more money than if you also include conventionally grown produce.
These two diets “may be higher than the average Western diet” in terms of cost, says Lindsay Collier, clinical dietitian specialist at Westchester Medical Center. This is because of the higher produce consumption by comparison to the standard American diet. “But with use of frozen or low-sodium canned options, the costs can be reduced. The best way to ensure you can fit these diet styles into your budget would be to work with a registered dietitian.”
Which Diet Is Better?
The Mediterranean diet traditionally ranks as the No. 1 Best Diet Overall in U.S. News’ annual diet rankings. To earn top marks, which are compiled with input from a panel of health experts, a diet must be safe, relatively easy to follow, nutritious and effective for weight loss. This description fits the Mediterranean diet, which is a favorite among many dietitians and nutritionists across the country.
In contrast, the paleo diet rates poorly, reflecting the fact that it’s more restrictive and may not be as sustainable as other ways of eating that offer more flexibility.
Bottom Line
Since the word diet actually means way of life and not “weigh of life,” following a Mediterranean type of diet would not only help you lose weight, if that’s is your goal, but it also help you maintain your weight loss and enjoy all of the same foods your family and friends are consuming. Although I know this next comment will probably draw negative comments from paleo peeps, my suggestion is that if you want to follow a paleo-type of diet, perhaps you should consider adding the healthiest carbs, like beans, pulses and legumes, that provide protein, fiber and host of other nutrients while also consuming lean protein foods to help control saturated fat intake. In the long run, your body will thank you.
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Mediterranean Diet vs. Paleo Diet originally appeared on usnews.com
