In a previous post I discussed the fact that we have the DNA of the hunter-gatherers. And, when our bodies don’t see the food and activity patterns of our Paleolithic ancestors, we become susceptible to many of the diseases of civilization (heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc). This study shows that even when you have coronary heart disease, eating like the hunter-gatherers helps control diabetes.
In a clinical study in Sweden, Staffan Lindeberg at the Department of Medicine, Lund University, compared 14 individuals who consumed the hunter-gatherer diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meat and fish to 15 individuals who consumed the Mediterranean diet of whole-grain cereals, low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables and refined fats.
Prior to the study, all of the participants had increased blood sugar after ingesting carbohydrates (glucose intolerance) and most had already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In addition, all had coronary heart disease.
At the end of 12 weeks, researchers found that blood sugar rise in response to carbohydrates was lower in the hunter-gatherer group (–26%) while it barely changed in the Mediterranean group (–7%). And, at the end of the study, all of the individuals in the Paleolithic group had normal blood glucose.
What’s really interesting about this study is that the researchers didn’t compare the effects of the hunter-gatherer diet to the modern day diet, which is known to be unhealthful; they studied the Mediterranean diet which is purported to have many health benefits. So it’s not a question of whether the grains are “whole” or “processed.” A complete absence of grains and dairy produced these results!