Paleo dieters may be wrong about not eating starchy carbswhen they attempt to mimic whatour ancestors ate, according to to be published in the September2015 issueof theQuarterly Review of Biology. The study, currently available online, suggests that starchy carbs were essential to the evolution and growth of the human brain, despite the common paleo approach to a high-protein, low-carb diet.
Previous studies connected human brain development with the discovery of stone tools, which caused humans to shift from a mostly plant-based diet to a meat-based one, according to from the University of Chicago. Butafter taking into account genetic, physiological, archaeological, anthropological, and anatomical data,researchers believe we also have digestible carbohydrates to thank.
The paleodiet, , is based onwhat our ancestors ate until agriculture came along. Paleo supporters believethe healthiest dietis composedoffish, meat, vegetables, fruit, polutry, and nutsandcuts outgrains, dairy, andexcessive sugars. (However, followers of the ,an offshoot of the typical paleo program, do eat refined products during endurance sports.)Most believe the Paleo diet stemmed from a 1985 article published in theNew England Journal of Medicine, and some feel that it’s a way to deal with the rise in diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
But Karen Hardy, lead author of the recent study, says carbsare vital to a high-functioning brain. The key is to eat the right type and the right amount.She believes the problem today—and the reason starchy food sometimes has such a bad reputation—is from overeating heavily processed starchy food. That’swhat can cause weight gain, Hardy told ϳԹin an email.She recommends avoiding high glycemic index starches, such as white rice and white bread.
“Foods such as tubers and starchy seeds and nuts are the ones to go for,”Hardy wrote.
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