"Long-term" effects of Primal Diet page

[ASC]

I've been mostly eating primal for about a year now and it's gone very well. But some questions are still lingering in my mind and I'm really starting to question if I should continue to eat this way.

Our ancestors evolved eating a particular way and what they ate is likely closer to what is best for our bodies. However, our ancestors only lived to perhaps 30 years old or so. Since we are living far past this age, how do we know that primal eating is optimal for us past the age of 30?

It's possible that certain types of foods don't take a toll on us until later in life and that our ancestors never reached an age where they would come across these issues.

In the end, is there any evidence that eating primal is optimal into our older years?

[jakey]

i think you're getting hung up on how life expectancy is calculated. life expectancy was lower in the paleolithic due to the incidence of infant mortality, viruses & infections, and becoming a sabertooth tiger's breakfast.

[Apex Predator]

I've been mostly eating primal for about a year now and it's gone very well. But some questions are still lingering in my mind and I'm really starting to question if I should continue to eat this way.

Our ancestors evolved eating a particular way and what they ate is likely closer to what is best for our bodies. However, our ancestors only lived to perhaps 30 years old or so. Since we are living far past this age, how do we know that primal eating is optimal for us past the age of 30?

It's possible that certain types of foods don't take a toll on us until later in life and that our ancestors never reached an age where they would come across these issues.

In the end, is there any evidence that eating primal is optimal into our older years?

I think your question is backwards, since primal doesn't introduce new foods. More accurately, the question you seem to be asking is "Does gluten, seed oils, excessive fructose, pesticides, unfermented soy, etc. somehow prolong life?"

[Neckhammer]

I think your question is backwards, since primal doesn't introduce new foods. More accurately, the question you seem to be asking is "Does gluten, seed oils, excessive fructose, pesticides, unfermented soy, etc. somehow prolong life?"

Haha....very nicely put.

[cori93437]

The average life span of "Cave man" was aprox. 13 years, upper-paleolithic man(10-15k years ago) approx. 18 years, Romans (circa approx 275 BC) 26 years ... "The average life span is the average age at which 50 percent of a given population has died", likely the result of many deaths in infancy and childhood, as well as from accidents and war during youth, etc... The life expectancy at birth is also quite different from the life expectancy if one reaches say the 15th year... for instance upper-paleolithic life expectancy at birth was approx 33 yrs... but if that individual reached their 15th birthday they gained an additional 39 years... to an average of 54 years total.

Now... understand... these numbers say absolutely nothing of Maximum lifespan. It is well documented that Romans did indeed live to quite respectable old ages, (if they were lucky and avoided disease and dangers) fairly healthfully... and they actually gained two years LESS advantage after reaching 15 than the Upper-Paleo examples did.

Also, just one question .... is there a better option?

[iniQuity]

Humans are animals, with me so far? Now, can you think of ANY wild animal that purposely changes its diet, to a decisively shittier one later in life, with the intend to PROLONG it's life?

no?

case closed.

[Timthetaco]

You don't even need to ponder about the paleolithic for an answer to this question; just look to modern day hunter gatherers. The Kitavans, for example:

"The oldest living person during the survey was a 96 year-old woman, and during a previous visit a vital 100 year-old man was interviewed. There is no evidence to suggest that the people who died before the age of 60 are the ones who would have otherwise suffered from cardiovascular disease."

TheKitavaStudy

[Chaohinon]

You can play with the macros all you want, but I don't see how you could ever want to step outside the "eat real food" paradigm, except for planned cheats.

[sbhikes]

Well, you could live to an old age and look like Jack Lalanne:

Or you could live to an old age like Ancel Keys:

I wonder which one had the diet that was closer to the Primal Blueprint?

[RitaRose]

I wonder which one had the diet that was closer to the Primal Blueprint?

Umm... wait! Just give me a minute and I'll get this one! Ooh, it's tough! I'm gonna say...