Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2019 Jul 1;10(4):634-646.
doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz007.

Effects of a Paleolithic Diet on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Ehsan Ghaedi  1   2 , Mohammad Mohammadi  3   4 , Hamed Mohammadi  5   6 , Nahid Ramezani-Jolfaie  3   4 , Janmohamad Malekzadeh  7 , Mahdieh Hosseinzadeh  3   4 , Amin Salehi-Abargouei  3   4
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effects of a Paleolithic Diet on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Ehsan Ghaedi et al. Adv Nutr. .

Erratum in

Expression of concern in

  • Editorial Expression of Concern.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] Adv Nutr. 2020 Jan 1;11(1):181. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz119. Adv Nutr. 2020. PMID: 31841124 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

There is some evidence supporting the beneficial effects of a Paleolithic Diet (PD) on cardiovascular disease risk factors. This diet advises consuming lean meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts and avoiding intake of grains, dairy products, processed foods, and added sugar and salt. This study was performed to assess the effects of a PD on cardiovascular disease risk factors including anthropometric indexes, lipid profile, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers using data from randomized controlled trials. A comprehensive search was performed in the PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases up to August, 2018. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to estimate the pooled effect size. Meta-analysis of 8 eligible studies revealed that a PD significantly reduced body weight [weighted mean difference (WMD) = -2.17 kg; 95% CI: -3.48, -0.87 kg], waist circumference (WMD = -2.90 cm; 95% CI: -4.51, -1.28 cm), body mass index (in kg/m2) (WMD = -1.15; 95% CI: -1.68, -0.62), body fat percentage (WMD = -1.38%; 95% CI: -2.08%, -0.67%), systolic (WMD = -4.24 mm Hg; 95% CI: -7.11, -1.38 mm Hg) and diastolic (WMD = -2.95 mm Hg; 95% CI: -4.72, -1.18 mm Hg) blood pressure, and circulating concentrations of total cholesterol (WMD = -0.22 mg/dL; 95% CI: -0.42, -0.03 mg/dL), TGs (WMD = -0.23 mg/dL; 95% CI: -0.46, -0.01 mg/dL), LDL cholesterol (WMD = -0.13 mg/dL; 95% CI: -0.25, -0.01 mg/dL), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (WMD = -0.41 mg/L; 95% CI: -0.81, -0.008 mg/L) and also significantly increased HDL cholesterol (WMD = 0.05 mg/dL; 95% CI: 0.005, 0.10 mg/dL). However, sensitivity analysis revealed that the overall effects of a PD on lipid profile, blood pressure, and circulating CRP concentrations were significantly influenced by removing some studies, hence the results must be interpreted with caution. Although the present meta-analysis revealed that a PD has favorable effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors, the evidence is not conclusive and more well-designed trials are still needed.

Keywords: C-reactive protein; Paleolithic diet; Paleolithic nutrition; anthropometric indexes; blood pressure; lipid profile; meta-analysis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram of the study selection process. PD, Paleolithic diet.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Forest plots of the effect of a PD on anthropometric indexes. (A) Body weight, (B) waist circumference, (C) BMI, (D) body fat percentage. PD, Paleolithic diet; WMD, weighted mean difference.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Forest plots of the effect of a PD on blood pressure. (A) Systolic blood pressure, (B) diastolic blood pressure. PD, Paleolithic diet; WMD, weighted mean difference.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Forest plots of the effect of a PD on lipid profile. (A) Total cholesterol, (B) triglycerides, (C) HDL cholesterol, (D) LDL cholesterol. PD, Paleolithic diet; WMD, weighted mean difference.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Forest plot of the effect of a PD on circulating C-reactive protein concentrations. PD, Paleolithic diet; WMD, weighted mean difference.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Thom T, Haase N, Rosamond W, Howard VJ, Rumsfeld J, Manolio T, Zheng Z-J, Flegal K, O'Donnell C, Kittner S et al. .. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2006 update: a report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation. 2006;113(6):e85. - PubMed
    1. WHO. Global atlas of CV prevention and control. [Internet] Geneva: World Health Organization; 2011; [accessed 20 July, 2018]. Fact sheet no. 317. Available from: https://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/about_cvd/en/.
    1. Mertens E, Markey O, Geleijnse JM, Givens DI, Lovegrove JA. Dietary patterns in relation to cardiovascular disease incidence and risk markers in a middle-aged British male population: data from the Caerphilly prospective study. Nutrients. 2017;9(1):75. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Perk J, De Backer G, Gohlke H, Graham I, Reiner Ž, Verschuren WM, Albus C, Benlian P, Boysen G, Cifkova R et al. .. European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice (version 2012). Int J Behav Med. 2012;19(4):403–88. - PubMed
    1. Pearson TA, Blair SN, Daniels SR, Eckel RH, Fair JM, Fortmann SP, Franklin BA, Goldstein LB, Greenland P, Grundy SM et al. .. AHA guidelines for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke: 2002 update. Circulation. 2002;106(3):388–91. - PubMed

Publication types