http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/paleo-diet-healthy_n_1898529.html

"Although in theory this may seem like a sensible diet, particularly when removing sugar and salt, it has eliminated several food groups like dairy and grains, which provide essential nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and phosphorus in dairy and B vitamins, fiber and antioxidants in grains," says Joy Dubost, a registered dietician and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Legumes also provide a great protein source with little fat and lower in calories while providing essential nutrients and fiber."

Um, yes, but we're getting all those things from more nutrient-dense veggies, fish, and meat.

"There's no real research behind it either. And it eliminates things that do have research behind them: grains, beans and low-fat dairy."

Oh really? http://www.paleoforlife.org/research

"And while the diet's restrictive nature might result in initial weight loss, it can be problematic as a long-term weight loss solution, according to the researchers we spoke with. When you eliminate whole food groups, you are bound to pay more attention to what you eat. And the ban on refined grains, salt and sugars means that processed foods are out. For those with a relatively processed diet, that will likely result in weight loss. And excess weight is one of the major associated conditions to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and pre-diabetes."

So, the first sentence has nothing to do with the rest of the paragraph, and in fact is completely unsupported with any references.

"If you lose weight, your cholesterol comes down. Weight loss will help all of those other things, with the exception of certain cases, where there’s a genetic predisposition," says Sassoon. In this way, Rita's doctor may be correct: if she currently eats a diet high in refined carbs, processed meals and sugar-laden treats, the Paleo Diet is certainly a step in the right direction. But if she already has a diet full of fresh produce, lean proteins and whole foods, Paleo eating may not result in weight loss and may prevent healthy eating behaviors that come naturally. "If someone eats low-fat plain yogurt with berries for breakfast, that's not allowed on the diet," says Sassoon."

Ok, this is basically saying Paleo is good, except if you already eat that way, you won't lose more weight. Uh, ok. Last sentence... if you eat primal you can eat yogurt and berries, but bring on the full-fat yogurt!!! No mention of primal in the article, but it makes it seem crazy that you aren't allowed to eat BERRIES! Yes, you can eat berries.

"There's also problematically little stated about saturated fat. As part of the Paleo diet, it would be easy to choose cuts of meat that are sky-high in artery-clogging LDL cholesterol and saturated fat. Especially for someone used to eating low-fat dairy protein, this switch would be harmful to cholesterol levels. And while the Paleo diet is high in fiber (thanks to all the fresh produce), forbidden foods like whole grain oats, beans and other grain and legume sources of fiber have been found to help moderate cholesterol levels."

Should we send them all the cholesterol reports from the group here on MFP? Spirit80? How many times do we need to say that dietary cholesterol does NOT equal blood cholesterol. And, no mention of the fact that Paleo stresses eating grass-fed and humanely raised, local meats vs CAFO. And yes, there is saturated fat in meat, but we're also eliminated a TON of trans-fats from all the processed foods we don't eat. And, eliminating high PUFA oils too since Paleo recommends not using seed oils.

"There's another, wholly unrelated problem: pleasure. "It eliminates quinoa, ice cream, pasta -- these things we love to eat, that make us social creatures," says Sassoon. "And that means we're less likely to stick with it, more likely to binge. It's not just about losing weight, it’s also about learning how to enjoy food in a healthy way."

What? Quinoa? Oh yeah, I'm regularly chowing down on quinoa at happy hour. I'll give it to the author on ice cream, but maybe I should point her to all the many wonderful paleo bloggers out there creating awesome recipes.

"So does the Paleo Diet really lower cholesterol and help with many of the conditions that lead to metabolic syndrome? Only insofar as they cut out sugary, fatty and processed foods. Buy you can do that without eliminating whole food groups or imitating the eating patterns -- most likely dictated by food scarcity -- of pre-agrarian ancestors."

Sigh. No mention of WHY those things are eliminated, gluten sensitivity, inflammation, leptin resistance, unhealthy psychological response to sugars...

sigh. back to work.