Most Significant Studies Supporting Paleo??

[Rich Jakes]

Hi all--I'm a (fairly new) crossfitter and a (newly) clean, although not entirely paleo, eater.

I'm taking a fairly introductory course on kinesiology and nutrition and am writing a short paper detailing a diet (I'm using that word to mean an overall nutritional philosophy not a weight loss plan) and the specific scientific principles backing that diet.

I know that there have been many many posts on this subject and I have begun looking through them all. I have a few specific questions that I'm hoping those of you with particular expertise in this area can assist me with so that I can cut through some of the noise and get to the bare essentials:

Are there particular mainstream, academic, peer-reviewed studies that are considered the foundation for the paleo diet? (i.e. the handful of seminal works that are consistently referenced by paleo supporters?)

One area where I've considered focusing, because it seems to be one of the most significant departures from other nutritional philosophies, is the elimination of carbs in the form of whole grains, legumes, etc. Are there particular peer-reviewed studies that look at this subject?

I appreciate your help. Rich.

[Todd R Bailey]

Here's a start:
http://thepaleodiet.com/published-research/ (Link wfs)

[Darryl Shaw]

Originally Posted by Rich Jakes

Are there particular mainstream, academic, peer-reviewed studies that are considered the foundation for the paleo diet? (i.e. the handful of seminal works that are consistently referenced by paleo supporters?)

S. Boyd Eaton.

Evolution, Diet and Health.

Stone Agers in the Fast Lane: Chronic Degenerative Diseases in Evolutionary Perspective.

An Evolutionary Perspective Enhances Understanding of Human Nutritional Requirements.

Paleolithic nutrition revisited: A twelve-year retrospective on its nature and implications.

Paleolithic nutrition: twenty-five years later

Katharine Milton.

Diet and Primate Evolution.

Back To Basics; Why Foods of Wild Primates Have Relevance for Modern Human Health.

Hunter-gatherer diets: a different perspective.
(Note: this was written as a response to an article by L. Cordain which can be found here along with the subsequent exchange of letters between Milton and Cordain.)

One area where I've considered focusing, because it seems to be one of the most significant departures from other nutritional philosophies, is the elimination of carbs in the form of whole grains, legumes, etc. Are there particular peer-reviewed studies that look at this subject?

I appreciate your help. Rich.

You're going to have a hard time proving that the elimination of grains and legumes fits with the paleo hypothesis and would be beneficial for the general population because a; as Eaton mentions in one of the papers above paleo-man ate grains and legumes and b; there's a huge body of research demonstrating that whole grains and legumes are good for you.

Why whole grains are protective: biological mechanisms.

Cereals, legumes, and chronic disease risk reduction: evidence from epidemiologic studies.

Cereal grains, legumes, and weight management: a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence

*All links wfs*

[Rich Jakes]

Thanks all...this is great. I appreciate your time.

[Morgan Whitman]

Here is a link to Robb Wolf's website, he is a huge proponent for the paleo diet. His pod casts produce tons and tons of useful information. He also states loads of studies supporting everything he has to say. Below is a link.

http://*************/