colesterol elevado

Artigo de Revisão/Revision Article

A dieta do paleolítico na prevenção de doenças crônicas
Paleolithic diet in the prevention of chronic diseases

ABSTRACT

SABRY, M. O. D.; SÁ, M. L. B.; SAMPAIO, H. A. C. Paleolithic diet in the prevention of chronic diseases. Nutrire: rev. Soc. Bras. Alim. Nutr. = J.
Brazilian Soc. Food Nutr., São Paulo, SP, v. 35, n. 1, p. 111-127, abr. 2010.
The search for healthy nutritional standards to prevent chronic diseases has led researchers to investigate the diet of our ancestors, mainly of the
Paleolithic age. The aim of this study was to examine the current knowledge about the Paleolithic diet and the extent to which it can be applied to the prevention of chronic diseases. The research was based on data from several English, Spanish and Portuguese articles found at Medline and
Lilacs databases. The Paleolithic diet consisted of only 3 basic foodstuffs: meat, vegetables and fruit and was thus rich in fibers (46 g), vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals having a high amount of potassium and low sodium content. The intake of calcium was satisfactory since this was obtained from forage and deer meat. The meat available from wild animals was low in fat and contained omega-3 fatty acids. The results of recent studies have been promising and suggest the diet can help in the reduction of chronic diseases. Further in-depth enquiries are needed into both the potential risks and benefits of the paleolithic diet as, if there are no collateral risks, its introduction could lead to significant changes in the feeding habits of the western world. However, health professionals should adopt a critical point of view to this issue, and should not be swayed by its growing popular appeal; their principal concern must always be the health of the population. Keywords: Diet. Paleolithic.
Chronic diseases. Prevention. Nutrition.

MARIA OLGANÊ DANTAS
SABRY1; MARIA LÚCIA
BARRETO SÁ2; HELENA
ALVES DE CARVALHO
SAMPAIO3
1