Understand the difference between Paleo vs Keto diets, their similarities, benefits, and drawbacks. Make an informed decision and choose the right diet for your health goals.

The Paleo and Keto diets are the most popular diet plans. They’re both low-carb diets that focus on eating real food, but these two approaches have some significant differences. If you’re wondering which way to go, here’s what you need to know:

Overview of the purpose of the article

In this article, we will compare the Paleo and Ketogenic diets. Our comparison aims to help you decide which diet is best for your body and health.

We believe that both diets can be effective at helping people lose weight, but some crucial differences between them may make one better than another for any given person.

What Is The Paleo Diet?

The Paleo diet is a diet that consists of foods that can be hunted or gathered. The Paleo diet excludes dairy, grains, legumes, and refined sugar. It’s based on the idea that we should eat what our ancestors ate during the Paleolithic era (before agriculture).

The Paleo diet has been used to treat various health conditions, including diabetes and neurological disorders like epilepsy. In this article, we’ll go over some of its benefits as well as consider which type of keto diet may be better for your body and health goals.

Definition and origin of the Paleo diet

The Paleo diet is based on the idea that our bodies are designed to eat the foods we were designed to eat. The Paleo diet isn’t just a fad; it’s a lifestyle change based on eating whole foods, like vegetables, fruits, and meat. These foods are said to be more nutritious than processed or refined ones because they contain fewer additives and chemicals (like sugar).

The Paleo diet originated from research conducted at Stanford University by Dr. Loren Cordain in 2002. Dr. Cordain observed that modern humans have shorter life spans than their ancient ancestors, who lived 10 times longer than us! From this observation, he concluded that there must be something wrong with our modern diets as they don’t provide sufficient nutrients required for optimal health and longevity as well as are high in toxins such as mercury which can cause damage over time if not removed from our systems regularly via excretion through sweat glands etcetera…

Fundamental principles of the Paleo diet

The Paleo diet is based on the idea that we should eat as our ancestors did before the agricultural revolution. This means you will eat natural, whole foods like meat and vegetables instead of processed foods.

The Paleo diet also focuses on eating many vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. It does not include grains or dairy products because these foods weren’t available to humans until after agriculture became widespread around 10,000 years ago (which was not that long ago).

Foods allowed and not allowed in the Paleo diet

The Paleo diet is based on eating what our ancestors ate. The Paleo diet is a high-protein, low-carb diet that avoids processed foods and not whole foods (no grains, legumes, dairy).

A ketogenic diet consists of high fat and moderate protein with few carbohydrates. Both diets are similar in eliminating refined sugars but differ in the carbs you consume daily. A ketogenic diet will typically consist of 5-10% carbs or less while providing adequate amounts of fiber from vegetables and fruit to keep you satiated throughout the day without going into starvation mode, where your body burns muscle instead of fat stores for energy purposes.

Benefits of following the Paleo diet

If you’re looking to lose weight, improve your overall health and energy levels, or even help combat mental health issues like depression or anxiety–the Paleo diet is an excellent choice.

The Paleo diet is effective for weight loss because it focuses on high-quality proteins and fats that keep you feeling fuller longer than other foods. This can lead to fewer cravings for unhealthy snacks between meals, which means less time thinking about food and more time doing what matters most: living your best life!

Potential drawbacks of the Paleo diet

The Paleo diet is not sustainable for long-term weight loss.

The Paleo diet is hard to follow, especially if you’re used to eating processed foods or have food allergies and intolerances. It may not be suitable for those who are underweight.

What is the Keto Diet?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that forces the body to burn fat for fuel. It was initially developed in the 1920s to treat epilepsy, but it has since evolved into its weight loss movement.

The keto diet follows four fundamental principles:

• Eat fewer carbs (less than 50 grams per day). This allows your body to produce ketones from fat instead of glucose for energy.
• Eat lots of healthy fats like olive oil and avocado to feel full longer without eating too many calories and simultaneously improve your heart health!
• Moderate protein intake (1 – 1 1/2 grams per kilogram of body weight daily). Protein will kickstart muscle growth when you’re working out regularly, but too much protein can be harmful if not balanced with enough carbs and healthy fats throughout the rest of your day; plus, there’s no need for additional animal products when we already have so many delicious vegan options available!

Definition and origin of the Keto diet

The keto diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb diet. It was made as an alternative to the Atkins diet, and people who want to lose weight now use it a lot.

The keto diet originated in the 1920s when doctors started treating children with epilepsy with high-fat diets because they thought it would help curb seizures. The original version of this treatment involved removing all carbohydrates from their diets and replacing them with fat so that their bodies would use fat instead of glucose for energy production.

Today’s Keto Diet is slightly different than those early versions because it allows some carbohydrates (e.g., vegetables) but limits them significantly compared to other types of diets like Paleo or Whole30, where you could eat unlimited amounts of veggies without any problems if you wanted too – which many people do!

Fundamental principles of the Keto diet

The Keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet. Put, you must eat foods high in fat but low in carbs and proteins. This is because your body will start burning fat instead of carbohydrates when you eliminate carbs.

The Keto diet was first developed to treat epilepsy patients who weren’t responding well enough to medication. People looking for weight loss solutions or simply wanting healthier bodies use it as well!

Foods allowed and not allowed in the Keto diet

This section will examine the foods that are allowed and not in the Keto diet.

The following foods can be eaten regularly:

• Meat (preferably grass-fed)
• Fish (wild-caught)
• Eggs (organic)
• Nuts and seeds (raw or roasted)
• Vegetables such as leafy greens and broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, etc.

The following foods should be avoided:

• Sugar (including honey, maple syrup, and candy)
• Grains or starches such as wheat, corn, and rice
• Legumes such as beans, lentils, and peanuts

Benefits of following the Keto diet

The ketogenic diet has been shown to have several benefits, including:

• Weight loss. The ketogenic diet is often used as a weight loss tool and can help you achieve your goals by making it easier for your body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates or protein. One study found that participants lost an average of 2 pounds per week while following the plan!
• Improved blood pressure and triglyceride levels. A common complaint among those who follow traditional low-carb diets (like Paleo) is that they experience increased heart rates after eating carbs or sugar because their bodies cannot produce enough energy from other sources like fat or protein. However, when you’re on a keto diet (which eliminates most carbs), this problem doesn’t exist because there are plenty of other sources available for energy production–namely stored body fat reserves, which are released into the circulation during periods when food intake is restricted such as fasting periods between meals throughout each day where only water consumption may occur during these times.”
• Improved HDL cholesterol levels. One study found that participants had reduced triglycerides by 82% over baseline values after following their prescribed regimen for 6 weeks straight without any signs indicating cardiovascular disease risks occurring due to excessive consumption levels.”

Potential drawbacks of the Keto diet

The Keto diet can be dangerous to follow without medical supervision. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that people following the keto diet were more likely to experience kidney stones than those on a low-carb or low-fat diet.

Even if you’re not at risk for developing these conditions, discussing any significant changes in your eating habits with your doctor before beginning any new regimen is essential.

Comparison of Paleo and Keto diets

The Paleo diet is more restrictive than the Keto diet. The Paleo diet requires you to eat only foods available to our ancestors during the Paleolithic era (which lasted from 2.6 million years ago to about 10,000 years ago). This means that most grains, legumes, and dairy products are off-limits on this plan.

The Keto diet is more flexible than the Paleo plan and allows for some carbs-but not too many! It’s based on the idea that eating lots of fat helps you burn fat instead of storing it as excess weight or body fat. So if you’re looking for a way to shed pounds fast without going hungry all day, this might be right up your alley!

Similarities between the two diets

Although the Paleo and keto diets have many differences, they have much in common. Both of these diets are low in carbohydrates and high in protein, fat, and fiber. They also provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to help you stay healthy.

Both diets try to get you to eat foods available 10,000 years ago. In other words: no processed foods or sugars!

Both emphasize whole foods

Paleo and Keto diets are similar because they emphasize healthy foods like fruits, veggies, meats, and fats. However, there are some differences between these two diets. For example, paleo diets do not allow processed foods, while keto diets do. Also, paleo diets focus more on protein intake than keto diets.

They must eat carbohydrates from vegetables (such as leafy green veggies) or fruit, which are low glycemic index foods.

This is especially evident with the inclusion of processed fats, oils, and sweeteners in the Paleo and Keto “rule books.

Both eliminate grains and legumes

Both paleo and keto dieters avoid grains and legumes. These two diets are similar in that they eliminate carbohydrates. However, Paleo dieters believe that humans didn’t eat grains or legumes until much later in history than keto dieters. Paleo dieters believe grains and legumes are unhealthy because they contain antinutrient compounds. Keto dieters believe that grains are harmful because they are high in carbs.

Grains and legumes are not allowed on the ketogenic diet. You should avoid eating these foods if you want to stay in ketosis.

Both eliminate added sugar

Keto and paleo diets are similar in many ways. Both emphasize natural eating foods and avoiding highly-processed foods. But paleo dieters allow some refined sugar while ketogenic dieters do not.

Keto dieters primarily eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, meat, eggs, dairy products, and fish. They avoid carbs, grains, legumes, and processed foods.

Both emphasize healthy fats

Both diets encourage the intake of healthy fats. They both suggest moderate-to-liberal consumption of certain refined oils, such as avocado and olive oil. Both diets discourage highly processed fats, such as margarine and other commercial products.

Differences between the two diets

Feature	Paleo Diet	Keto Diet
Definition	A diet based on the eating habits of early humans during the Paleolithic era.	A low-carb, high-fat diet designed to put the body in a state of ketosis.
Macro Nutrient Ratio	Moderate to high protein, moderate fat, low carb	High fat (70-75%), moderate protein (20-25%), low carb (5-10%)
Food Sources	Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils	Meat, fish, eggs, low-carb vegetables, cheese, butter, oils, nuts, and seeds
Prohibited Foods	Grains, legumes, processed foods, dairy, and added sugars	Grains, sugars, legumes, processed foods, and high-carb vegetables
Health Benefits	It can lead to improved weight loss, increased nutrient intake, and decreased risk of heart disease and chronic illnesses	It can lead to rapid weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and decreased risk of heart disease
Drawbacks	It can be expensive, may be challenging to follow, and may require significant lifestyle changes	Can be difficult to stick to, may lead to nutrient deficiencies, and may cause side effects like the “keto flu”

The Paleo diet is more flexible, allowing you to eat dairy and grains. The Keto diet is less flexible, restricting you from eating many foods.

In other words, the Paleo diet allows for more variety in your daily meals, while the Keto diet limits your choices. This makes it easier for people who want to stick with their chosen eating plan for an extended period.

Critical differences between Paleo Vs. Keto

Paleo diet:

• Promises better health
• Eliminating specific foods that were not available during hunter-gatherer times.
• Encourages exercising and being mindful.
• Allows for many whole-food sources of carbohydrates, as they fall into the permitted category.
• Emphasizes healthy fats.
• Grains and legumes are excluded from the Paleo diet because they weren’t part of early human diets, and they cause inflammation.
• Includes more vegetables than a ketogenic diet.
• Sugar sources like honey and maple syrups are allowed on the paleo diet.
• It tends to be higher in fiber, while ketogenic diets are lower in fiber.
• It is usually high in saturated fats, while ketogenic diets are low.

Ketogenic diet:

• Promises weight loss
• Fat is the cornerstone of the diet to stay in ketosis.
• Carbohydrates are restricted to limit blood glucose levels.
• Restricts carbs to a fixed amount.
• Encourage eating high-fat dairy products and some soy products, which fall within the acceptable carbohydrate range. (Soy products and dairy are a no-go on paleo, except for some grass-fed dairy and soy.)
• Sugar sources like honey and maple syrups are discouraged on the keto diet.
• It tends to be lower in fiber.
• It is usually low in saturated fats.

Pros and cons of each diet

• Paleo is a more flexible diet. You can eat whatever you want as long as it fits with the general guidelines of the plan.
• Keto is a more restrictive diet. You must follow specific restrictions to stay within your ketogenic macros (the amount of protein, carbs, and fat you should eat daily).

Who each diet may be suitable for

The Paleo diet is suitable for people who want to lose weight and want a healthy diet. Eating more protein is also good, as it focuses on meat, fish, and eggs.

The Keto diet is also good if you want to lose weight, but this one focuses on fat instead of carbs (so no bread or pasta). You’ll eat lots of fatty foods like butter and coconut oil while cutting out fruit juices high in sugar.

Summary of the key points discussed

In summary, Paleo and Keto both focus on eating real food. They are similar in that they both have strict rules regarding what you can and can’t eat but differ in their approach to carbs and fats.

In the end, which one is right for you? That depends on your personal preferences, health goals, and lifestyle. If you want to try a new way of eating without giving up all of your favorite foods (including chocolate!), Paleo might be worth looking into!

Final thoughts and recommendations for those considering an either diet

So, which diet is better for your body and health? Both diets are very effective in their way. We recommend the Paleo diet to lose weight and get into shape. The ketogenic diet has benefits and drawbacks that can be dangerous if not appropriately monitored by your doctor or nutritionist.

So what do we recommend? If you have a lot of weight to lose, start with the Paleo approach because it will help you lose those extra pounds faster than any other method on the market today!

In the end, both diets are effective for weight loss. If you want to shed pounds and keep them off forever, either is a great way. However, if you have diabetes or high blood pressure and want to avoid medication as much as possible (or if your doctor recommends it), Paleo might be better for you.

If heart disease runs in your family and/or if you know that eating a lot of saturated fat isn’t good for your heart health, Keto may be more beneficial for reducing inflammation in arteries and helping maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Conclusion

Overall, both diets have their pros and cons. The Keto diet is more restrictive than the Paleo diet, as it cuts out many types of food. However, if you want to lose weight quickly, this could be a good option if you follow the instructions correctly! If, on the other hand, you want something easier to follow long-term, then maybe consider trying out Paleo instead – significantly, if cutting out some carbs isn’t too much of an issue for you.

References

Paleo vs. Keto: What’s the Difference? – Healthline

The keto and paleo diets share a lot of similar food restrictions and rules, though often for different reasons. Paleo focuses more on ideology while keto focuses on macronutrients One …

Paleo Diet vs. Keto Diet: What’s the Difference? | U.S. News

Although the keto diet can include some foods that are eliminated on the paleo diet, such as dairy and soy. As such, “the paleo diet is more likely to be …

Paleo vs Keto: The 4 Huge Differences You Should Know

While a Paleo diet is certainly lower in carbs than many other diets out there, it typically still has a higher carb intake than a ketogenic diet. Amount of Fat: …

Paleo vs Keto: What’s the Difference? | The Paleo Diet®

More importantly, the goal of each diet is different. The goal of keto is to eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates each day in order to maintain a strict …

Paleo Vs Keto Diet: Top 6 Differences – Healthy Stripe

1) The Paleo diet is more sustainable than Keto. A keto diet plan forces a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet with only around 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day. To …

Keto vs. paleo: What are the similarities and differences?

The keto diet does not allow honey, maple syrup, or other products that contain natural sugar or fructose. Paleo: Allows raw honey, maple syrup, date sugar, and coconut sugar. Keto: …

Paleo Vs. Keto – Differences; Pros & Cons; Which Is Best, Per Dieticians

The Pros and Cons of Paleo Unlike keto, Brooking gives a thumbs up to the back-to-basics approach in this plan. “The pros of paleo are that it focuses on increasing …

Paleo vs. Keto Diet: Which Diet Is Right for You? – Men’s Health

Is Paleo or Keto the better diet? BOTH KIZER and Yurechko agree that Paleo is the better option in terms of overall health, simply because it’s less restrictive and includes …