Palo Alto Diet: Here Are the Dangers It Could Pose for Health According to Scientists

This is a trend that we find in particular on social networks, the paleo diet. Its name comes from the Paleolithic period, a time in prehistory that ended around 10,000 years BC. Its goal? To eat like the hunter-gatherer period. For example, it promotes a diet rich in lean meats, fish, or various berries that people were likely to find. At that time, agriculture was not developed, so this diet excludes foods such as cereals or legumesThis type of diet could reduce certain cardiovascular risks or those linked to type 2 diabetes.

This diet is criticized by many health professionals, particularly for the risk of deficiency due to the absence of Whole grainslegumes or dairy products. Scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) studied the impact of this diet on mice. They noticed that it can overload the liver and increase the risk of neurological disorders. Also, the researchers “urge caution when following these diets”. Their results are published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Paleo diet: Excessive protein intake could be harmful to health

The researchers used a mouse model. They noticed that when they consume too much of proteinsthis greatly increases the production of ammonium, a molecule generated by bacteria in our intestines after digestion.

The researchers found that while healthy mice can clear out this excess ammonium production, thanks to the enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) present in livermice lacking it would be unable to eliminate it. The researchers point out that excess ammonium in the body “can cause neurological disorders and, in severe cases, lead to coma.”

In a press release, Karolina Luczkowska, a former doctoral student in the Department of Cellular Physiology and Metabolism at the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and first author of the study, explains that in mice lacking the enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), there is no “No need to wait weeks or months, a change in diet of a few days is enough to observe major consequences.”

Before changing a diet, it is advisable to consult a specialist

Researchers therefore believe that for people with a GDH enzyme dysfunction, “High protein diets can cause harmful excess ammonium”thus increasing the risk of serious disorders, particularly neurological ones. “A blood test could assess GDH activity to avoid overloading protein metabolism in people with GDH enzyme deficiency. It is therefore important to be well informed before following a high-protein diet.”concludes in the press release Pierre Maechler, professor in the Department of Cellular Physiology and Metabolism of the Faculty of Medicine of UNIGE, who led this research.

Sources :

• Paleolithic diets are not without risks – communiqué (17/07/2024)
• Dietary protein load affects the energy and nitrogen balance requiring liver glutamate dehydrogenase to maintain physical activity – Journal of Biological Chemistry (Juillet 2024)

Rourou, 68 years old

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