Doctor Says 'Caveman Diet' Sent Cholesterol 'Plummeting'
BOSTON (CBS) - Here's a case of what's old is new again. It's called the Caveman's Diet.
Doctor Igor Mitrovic might like a Renaissance man moving around the kitchen and cooking like a gourmet. But he really eats like a caveman.
He follows the Paleolithic Diet, eating only what prehistoric man ate half a million years ago.
WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports.
Doctor Linda Frassetto has studied the effects of this diet and says, "You can eat anything that would be able to be eaten without being processed."
So that means:
- No grains
- No dairy
- Some nuts and oils
- A lot of fruit and vegetables
- Fish, poultry, and lean meat
Doctor Mitrovic joked that he now likes bison for dinner. He chose this diet after tracking high cholesterol levels for ten years.
He tried exercise and statin drugs, but nothing seemed to bring it down. That's when he decided to focus on eliminating processed foods.
After just two weeks of going "Paleo", his cholesterol plummeted. In a few months, it was within a normal range. "I was completely stunned," he said.
The diet was tested on a group of out of shape volunteers. They were allowed to eat lots of these foods, and didn't have to exercise.
"Everybody's blood pressure went down. In two weeks everyone's cholesterol and triglyceride levels got better, and the average drop on this was 30 points, which is really amazing," said Dr. Frassetto.
It's believed the diet works by basically keeping the body's chemistry in better balance.
Igor now cooks two meals each night. One for himself, and then another for his wife and son who haven't embraced his diet yet.
Although most doctors agree eating less processed food is generally better for us, it's a good idea to check with your physician before making any significant changes to your diet.
