We have compared Whole30 vs. The Paleo Diet and which diet might be the best approach for you, depending on your goals. But how do these two popular diets compare from a scientific perspective?
In 2016, while speaking at the annual symposium for The Institute of Functional Medicine, I met one of the co-creators of Whole30, Dallas Hartwig. He told me how important the impact of a scientific paper authored by Dr. Cordain had on his sister’s health. [1] Coincidently, I was a co-author on the paper, which examined immune function modulation by dietary lectins in rheumatoid arthritis. Finding myself in conversation about this paper was a rare occurrence, and I remember thinking that our diet philosophies would therefore likely be closely aligned.
The conversation made clear that the founders of Whole30 were well versed on the research regarding Paleolithic nutrition and in particular the work of Dr. Cordain. It turns out that Whole30 was born from a simple challenge, while at a CrossFit® gym, to “eat clean” for 30 days. Many CrossFit coaches have advocated for following a Paleolithic dietary template and so it would not be surprising that “eating clean” might look very much like following The Paleo Diet.
Dr. Cordain’s investigation of ancestral nutrition has always been about helping humanity improve its health through science-based nutrition, without agenda. Today, our mission at The Paleo Diet is to continue examining the nutritional science with that same goal. Any individual or organization — like Whole30 — that uses the fundamental principles of Paleolithic nutrition, and uses them to help people improve their health and vitality, gets our approval.
So let’s examine the Whole30 diet through a scientific lens.
Continue reading Doc Smith’s article on thepaleodiet.com. This article excerpt used with permission of The Paleo Diet, LLC.