Paleo vs. Keto Diet: Which Is Better For Weight Loss?

If you feel drawn to new-age diets’ impressive health benefits, you’re in the right place. Paleo and keto diets have skyrocketed in popularity recently, thanks to social media. Their common goal? To improve your health. Yet, the internet can’t decide which is better for weight loss. Picking the right diet can be tricky. To make the right choice, it’s essential to understand the differences between the paleo and keto diets.

Paleo Diet: A Brief Overview

The Paleo diet is a style of eating that mimics the habits of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers.

Also called the “caveman diet,” it promotes eating foods that were available to early humans for optimal health.

It rejects modern food processing techniques and additives, claiming they damage your health.

Foods permitted under the Paleo diet are:

Eggs, fish and meat
Fruits and vegetables (except grains like corn)
Nuts and seeds
Avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, lard
Minimally processed sweeteners: maple syrup, honey, raw stevia, etc.

Foods excluded from the Paleo diet include dairy, grains, legumes, and processed sugars.

Beyond dietary changes, the Paleo philosophy promotes awareness of total body wellness, lifestyle practices, and the environmental impact of our food choices.

Keto Diet: A Brief Overview

Ketosis is a metabolic process whereby your body uses fats to produce energy.

Accordingly, the keto diet aims to induce ketosis by skewing your dietary intake to include more fats.

This eating plan focuses on maximum fat and minimal carb intake.

Numerically, the keto diet includes:

65-90% fats
10-30% protein
Less than 5% carbohydrates

Some research supports the idea that higher dietary fat levels should ideally lead to fat breakdown and, eventually, weight loss.

Paleo vs. Keto Diet: The Differences

	Paleo Diet	Keto Diet
Concept	Excludes processed foods and promotes whole foods.	Limits carbohydrates and proteins, increases fat consumption for ketosis.
Dairy	Excluded	Excludes milk and yogurt (high in carbs) Retains cheese (low in carbs, provides potassium)
Beans and legumes	Excluded	Excluded
Vegetables	Included, except corn and potatoes	Included, except high-carb potatoes, beets, and sweet potatoes
Fruits	Included	Includes low-carb fruits like berries, melons, and oranges
Oils	Includes coconut oil and olive oil	Includes most oils
Bread and grains	Excluded	Excluded
Nuts	Included	Includes low-carb nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts)
Seeds	Included	Included
Meat	Encourages free-range, grass-fed, and wild-caught meat	Included

Paleo vs. Keto Diets: The Similarities

Despite their ideologies, the Paleo and Keto diets have a few similarities. Both diets:

Exclude processed foods and encourage eating whole foods.
Exclude several food groups, including grains and legumes. The Paleo diet excludes them because they are unavailable to early humans, while the keto diet excludes them because they are rich in carbohydrates.
Promote the intake of healthy fats, such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocadoes.
Could be effective for weight loss.

Paleo vs. Keto Diet: Which One Is Better For Weight Loss?

If your primary goal is to lose weight, the keto diet could be more effective since it strongly limits carbohydrate intake.

Amongst all macronutrients, carbohydrates have the most significant impact on blood glucose levels.

Increased blood glucose causes increased insulin secretion, which promotes fat storage.

Thus, a keto diet with lesser carbohydrate intake could help keep weight in check.

Paleo vs. Keto Diet: Which One Is Healthier?

The Paleo diet promotes weight management through a more balanced approach that includes carbohydrates.

On the other hand, the keto diet promotes cutting out carbohydrates entirely from your diet to induce ketosis in the body.

Since the Paleo diet encourages a more balanced approach, it might be slightly healthier than the keto diet.

That said, nutrition is personal, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

The Paleo diet might be more effective for some, whereas the keto diet might be more effective for others.

Always consult a doctor or a registered dietician before starting a new diet.

Paleo vs Keto Diet: The Drawbacks

Drawbacks of the Paleo diet:

Whole foods are much more expensive than packaged or processed foods.
Without grains or legumes, you could develop calcium, vitamin B, and vitamin D deficiencies.
Eating more meat can cause cardiovascular problems and diabetes in the long run.

Drawbacks of the keto diet:

Cutting out entire food groups (such as grains and fruits) can result in nutrient deficiencies, such as selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin B.
Added fat and protein content increases the strain on your liver and kidneys, worsening any existing problems.
It’s best to avoid the keto diet if you have pancreatic diseases, gallbladder diseases, thyroid dysfunction, and eating disorders.

FAQs About Paleo vs Keto Diet

Is It Possible To Combine Paleo And Keto?

It might be possible to combine both these diets for maximum benefits. For instance, you can cut out all processed foods from your diet as the Paleo diet recommends and go dairy-free as keto prescribes.

Which Diet Is Safer: Paleo Or Keto?

The Paleo diet might be slightly safer than the keto diet. The Paleo diet offers more food choices, whereas the keto diet is more restrictive, limits your food choices, and might be more challenging to follow.

Summary

The Paleo and the keto diets are two of the most popular eating plans that claim to help you lose weight.
While the Paleo diet promotes eating like a “caveman,” the keto diet cuts out carbohydrates from your diet to induce ketosis in the body.
These diets cut out processed and packaged food from the diet and promote eating whole foods.
While the Paleo and the keto diet might benefit some, they are not for everyone.
Consult your healthcare provider before starting any new diets.