Research

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Adherence to a Paleolithic diet for 3 months significantly improves glycemic control (HbA1c), lipid profiles (lower triglycerides, higher HDL), and cardiovascular risk factors (lower blood pressure, weight, and waist circumference) compared to a standard diabetes diet in patients with type 2 diabetes.

If you have type 2 diabetes, switching to a Paleolithic diet for 3 months can significantly improve your blood sugar control, lower your blood pressure, and help you lose weight compared to following standard diabetes dietary guidelines. Focus on eating lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and eggs, while avoiding grains, dairy, beans, and added sugars. You do not need to count calories or restrict portions explicitly; the diet's composition naturally leads to reduced energy intake and improved satiety. Continue your prescribed medications unless your doctor advises otherwise.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Compared to the diabetes diet, the Paleolithic diet resulted in lower mean values of HbA1c (-0.4% units, p = 0.01), triacylglycerol (-0.4 mmol/L, p = 0.003), diastolic blood pressure (-4 mmHg, p = 0.03), weight (-3 kg, p = 0.01), BMI (-1 kg/m2, p = 0.04) and waist circumference (-4 cm, p = 0.02), and higher mean values of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (+0.08 mmol/L, p = 0.03).
Tommy Jönsson et al. · Cardiovascular Diabetology · 2009

Why this rating

Randomized cross-over pilot study with a small sample size (n=13) and short duration (3 months per diet), limiting generalizability and statistical power.

Source

Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study

Tommy Jönsson et al. · Cardiovascular Diabetology · 2009

DOI 10.1186/1475-2840-8-35

crossover · n=13Cited 274×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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