Vegetalism and Paleolithic are “extreme” diets. Before venturing there, it is better to talk to a nutritionist. Dr Patrick Serog recalls the usual precautions.
Vegetarianism does not seem to have nutritional disadvantages as long as it is applied while respecting the dietary rules of diversity. For the vegan, that’s another story. It excludes meat and fish, but also all animal products. It therefore exposes to potentially severe deficits which can have serious consequences, especially in young children.
Regarding the “Paleolithic”, this is a prehistoric diet which should be as close as possible to the meal of our ancestors. It is an exclusion-type diet that has never proven to be beneficial to health in the long term. Dr Patrick Serog therefore provides some advice for those who would be tempted by these “extreme” diets.
Dr Patrick Serog’s answers,
nutritionist doctor in Paris
Eating vegan, is it better for my health?
Can the vegan diet make you lose weight?
Possible deficiencies and how to remedy them?
The typical vegan menu?
And what do we mean by a “Paleolithic” diet?
Does this diet also have benefits?
Can we follow this type of diet for the long term?
Like our ancestors, does the Paleolithic eat raw meat?
Can children diet this extreme?
why-docteur.com: Eating vegan, is it better for my health?
Dr Patrick Serog: The advantage of veganism is the consumption of large quantities of plants, vegetables, and most often complete cereals, but also legumes. It is a diet that will lower blood sugar (blood sugar level). In addition, it is a diet that is good for preventing a number of cancers, especially colorectal cancers that one has in the large intestine, and in that sense, it is favorable.
Can the vegan diet make you lose weight?
Dr Patrick Serog: It is certain that any dietary change compared to what we did before, makes us lose weight, and veganism even more than others. When we are going to eat only plants, we will eat food quantities significantly lower than what we ate before. When we exclude from our diet a certain number of foods such as meat, fish and animal products, we will lose weight.
Possible deficiencies and how to remedy them?
Dr Patrick Serog: The risks of the vegan diet are very numerous. First, there is a protein deficiency which is very important. Indeed, it is very difficult to maintain an adequate amount of protein just by juggling between pulses and grains, which are the only two foods in this type of diet that provide protein.
The second risk is a potential calcium deficiency because the intake of dairy products is almost zero. It will therefore be necessary to consume water very rich in calcium. The third deficiency is iron. As we do not eat meat, we will find iron only in plants, and this can never compensate for the iron intake of meat and fish. There is then a risk of having anemia and very severe anemia. This is the reason why health authorities have strongly advised against this type of diet for children.
Dr Patrick Serog: A vegan will start with raw vegetables, he will follow with cereals (quinoa, millet, sorghum). He will also have a mixture of dried vegetables, which will have to be combined (lentils, chickpeas) and then he will finish his meal with fruit.
And what do we mean by a “Paleolithic” diet?
Dr Patrick Serog: This is another thing. The paleolitic will eat 70% of the products that we had before picking, (berries, vegetables, tubers) but on the other hand, a follower of this diet will also take 30% of meat or fish. In fact, it is a menu that will be very much focused on plants and cereals, but there will still be meat and fish and also products from animals.
In general, the Paleolithic also removed dairy products from their diet. Eggs are quite edible and we will then have fairly large amounts of protein. The only downside to this diet are the possible calcium deficiencies but not iron deficiencies, unlike the vegan diet.
Does this diet also have benefits?
Dr Patrick Serog: It has been shown that as soon as one slips towards diets which are much richer in vegetables and cereals, it is favorable to fight against diabetes, but also against intestinal cancer and it can even be favorable sometimes for diseases. cardiovascular. But you still have to add a little meat and a little egg to your diet and especially not to forget the calcium that can be provided by the water.
Can we follow this type of diet for the long term?
Dr Patrick Serog: It is a diet that is very difficult to follow in the long term. It is not easy for a man to eat almost only vegetables every day. But it is possible, because as the Paleolithic also consumes meat, there will be very little deficiency in the end. Afterwards, the failure of this diet over the long term will come down more to a question of monotony because unfortunately we will always review more or less the same foods.
Like our ancestors, did the Paleolithic eat raw meat?
Dr Patrick Serog: There are some devotees who eat raw meats, only raw. However, you should know that there are great advantages regarding the digestibility of foods to eat them cooked, so I advise listeners to eat part of their meal cooked. For the others, there is therefore a risk of digestibility but also a parasitic risk which is however very low. In fact, if we only eat raw meat, we will quickly experience digestive problems.
Can children diet this extreme?
Dr Patrick Serog: The Paleolithic diet is for adults but not for children. They need a lot more protein, iron and calcium than we do. They must therefore have a diet that is well adapted to the environment in which they live. While living in western countries, it is not advisable that they follow this type of diet.
Interview by Bruno Martrette
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