A recent wide body of research is showing that some pathways may link the Paleo Diet to mood improvement. Recent research has demonstrated that the mechanisms underlying depression and anxiety are:
a) Disrupted neurotransmitters metabolism
b) Disrupted neuroendocrine function
b) Disrupted neural plasticity
Chronic low-grade inflammation is at the root of all of these pathophysiologic pathways. The Paleo Diet fights against inflammation because emphasizes a proper omega6/omega3 fatty acid ratio, and it avoids immunostimulant substances such as wheat germ agglutinin, and other lectins.
Hyperinsulinemia is also related to disrupted brain glucose metabolism. People who eat the Paleo Diet tend to have very low insulin levels.
One of the primary causes of low-grade inflammation is leaky gut syndrome or increased intestinal permeability (mostly from grains). Increased gut permeability may allow increased passage of bacterial and/or dietary antigens into circulation, inducing immune activation and inflammation. The Paleo Diet is low in foods that are known to promote gut permeability, thus further reducing low-grade inflammation.
Challenge of the Day: NO Grains. Read food labels. Some foods sneek them in. Even if the meat your eating is grain-fed your still digesting some of the grain from the cows digestion.
