A Critical Look at the Paleo Diet as a Popular Topic

Year 2024, Volume: 27 Issue: 53, 165 - 191, 25.03.2024

Evun Okumuş

https://doi.org/10.18691/kulturveiletisim.1431307

Abstract

In recent years, the topic of nutrition and diet has become quite popular. The Paleo diet is an approach that exemplifies the dietary model of the Paleolithic Age, which dates back to 2.5 million to 10 thousand years ago. Focusing on the period before the modern agricultural revolution, this diet is based on the dietary habits of Paleolithic Age humans. The Paleo diet is frequently recommended across various platforms, from daily newspapers to books, gaining popularity due to its sensitivity to the relationship between health and dietary habits.
Corresponding to the popularity of the Paleo diet, there are heated debates regarding its possibilities and feasibility. Researchers supporting the Paleo diet argue that our genetic and anatomical structures have hardly changed since the Paleolithic Ages, thus claiming that the Paleo diet is more suitable for our genetic makeup. On the other hand, researchers opposing this view point out that changes in agriculture and food processing techniques make it difficult to mimic the Paleo diet.
The aim of this study is to examine the promises of the increasingly popular Paleo diet from archaeological and anthropological perspectives. In this regard, the existing literature will be reviewed, and accompanied by scientific information, a discussion will be conducted on the definition of the Paleo diet and its possibilities and feasibility.

Keywords

Paleo diet, Stone Age diet, archaeological and anthropological criticism

Popüler Bir Konu Olarak Paleo Diyete Eleştirel Bakmak

Abstract

Son yıllarda beslenme ve diyet konusu oldukça popüler hale gelmiştir. Paleo diyeti, 2.5 milyon ile 10 bin yıl önceye kadar olan Paleolitik Çağın beslenme modelini örnekleyen bir yaklaşımdır. Bu diyet, modern tarım devriminden önceki döneme odaklanarak, Paleolitik Çağ insanlarının beslenme alışkanlıklarını temel alır. Paleo diyeti, günlük gazetelerden kitaplara kadar birçok platformda sıkça önerilmekte ve sağlık ile beslenme alışkanlıkları arasındaki ilişkinin hassasiyeti nedeniyle popülerlik kazanmaktadır.
Paleo diyetinin popülerliğiyle orantılı olarak, bu diyetin olanakları ve olabilirliği konusunda iki farklı görüş arasında hararetli tartışmalar yaşanmaktadır. Paleo diyetini destekleyen araştırmacılar, genetik ve anatomik yapılarımızın Paleolitik Çağlardan bu yana neredeyse değişmediğini savunmaktadırlar. Bu nedenle, Paleo diyetinin insanların genetik yapılarına daha uygun olduğunu iddia ederler. Diğer taraftan, bu görüşe karşı çıkan araştırmacılar, tarımın gelişimi ve besin işleme tekniklerindeki değişikliklerin Paleo diyetinin taklit edilmesini zorlaştırdığını belirtirler.
Bu çalışmanın amacı, her geçen gün popülerliği artan Paleo diyetinin vaatlerini, arkeolojik ve antropolojik bakış açılarıyla incelemektir. Bu kapsamda, mevcut literatür taranacak ve bilimsel bilgiler eşliğinde Paleo diyetin tanımı yapılacak ve bu diyetin olanakları ve olabilirliği üzerine bir tartışma yürütülecektir.

Keywords

Paleo Diyet, Taş Devri Diyeti, arkeolojik ve antropolojik eleştiri

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