Paleo vs. Plant-Based: Which One Is Actually Healthier?

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🥩🌿 Two Popular Diets. Two Opposite Philosophies. Which One Supports Health Long Term?

Das Paleo diet and the Plant-Based diet are two of the most debated eating patterns today. One cuts out grains and legumes, the other cuts out meat and dairy. Both claim to be “clean,” “natural,” and “anti-inflammatory.”

But are either of them truly safe—or sustainable—for long-term health? And more importantly, which one actually works for healing chronic conditions, restoring energy, and balancing hormones?

In this guide, we’ll compare Paleo vs. Plant-Based, and introduce the ASTR Diet—a science-backed alternative that corrects the problems both diets overlook.

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✅ What Is the Paleo Diet?

Das Paleo diet is based on what humans may have eaten during the Paleolithic era. It emphasizes:

• Meat, fish, poultry

• Vegetables and fruits

• Nuts and seeds

• Healthy fats (avocado, coconut, olive oil)

It eliminates:

• Grains and legumes

• Dairy

• Refined sugar

• Processed foods

While it focuses on whole foods and avoids many modern dietary toxins, it’s often too high in saturated fat, animal protein, and lacks fiber and resistant starches—which are essential for gut and hormone health.

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✅ What Is the Plant-Based Diet?

Das plant-based diet emphasizes foods from plants—vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds—while minimizing or eliminating animal products.

Short-term benefits may include lower cholesterol and weight loss. But over time, many people experience:

• B12, iron, omega-3, and zinc deficiencies

• Hormonal and thyroid dysfunction

• Fatigue, anxiety, and digestive problems

The plant-based diet is not safe long term without expert guidance, supplementation, and regular lab testing.

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⚠️ Shared Problems With Paleo and Plant-Based Diets

Despite their opposing food rules, both diets have major limitations:

• Paleo cuts out nutrient-rich plant foods like legumes and gluten-free grains

• Plant-Based cuts out animal foods that supply critical nutrients like B12, DHA, and iron

• Both can lead to imbalanced blood sugar, fatigue, and long-term gut issues if not carefully managed

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📊 Paleo vs. Plant-Based vs. ASTR Diet Comparison

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🧠 What the Research Shows

• Paleo diets may help short term with weight loss and blood sugar, but high animal protein and saturated fat intake can raise cardiovascular risk over time (Lambert et al., 2016).

• Plant-based diets may lower inflammation short term but frequently lead to deficiencies without strict planning (Craig, 2009; Pawlak et al., 2013).

• Diets rich in diverse, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods (like ASTR) are associated with improved immune function, reduced inflammation, and better long-term health outcomes (Calder, 2017; Longo & Panda, 2016).

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✅ The ASTR Diet: A Smarter, Safer Alternative

Das ASTR Diet, developed by Dr. Joseph Jacobs after battling chronic illness and failed diets, offers a targeted, healing solution that combines the best of both worlds—with none of the risks.

• Includes whole plants and optional clean animal proteins

• Corrects nutrient deficiencies naturally

• Eliminates processed, inflammatory, or toxic foods

• Supports gut, liver, hormone, and immune function

• Integrates intermittent fasting for deep metabolic healing

It’s not a fad—it’s a sustainable lifestyle backed by science and clinical results.

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📘 Ready to Heal the Right Way?

→ Learn more in Eat to Heal by Dr. Joseph Jacobs
→ Schedule your Free ASTR Diet Consultation to get started

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📚 References

• Lambert, J. et al. (2016). Paleolithic nutrition: What can we learn from the past? European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

• Pawlak, R. et al. (2013). Prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in vegetarians. Nutrition Reviews.

• Craig, W. J. (2009). Health effects of vegan and vegetarian diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

• Calder, P. C. (2017). Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory processes. Biochemical Society Transactions.

• Longo, V. D. & Panda, S. (2016). Fasting, circadian rhythms, and health span. Cell Metabolism.