Overall, she doesn’t care much for it. Details are in her column at Psychology Today. A snippet:
Should you do the Paleo Diet? If it gets you off of processed foods, you might give it a try in the short term. It’s probably not worth doing over the long haul, though, as it has too much fat and protein and too little carbohydrates (especially whole grains) to be practical or healthy for most people.
Trust me, I’m a doctor: Nearly everybody can live a long healthy life without whole grains.
If you have kidney impairment, follow your doctor’s and dietitian’s advice on protein intake; they may or may not advise limitations. Otherwise, higher-than-average protein isn’t a problem. Fat contents of paleo diets are all over the map, and it turns out saturated fat isn’t a significant cause of heart disease anyway.
I suspect Dr. Pritchard didn’t spend quite enough time researching for her article. The commenters (11 thus far) do a fair job rebutting her inaccuracies.
Steve Parker, M.D.
Paleo Diabetic 
Something that has been haunting me for a long time is if I’m eating too much protein. I probably eat 2g/kg – I have no history of kidney disease and all my blood markers regarding that are fine. Have you ever seen anyone develop kidney or liver diseases after eating 2-3g/kg of protein on a ‘paleo’ diet?
Briefly, Hemming: no.
-Steve
Reblogged this on Collins Strength and Conditioning.
Something that has been haunting for a long time is my protein intake. I probably eat around 2g/kg – I have no history of kidney disease and all my blood markers regarding kidney function are normal. Have you ever seen anyone develop kidney or liver disease from eating 2-3g/kg of protein on a ‘paleo’ diet?
I’m not sure why Dr. Pritchard feels there is a need to supplement the Paleo diet with Omega 3’s, since fish and flaxseeds can be plentiful on this program.
Jane, I agree.
The question is whether a person on a paleo diet needs more supplements than a person on a standard diet to attain the same level of wellness.
If we take medication as a surrogate, the need for medication drops on a low-carb paleo diet. It’s my experience that the need for supplements does too, but of course paleo dieters are interested in optimising health, other people may not be.
Use of the term paleo diet in this uninformed way implies that one is eating to lose weight, but this need not be the case. Unlike most other diets, people adopt paleo or low-carb diets when they have no desire to lose weight, but instead want to fix health problems.
Hi Steve,
I’m confused. You are a supporter of the Mediterranean Diet. However, the Paleo Diet seems the opposite of the Mediterranean Diet. Paleo puts much more emphasis on meat while the Mediterranean meal plan uses meat sparingly. I am interested in this topic because I have hypoglycemia.
Hi, Judy.
Yes, I’m a big proponent of the Mediterranean diet, especially a low-carb one for folks with diabetes and prediabetes. Nevertheless, there have been a few studies (less than a handful) that suggest a paleo-style diet may also be beneficial to those with diabetes and prediabetes, at least compared with standard “diabetic diets.” For instance, Lindeberg and associates think their paleo diet is better than a Mediterranean-style diet:http://diabeticmediterraneandiet.com/2010/10/11/paleo-diet-for-heart-patients-with-diabetes-and-prediabetes/
I strive to keep an open mind when it comes to scientific matters. Science isn’t necessarily ever “settled once and for all.” I’m not saying a paleo diet is better than the Mediterranean diet – or the other way around – for folks with diabetes and prediabetes. We just don’t have enough scientific studies yet. Undoubtedly, we have much more evidence in favor or the Mediterranean diet as one of the healthiest on the planet. At least for European-derived populations.
-Steve
Steve, thank you for your reply. I especially appreciate your comment that “science isn’t necessarily ever settled once and for all.” I work with scientists as a writer-editor. I see them struggle with this concept on a daily basis.