The Paleolithic diet and ketogenic diets allow the consumption of healthy fats, animal proteins and leafy greens, while drastically minimizing carbohydrates intake by avoiding fruits and starchier vegetables. The Paleolithic diet and ketogenic diets resemble some of the food restrictions but their ideology is uncommon to serve different physiological effects in the human body. This is because the ketogenic diet intends to create a state of ketosis in the body, which does not happen in the Paleolithic diet. This “physiologic ketosis” happens only when the diet is virtually devoid of carbohydrates as happens in the ketogenic diet (<5% carbohydrate). Both the benefits as well as the limitations of the ketogenic diet is due to this altered physiologic state of ketosis.1
Both diets prefer non-vegan food sources but can be modified for vegan sources as well. Healthy options can be planned depending on how they are implemented and what they are used for. Both diets can be planned nutritiously. The basic difference lies in the fact that the Paleolithic diet focuses more on ideology while the ketogenic diet focusses on macronutrients. The Paleolithic diet encourages exercise and mindfulness, but does not put limitations on macronutrients, while the ketogenic diet comparatively sets the quantity of macronutrients – especially carbohydrates – to be consumed throughout the day. Further, the ketogenic diet encourages the consumption of high-fat dairy foods and some soy, while the Paleolithic diet restricts most of the dairy products and soy.1
Reference
1. Clemens Z, Kelemen A, Fogarasi A. et al. Childhood absence epilepsy successfully treated with the paleolithic ketogenic diet. Neurol Ther. 2013;2:71–6. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]