The home-delivery ( n = 1 ) and dietary recommendation ( n = 3 ) RCTs showed similar effects with the exception of greater improvements in triglycerides relative to the control with the home delivery .
None of the RCTs evaluated an improvement in quality of life .
The Paleolithic diet result ed in greater short-term improvements in metabolic syndrome components than did guideline -based control diets .
BACKGROUND Paleolithic nutrition , which has attracted substantial public attention lately because of its putative health benefits , differs radically from dietary patterns currently recommended in guidelines , particularly in terms of its recommendation to exclude grains , dairy , and nutritional products of industry .
OBJECTIVE We evaluated whether a Paleolithic nutritional pattern improves risk factors for chronic disease more than do other dietary interventions .
Mediterranean alpha-linolenic acid-rich diet in secondary prevention of coronary heart disease
In a prospect i ve , r and omised single-blinded secondary prevention trial we compared the effect of a Mediterranean alpha-linolenic acid-rich diet to the usual post-infa rct prudent diet .  After a first myocardial infa rct ion , patients were r and omly assigned to the experimental ( n = 302 ) or control group ( n = 303 ) . Patients were seen again 8 weeks after r and omisation , and each year for 5 years . The experimental group consumed significantly less lipids , saturated fat , cholesterol  , and  linoleic acid  but more  oleic  and  alpha-linolenic acids  confirmed by measurements in plasma . Serum lipids , blood pressure , and body mass index remained similar in the 2 groups . In the experimental group , plasma levels of albumin , vitamin E , and vitamin C were increased , and granulocyte count decreased . After a mean follow up of 27 months , there were 16 cardiac deaths in the control and 3 in the experimental group ; 17 non-fatal myocardial infa rct ion in the control and 5 in the experimental groups : a risk ratio for these two main endpoints combined of 0.27 ( 95 % CI 0.12 - 0.59 , p = 0.001 ) after adjustment for prognostic variables . Overall mortality was 20 in the control , 8 in the experimental group , an adjusted risk ratio of 0.30 ( 95 % CI 0.11 - 0.82 , p = 0.02 ) . An alpha-linolenic acid-rich Mediterranean diet seems to be more efficient than presently used diets in the secondary prevention of coronary events and death
The home-delivery ( n = 1 ) and dietary recommendation ( n = 3 ) RCTs showed similar effects with the exception of greater improvements in triglycerides relative to the control with the home delivery .
None of the RCTs evaluated an improvement in quality of life .
The Paleolithic diet result ed in greater short-term improvements in metabolic syndrome components than did guideline -based control diets .
BACKGROUND Paleolithic nutrition , which has attracted substantial public attention lately because of its putative health benefits , differs radically from dietary patterns currently recommended in guidelines , particularly in terms of its recommendation to exclude grains , dairy , and nutritional products of industry .
OBJECTIVE We evaluated whether a Paleolithic nutritional pattern improves risk factors for chronic disease more than do other dietary interventions .