Just 8 weeks of eating like a cave man 'dramatically cuts blockages in your arteries'

The Paleo diet could cut your risk of a heart attack in just eight weeks, new research claims.

Within two months of living off food that a cave man could eat, participants in a new clinical study saw a dramatic improvement in their health.

The findings will be presented at next week's national heart disease conference.

Though the study was small, it has been hailed by experts in the field as a sign that small dietary changes can have a staggering impact on our well-being.

And it would be the first major study to show concrete benefits of the diet, which has been popular for decades.

The study by the University of Houston Laboratory of Integrative Physiology involved eight healthy people.

All of the participants, who normally eat a Western diet, switched to the Paleo diet.

The diet is based on eating foods thought to be available to our ancestors during the Paleolithic era, before the advent of dairy or processed grains.

The participants received a sample Paleo diet menu, a recipe guide, and some advice on how to incorporate the diet into their everyday lives.

They were told to eat as much or as little food as they wanted during that time.

All eight of the participants experienced a 35 % increase in levels of interlukin-10 (IL-10).

IL-10 is a crucial molecule produced by immune cells that combats inflammation and provides protection for blood vessels. 

WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT EAT ON A PALEO DIET 

The Paleo diet is based on eating foods thought to be available to our ancestors during the Paleolithic era, before the advent of dairy or processed grains. 

The idea was first floated in 1975 by a dietitian called Walter Voegtlin. 

It was more recently popularized in a series of books by the American scientist Loren Cordain.

DO EAT

Fruit

Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries etc

Vegetables

Broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes etc

Lean meat

Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork etc

Seafood

Salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish etc

Nuts and seeds

Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc

Natural healthy fats  

Lard, coconut oil, olive oil etc 

DO NOT EAT

Dairy

Milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, milk and white chocolate 

Grains

Bread, pasta, rice, wheat, spelt, rye, barley

Processed food

Burgers, hot dogs, pizza, donuts, breakfast cereals, chips

Processed sugar

Soda, fruit juice, table sugar, candy, cake, ice cream 

Legumes

Beans, lentils etc 

Alcohol

Unless it's distilled liquor - but no mixers