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One of the most popular threads was started by Morgan, who asked, "What are the smartest anti-paleo arguments? And our responses to them?"

Her question got 39 responses and 8000 views! The most popular answer was from Paleo_Rob, with the question or possible argument against Paleo being: "Is the paleo diet sustainable on a global scale?"

There are many other questions you may face. They may have to do with nutrition, such as "But the Food Guide says to eat grains, how can you ignore that?"

Yet another anti-Paleo argument is the fact that there are cultures which subsist on large amounts of grains or soy, yet enjoy extremely long lives.

Is the Paleo Diet Sustainable on a Global Scale?

Probably one of the most important issues when it comes to the Paleo lifestyle is whether it is actually sustainable on a global scale. Is it possible for everyone to follow a Paleo lifestyle, or is this just a pipe dream?

Let's face it. Third-world countries depend on grains to avoid starvation. Even the mainstream United States and Canada base their diets on grains. On top of that, modern-day agriculture has evolved to the point where the reliance on oil-based, conventional pesticides and fertilizers makes one wonder if the world could actually go back to growing purely organic produce and cut back the reliance on grains entirely.

How would those cultures who eat practically nothing but grains survive? Would there be options for them to grow their own food? Is this all just an unattainable dream?

Here's the thing: our society right now, with its reliance on oil-based everything, isn't sustainable either. At some point, the oil will run out, and if that happens before we come up with an alternate solution, we'll all starve.

As for the argument against pasture-raised beef, conventionally-raised, grain-fed cows require a lot more resources. It requires vast amounts of land to grow corn, plus the water, oil, oil-based chemicals, and other resources to grow that grain. On top of that, all of the drugs the cows are given just to make them survive in such terrible barn conditions would be unnecessary in a pasture environment. The same goes for chickens and other livestock normally raised on corn.

What About the Food Guide/Food Pyramid?

You've probably heard about the Food Guide/Pyramid. In 2011, the U.S. replaced the former food pyramid with the MyPlate recommendations. In that old food pyramid, food groups were placed in a hierarchy with grains at the bottom and fats, oils, and sweets at the top. The new food guide is a drawing of a plate, divided into four sections, each with its own color and representing a different food group. Beside the plate is a small glass with Dairy inside. On the plate, the categories are Fruits, Grains, Vegetables, and Protein.

The new food recommendation still emphasizes grains and vegetables, with smaller emphasis placed on fruits, meats, and milk. Fats don't even have a place on this guide. To read more into this click here.

This food pyramid is still unhealthy, as far as Paleo followers are concerned. This pyramid fails to address the inherent issues with eating a grain-based diet (obesity and disease, not to mention the reliance on processed food products) and continues to push the "fat makes you fat!" mindset.

If you have any questions about the bias inherent in the U.S. Food Pyramid, one only has to look to the publishing body: the United States Department of Agriculture.

What About Cultures that Live Long Lives Yet Don't Eat Paleo?

There are several cultures where its peoples live to be over 100 years old. One, for example, is the Okinawans. The Okinawa Centenarian Study is an ongoing study of elderly Okinawans. This study has been following residents there since 1975 and looks at why they enjoy not only long lives, but good health well into their 80s, 90s, and even 100s.

These centenarians, over 800 of them, appear vital, lean, healthy, energetic, and free from diseases like cancer and heart disease. They enjoy the longest life expectancy in the world. So what gives? Is it just good genetics, or does their lifestyle play a part?

The argument, here, is that these Okinawans eat a diet with lots of white rice and soy. So if the Paleo lifestyle is one that will give longer, healthier lives, doesn't the Okinawans' diet kind of debunk that?

The main thing to remember about this culture is that it is primarily Paleo in that they live long, active lives full of fun activities. They spend a lot of time outside, with others, and the value of community is very high. They also follow what is called hara hachi bu, which is where they eat until they are only 80% full. They also eat a low-calorie, low glycemic load diet. All of these aspects, along with good genetics, can be said to be a cause of their long, healthy lives.

Other Attacks

When it comes to normal, uneducated attacks against Paleo, like the "well cavemen only lived to be about 30, so it's not a better way to live," those are easy to rebut. You can easily argue that talks about how Paleo ancestors didn't have access to routine medical care, antibiotics, or trauma treatment, so would die needlessly. They didn't get diabetes from eating a high-sugar, highly-processed diet full of grains and other junk. They also had to go out and hunt potentially dangerous animals - or at least, be out in the wild with dangerous predatory animals - just to catch their dinners. It's not like going to the farmers' market and picking up a few pounds of pastured ground beef and a free-range chicken on a weekend. Their lifestyles played a huge role in their early demise.

Overall, even if you don't know how to rebut a particularly good argument against Paleo, you don't have to. If you want to follow a Paleo lifestyle, feel better for it, enjoy it, and it's not hurting anyone, then whose business is it of yours to do so? Just say, "That's the way I live and I enjoy it, but thank you for your concern."