In recent years there has been discussion of the many health benefits of the paleodiet, a diet that consist of food that we are evolutionary and genetically adapted to consume. The agricultural revolution introduced mankind to dietary changes that did not suit our biology, and is now the main reason for the nutrition-based diseases in developed countries. The purpose of this paper is to review both the archaeological methods used to explain the paleodiet and the knowledge we have about our hunter-gatherer ancestors and to see if there is any evidence to claim that the paleodiet could be an answer to food-health related diseases. This paper will also discuss the different perspectives behind the many dietary changes in human evolution and how they reflect on man’s dietary conditions today. The material used for this research is based on studies in anthropology, biology, genetics and epidemiology. The theory behind this paper is based on the positivism knowledge founded on properties and relations between measurable studies. Based on interpretations by reason and logic this paper is concluded through deductive reasoning. The results show that food-related diseases and syndromes are absent from traditional hunter-gatherer societies and that they first start to manifest if a western-based diet is adopted. According to our evolutionary and biological structure, man is not adapted to consuming dairy or agricultural products and we are, in fact, genetically identical to our Paleolithic ancestors. Therefore, because we have the same dietary conditions as the paleo hunter-gatherer, we would be considerably more healthy if we adopted a Paleolithic based diet.

The skeletal material used in this thesis consists of 258 individuals, whereas 179 individuals had the requirements entailed for an analysis of health and lifestyles. In other words, their sex and age had been osteologically determined. In addition, they are either young adults, adults, or seniors, as infants and subadults usually die before skeletal changes. Males represent 63 percent (n=112) and females 37 percent (n=67) of the material. The material is collected from a Stone Age dwelling site in Ajvide, Gotland, and six Medieval churches in Visby, Gotland: St Hans, St Per, St Clemens, Ryska Kyrkan, St Gertrud and St Mikael. One of the most noticeable traits caused by a change in subsistence strategies is an increase in enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, degenerative joint diseases, and activity-related pathologies, as well as a decrease in oral health. Therefore, the population of Medieval Visby was exposed to more stressors in the shape of infections and malnutrition. Furthermore, the high amount of degenerative joint diseases also indicates a more physically strenuous life. / Skelettmaterialet som använts i denna uppsats består av 258 individer, varav 179 individer uppfyllde de krav som krävdes för en lyckad analys. Individerna måste alltså ha en känd ålder och kön, dessutom exkluderades spädbarn och juvenila, då de oftast avled innan skeletala förändringar. I materialet representerade männen 63 procent (n=112) och kvinnorna 37 procent (n=67) av den totala mängden skelett. Materialet hade blivit insamlad från stenåldersboplatsen Ajvide på Gotland samt sex medeltida kyrkor från Visby, Gotland: St Hans, St Per, St Clemens, Ryska Kyrkan, St Gertrud och St Mikael. Noterbara förändringar är en ökning i emaljhypoplasi, cribra orbitalia, degenerativa ledsjukdomar, aktivitet-relaterade patologier samt försämrad oral hälsa. Detta tyder på att den medeltida befolkningen utsattes för mer stress i form av infektioner och undernäring. Mängden degenerativa ledsjukdomar indikerar dessutom på ett mer fysiskt ansträngande liv.