Anti-Inflammatory Diet vs Paleo Diet
A side-by-side comparison — no verdict on which is "better," just how they differ.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
A loosely defined, Mediterranean-style eating pattern built around foods linked to lower inflammation markers. No official plan, governing body, or calorie target, and different sources publish different food lists.
View full Anti-Inflammatory Diet page →Paleo Diet
Modeled on a presumed hunter-gatherer eating pattern — lean meats, fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds — excluding grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, and processed foods.
View full Paleo Diet page →Key Differences
- Paleo cuts out grains, beans and lentils, and dairy, while Anti-Inflammatory builds meals around whole grains and beans and lentils, and has no set rule on dairy.
- They differ a lot in strictness. Anti-Inflammatory sets few hard rules and bans nothing outright, while Paleo cuts out or sharply limits whole food groups.
- Paleo is built around meat, fish, and eggs, while Anti-Inflammatory includes animal foods such as fish, poultry, eggs, or dairy.
What They Share
Vegetables, fruit, and nuts and seeds are staples in both.
Typical Foods
Anti-Inflammatory DietTomatoes, olive oil, leafy greens, nuts, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), berries and other fruit, whole grains, legumes, herbs and spices.
Paleo DietGrass-fed beef, chicken, wild-caught salmon, eggs, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, berries, apples, leafy greens, broccoli, sweet potatoes (some versions restrict starchy tubers), olive oil, avocado.
Foods to Avoid
Anti-Inflammatory DietRefined carbohydrates, fried foods, sugar-sweetened drinks, red and processed meat, margarine/shortening/lard. These are limited, not banned outright.
Paleo DietWheat bread and pasta, rice, oats, beans and lentils, peanuts, milk, cheese and yogurt, table sugar, chips, and packaged snacks.
Eating Pattern
Anti-Inflammatory DietNo specific eating window. A food-quality framework, not a timed or calorie-counted plan.
Paleo DietNo specific eating window — restricts food categories, not calories, macros, or timing.
Primary Goal
Anti-Inflammatory DietLowering chronic, low-grade inflammation and associated chronic disease risk.
Paleo DietGeneral health by cutting processed foods, added sugar, and refined carbs, modeled on ancestral eating.
Best For
Anti-Inflammatory DietPeople who want a flexible, food-quality pattern without counting and like the general shape of Mediterranean-style eating.
Paleo DietPeople who feel or perform better cutting out processed foods, added sugar, and refined carbs generally, regardless of whether the ancestral framing itself holds up.
Macro Emphasis
Anti-Inflammatory DietNone built in. No calorie or macro structure; total calories still determine weight change.
Paleo DietNone specified — restricts food categories, not macro ratios.
Health Condition Relevance
Anti-Inflammatory DietAssociated (observationally) with lower risk of heart attack, all-cause mortality, and some cancers via the Dietary Inflammatory Index; Mediterranean-diet RCTs show modest drops in CRP and IL-6. Not a treatment for any specific inflammatory condition.
Paleo DietModest improvements in glucose tolerance (small RCT in people with ischemic heart disease), weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and lipids in a meta-analysis — evidence the study authors themselves call “not conclusive.”
Evidence Strength
Anti-Inflammatory DietLimited-to-moderate. Large but mostly observational evidence (only 1 of 38 outcomes graded "convincing" in a 2021 umbrella review); trial evidence comes from Mediterranean-diet studies, not the diet as its own named plan.
Paleo DietLimited. Real but thinner and shorter-term than Mediterranean or DASH. A key supporting meta-analysis carries a published expression of concern, benefits in a two-year trial faded over time, and the “one ancestral diet” premise has been challenged. A 2026 meta-analysis was more favorable.
Restrictiveness
Anti-Inflammatory DietLow. Food-quality guidance with limits rather than hard exclusions.
Paleo DietHigh — restricts entire food categories (grains, legumes, dairy) rather than counting anything.
Cost / Accessibility
Anti-Inflammatory DietSimilar to the Mediterranean diet. May be less practical on tight food budgets or with limited access to fresh produce and fish.
Paleo DietPaleo-compliant meat, fish, nuts, and produce typically cost more than the grain, legume, and dairy staples it excludes.
Nutrients to Watch
Anti-Inflammatory DietNot studied. No research has measured nutrient gaps on a named anti-inflammatory diet. The similar Mediterranean pattern is linked with better overall nutrient intake.
Paleo DietIodine and calcium. Paleo cuts dairy and often table salt, two major iodine sources, and one two-year trial found iodine levels fell by about half. Calcium intake was lower in a short trial. Resistant starch, a type of fiber, also tends to be lower.
Adjustment Period
Anti-Inflammatory DietLittle is known. More beans and fiber may cause some gas at first.
Paleo DietOne short trial found more diarrhea in the paleo group in the first month. People also report that the restrictions are hard to keep up. No adaptation timeline has been studied.
A Sample Day
Anti-Inflammatory DietBreakfast: oatmeal with blueberries, walnuts, and ground flax, with green tea. Lunch: leafy-green salad with chickpeas, tomatoes, and olive oil, with whole-grain pita. Dinner: baked salmon or sardines with roasted vegetables and brown rice. Snack: an apple and a few almonds.
Paleo DietBreakfast: eggs scrambled in olive oil with spinach and peppers, plus berries. Lunch: salmon on leafy greens with avocado and lemon. Dinner: grilled chicken thighs with roasted broccoli, carrots, and squash. Snack: an apple and a few walnuts.
Prep and Eating Out
Anti-Inflammatory DietModerate prep, similar to Mediterranean: fresh produce, fish, and legumes with no tracking. Easy to eat out, since grilled fish, salads, and vegetable dishes are common.
Paleo DietModerate to high prep, since most packaged foods are out. Grocery cost is a common complaint: in one trial, about 7 in 10 people on paleo said cost was a concern. Eating out is moderately hard, as many dishes include bread, rice, dairy, or legumes.
Talk to a Clinician First If
Anti-Inflammatory DietIt is not a treatment for inflammatory conditions; in a trial in rheumatoid arthritis, the main result was not significant. Warfarin users should keep leafy-green intake steady. During pregnancy and for children, choose lower-mercury fish.
Paleo DietPregnant and breastfeeding people should watch iodine, since cutting dairy raises the risk of low intake. People with kidney disease should check protein intake with a clinician, since high-protein versions can exceed kidney guidance. People on diabetes medication should talk to a clinician, as research in diabetes is small and short.
Sticking With It and Stopping
Anti-Inflammatory DietNot studied over the long term. The only trial ran for 10 weeks with much of the food provided, and most participants completed it. There is no data on what happens after stopping.
Paleo DietReal-world adherence is low. In a year-long study where people chose their own diet, only about a third of paleo followers were still on it at 12 months, fewer than for Mediterranean or intermittent fasting. In a two-year trial, early fat-loss advantages faded. No study follows people after they stop.
Educational only, not medical advice. Want to compare a different pair? Back to Diet Arena.