I am a graduate student studying nutrition at NIU and recently read a column about the Paleo diet, “Decrease your carbs, improve your health,” Feb. 4. I took some issue with the article because of the tag line, “Paleo diet is your healthiest option.”

I feel this is not a responsible message to send to readers. There are many alternative diets published each year, and people often gravitate toward the newest and most unique without having all the facts.

In truth, some diets may be unsafe or inappropriate for certain individuals, and the Paleo diet may be such an example.

There are studies to show potential benefits of a decreased carbohydrate intake, but this may not be suitable for all. I am not saying careful implementation of the Paleo diet cannot be healthy, but it is unwise to lead readers to think that this diet is healthy for all. Also, there is no mention of what “high” or “low” protein, carbohydrate or fat intake means. With sound nutrition knowledge, one can better determine if the popular diets are healthy on an individual basis, and ways to safely adopt those lifestyles.

However, a large number of readers may not have such knowledge, and encouraging them to start a diet that restricts intake of a major nutrient (e.g., whole grains) may not be the most responsible method of reporting. Perhaps a column investigating the pros and cons of this or other diets would better serve readers.