WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are the latest — but certainly won’t be the last — high-profile folks to adopt the so-called “Paleo diet”.

The former Miami Heat star (James), and career-long Heat icon (Wade), have been displaying noticeably trimmer physiques this summer.

And multiple media reports peg the simple reason: They’ve both been stringently following the protein-rich, carb-restrictive Paleo eating plan.

But why would two muscular, highly conditioned NBA superstars be on a mission to get substantially leaner and lighter?

The likely reason: to mitigate wear and tear on their aging joints (James and Wade will turn 30 and 33, respectively, during the 2014-15 season).

Regardless of why the pair have undertaken the Paleo style of eating, I figured that, if it’s good enough for these world-class athletes, it’s worth exploring a little more deeply.

Based on best-selling author Loren Cordain’s “The Paleo Diet,” this strategy is “based upon everyday, modern foods that mimic the food groups of our pre-agricultural, hunter-gatherer ancestors.”

Essentially, raw, unprocessed foods that are high in protein and omega-rich fats.

“Like many diets, the Paleo diet dramatically limits simple carbohydrate intake — including fruits — which translates into a low-insulin state,” explains West Palm Beach neurosurgeon, author and health/fitness expert Dr. Brett Osborn.

Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes — they’re all banished. Likewise, anything containing sugar, flour, beans, legumes or whole grains.

By limiting carbohydrates to only organic low-glycemic ones, consuming copious portions of lean meats and poultry (preferably from grass-fed animals), eating moderate amounts of “healthful” fats (avocado, olive oil, flaxseed oil, omega-3, omega-6) and eschewing all processed foods — in other words, eating totally “cleanly” — followers quickly put their bodies into a lipolytic, catabolic state, notes Osborn.

That’s a fancy way of saying that your body is naturally burning its own fat.

In addition, being in a low-insulin, lipolytic state benefits your body from the inside out. This is because it limits internal inflammation — which, Osborn adds, is “the underpinning of all age-related diseases, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.”

One of the potential drawbacks to such severe limitation of simple carbohydrates — especially if you’re a serious fitness athlete — is not having enough energy for your workouts.

And Osborn urges that anyone with pre-existing coronary artery disease “proceed with caution” because various studies have produced conflicting results about whether this style of eating is beneficial or detrimental to those with such a condition.

Perhaps the best way to view the Paleo diet — or any eating strategy, for that matter — is to adopt the aspects of it that are foundational to good nutrition (eliminating fried foods, processed foods and sugar) and then implement the facets of it that work within your schedule, budget and tastes.