The carnivore diet is simple: consume only animal products. This includes meat, seafood, eggs, and some dairy products, while excluding all plant-based foods. It’s akin to the paleo or “caveman” diet, which aims to emulate the dietary habits of our ancient ancestors. However, the carnivore diet excludes fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, making it a near-zero-carb diet, with calories primarily derived from protein and mostly saturated fat.
Despite not being as popular as other low-carb diets like keto or Atkins, the carnivore diet has gained some mainstream attention. Comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan adopted the diet in January 2020 and appears to have maintained it — despite some noteworthy complaints about its effects on his bowel movements. Advocates of the carnivore diet claim it results in significant weight loss and increased energy, but there is no scientific evidence to support these assertions. In fact, the diet may have several adverse effects on the body.
The carnivore diet is about saying yes to meat and no to virtually everything else
The simplicity of the carnivore diet is one of its few advantages. Followers consume meat, fish, eggs, and low-lactose dairy products like butter and some hard cheeses. Fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, grains, and high-lactose dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheeses, and ice cream are strictly avoided (via Healthline).
This might involve having eggs and bacon for breakfast, salmon for lunch, and a butter-basted steak for dinner. Alternatively, one might eat ground beef for all meals and snacks. While this may sound appealing to meat lovers, adhering to this plan daily means giving up favorite treats like ice cream, french fries, and pizza permanently. It also means forgoing recommended nutritious foods such as greens, fruits, and whole grains.
You’ll be eating way more meat than is recommended
One appealing aspect of the carnivore diet is the absence of strict rules regarding quantity, according to Amy Gorin, a registered dietitian nutritionist, who told Women’s Health. Essentially, you eat as much as you desire whenever hungry. Some carnivore dieters consume up to 4 pounds of meat daily, far exceeding the recommended 2 to 6.5 ounces per day. This excessive meat consumption can be costly: 4 pounds of sirloin steak is about $34, and even cheaper options like ground beef cost around $19 daily.
Consuming such large quantities of meat also has negative environmental effects. “Meat production is a primary source of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, and beef cattle produced over 70% of it via enteric fermentation — belching and farting — in 2016,” according to the Sierra Club. Eating meat, especially up to 4 pounds daily, contributes to a significant carbon footprint.
The carnivore diet is not the same as the keto diet
It’s crucial to understand that the carnivore diet isn’t inherently a keto diet. “Whether or not the carnivore diet would put you in ketosis depends on the specific breakdown of what you’re eating,” Amy Gorin explained to Women’s Health. “Excess protein with insufficient fat may hinder ketosis.”
The keto diet focuses on maintaining a state of ketosis, where the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose (from carbs). To achieve this, most calories must come from fat. While the exact macronutrient distribution varies, experts generally agree that 55-60% of calories should come from fat, 30-35% from protein, and less than 5-10% from carbohydrates.
Although the carnivore diet will keep carbs low, it will likely have more protein and less fat than needed for ketosis.
You might lose weight quickly at first
There are no prescribed menus or portion sizes on the carnivore diet, but it’s undoubtedly very low-carb. Regardless of the animal products consumed daily, you’ll be eating lots of fat and protein with minimal carbohydrates. For most, this results in rapid weight loss in the initial weeks.
Research indicates that very low-carb diets — defined as obtaining fewer than 10% of calories from carbs (virtually ensured on the carnivore diet) — often lead to up to 10 pounds of weight loss in two weeks. However, much of this initial weight loss is due to losing water weight from eliminating carbohydrates.
Glucose (the carbohydrate building block) attracts water; eliminating carbs quickly results in shedding a few pounds of water weight, leading to weight loss. But weight loss is distinct from fat loss.
You won’t necessarily keep weight off on the carnivore diet
The carnivore diet poses two main challenges for sustained weight loss. First, initial weight loss is due to water, not fat loss. Once your body has lost the water it can, fat loss can commence.
However, studies indicate that very low-carb, high-protein diets are not more effective for long-term weight loss than other diets. To lose fat, you need to consume fewer calories than you expend. This might happen on a carnivore diet, given its limitations. But large meat portions may hinder weight loss.
Another issue is the diet’s sustainability. Physician Monique Tello noted in Harvard Health Publishing that effective weight loss plans are sustainable lifelong, and research shows that people often abandon restrictive diets after a few months.
You won’t experience the benefits of grains
Adopting the carnivore diet may lead you to believe grains are unhealthy and contain anti-nutrients that hinder vitamin and mineral absorption. This belief is not exclusive to the carnivore diet; other diets like Whole30 and paleo share this claim. However, it’s not entirely true.
Katherine Pett, a registered dietitian nutritionist, explained in Self that this claim is based on phytates and lectins found in whole grains and legumes, which can cause inflammation and reduce nutrient absorption. But this only occurs in less-developed countries with limited diets.
A 2014 review in the Journal of Cereal Science found no evidence supporting the idea that consuming grains as part of a healthy diet is harmful; in fact, whole grains should be part of a healthy diet due to their beneficial nutrients.
This diet can lead to constipation and more serious negative health effects
Fiber is a crucial nutrient absent from the carnivore diet. Present in fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, fiber is the indigestible part of plant foods. Soluble fiber forms a gel in the digestive tract, while insoluble fiber adds “bulk” to help move contents through the digestive system. Both types of fiber support regular bowel movements and prevent constipation and diarrhea (via Mayo Clinic). Fiber also offers additional health benefits.
Experts recommend at least 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men, as fiber can help lower blood cholesterol and regulate blood sugar. Adequate fiber intake is also linked to weight loss and maintenance by providing satiety without adding calories, according to the Mayo Clinic. The carnivore diet, however, excludes plant foods and provides close to zero fiber.
The carnivore diet may lead to you becoming nutrient deficient
In addition to lacking fiber, the carnivore diet also deprives you of the diverse array of vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults consume 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables daily, aligning with the “5-a-day” guideline we often hear.
Consuming adequate fruits and vegetables offers numerous health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, reducing heart disease and stroke risk, preventing certain cancers, protecting against eye and digestive diseases, improving blood sugar control, and regulating appetite, according to Harvard’s The Nutrition Source. Although it’s possible to take vitamins C and E as supplements, experts assert that obtaining nutrients from food is more beneficial (via Harvard Health).
By eliminating fruits and vegetables, you not only miss out on their flavors and textures but also their multitude of health benefits.
All the saturated fat you’ll consume will increase your risk of heart disease
Technically, you could follow a carnivore diet composed mostly of lean meats like skinless chicken, pork loin, lean seafood, and fish rich in unsaturated fats. However, it’s unlikely to completely avoid butter, cheese, and fatty meats, as many hardcore carnivore dieters showcase meals featuring steak, bacon, and fried eggs.
The issue is that these cuts of meat are high in saturated fat, which the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend capping at less than 10% of total daily calories. The American Heart Association explains that saturated fat can raise “bad” LDL cholesterol, increasing heart disease risk. Dietary fiber helps counteract this effect, but the carnivore diet promotes consuming more saturated fat and eliminates dietary fiber.
Your blood pressure might go up
The American Heart Association defines high blood pressure (hypertension) as having systolic pressure (top number) of 130 or above, and/or diastolic pressure (bottom number) of 80 or above. High blood pressure can damage the heart and circulatory system, contributing to heart attacks, strokes, and other severe health issues.
This poses a problem for those on the carnivore diet. Increased meat consumption, especially red meat, has been linked to higher blood pressure, according to the AHA. Americans already consume significant amounts of red meat — 76 grams (about 2.7 ounces) daily on average — but carnivore dieters likely consume much more.
For example, a hamburger patty provides around 4 ounces of red meat, and a single steak serving is 3 ounces. Minimizing red meat on the carnivore diet would be challenging.
Your cholesterol will probably increase on the carnivore diet
Let’s clarify: consuming dietary cholesterol doesn’t necessarily raise “bad” LDL cholesterol. Experts once recommended consuming less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol daily. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans removed this, advising people to consume minimal dietary cholesterol while maintaining a healthy diet (via Harvard’s The Nutrition Source).
It’s well-established that high saturated fat intake can elevate LDL cholesterol levels. A 2019 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that increased white and red meat consumption can raise cholesterol, posing a risk for carnivore dieters.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, high LDL cholesterol raises heart disease and stroke risk, leading causes of death in America. Without fiber to mitigate cholesterol’s effects, carnivore dieters may be engaging in risky behavior.
The carnivore diet could raise your cancer risk
The National Cancer Institute states that around 38.4% of adults will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Cancer severity varies, with different risk factors. Some are modifiable, while others are genetic.
Unfortunately, excessive red or processed meat consumption is linked to an increased colorectal cancer risk, the second most common cancer in women and third in men. Red and processed meats include beef, lamb, bacon, deli meats, hot dogs, sausages, and more.
Eliminating fruits and vegetables may also elevate cancer risk. Evidence shows that higher intake of micronutrients commonly found in fruits and vegetables — like vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids — correlates with reduced cancer and heart disease risk. While it’s possible to obtain vitamins C and E through supplements, experts generally prefer obtaining nutrients from food (via Harvard Health).
This is who popularized the carnivore diet
If the carnivore diet’s risks aren’t enough to dissuade you, consider this: Shawn Baker, who popularized the diet and authored a book on it, may not be a reliable health expert. Baker’s medical license was revoked by the New Mexico state medical board in 2017 due to, among other issues, “incompetence to practice as a licensee.”
Baker’s license was reinstated in 2018, but the initial controversy raises concerns. Baker has criticized journalists who critique the carnivore diet, labeling one reporter as a “low-level moron.” He has also disparaged vegan followers, referring to them as “mindless drones,” according to the New York Post.
Nonetheless, expert Abby Langer urged readers in Self — in an article titled “I’m a Registered Dietitian and I Really Don’t Want You to Eat a Carnivore Diet” — to avoid this diet entirely. “Vegetables are good for you, I promise,” she stated.
There’s no solid evidence on what exactly the carnivore diet does
Perhaps the most compelling reason to avoid the carnivore diet is the lack of understanding regarding its long-term effects on the body. There’s solid evidence that excessive saturated fat, red meat, and processed meat consumption is harmful, and that consuming ample fruits, vegetables, and fiber-rich foods is beneficial. However, as the carnivore diet is a relatively new trend, no studies examine its long-term effects.
Dietitian Abby Langer explained in Self, “All the ‘evidence’ supporting the diet comes from personal anecdotes. But anecdotes don’t validate a diet’s legitimacy.” She also cautioned about the diet’s restrictive nature, suggesting it could lead to disordered eating and feelings of deprivation.
Overall, there’s ample evidence showing the carnivore diet’s potential harm and no legitimate evidence of benefits. The conclusion? Avoid this fad. Enjoy meat if desired, but don’t eliminate nutritious plant-based foods.
Carnivore influencers: the carnivore diet on social media
Despite lacking robust scientific evidence on the carnivore diet’s health benefits, social media influencers have embraced the meat-eating trend. Besides Shawn Baker, other “meatfluencers” include Courtney Luna, host of the Eat Meat + Question Everything podcast, and Seattle-based vegan-turned-carnivore Bella Ma (aka Steak and Butter Gal).
In an interview with The Guardian, Luna described her carnivore journey as “an awakening” and questioned research linking meat and butter to health risks. “Follow the money trail,” Luna suggested. “Higher-ups can’t profit if we’re healthy and thriving.” Meanwhile, Ma claimed that eliminating seed oils in favor of animal fat improved her skin and eliminated the need for sunscreen, a claim criticized on social media as “spreading misinformation” (via The Cut).
Health experts caution against adopting highly restrictive diets. Registered dietitian Danielle Shine advises against unsustainable diets based on anecdotal claims unsupported by evidence. “I’ve had patients assert they ‘feel better,’ while blood tests and clinical signs suggest otherwise, yet they ignore the facts,” lamented Shine.
What is the carnivore flu?
Radical diet changes can result in side effects, and the carnivore diet is no exception. According to reproductive endocrinologist and carnivore diet advocate Dr. Robert J. Kiltz, MD, the “carnivore flu” is a temporary result of inadequate fat intake, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. Common symptoms include brain fog, bloating, headaches, muscle weakness, and fatigue. Some may experience nausea, concentration difficulties, stomach pain, diarrhea, or constipation.
The digestive issues associated with the carnivore flu likely stem from fiber deficiency, common when a diet excludes fiber-rich foods (like the carnivore diet). This fiber deficiency, combined with high protein intake, may have long-term effects, including deteriorated gut health linked to gut inflammation and colon cancer risk (per Healthline).
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