Did you know that some Arctic populations have survived for generations on almost entirely animal-based diets? The carnivore diet seeks to replicate this way of eating, but is it truly sustainable? The carnivore diet is a highly restrictive dietary regimen that eliminates all plant-based foods, relying exclusively on animal products such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. While some proponents claim it offers various health benefits, it also carries potential risks, particularly concerning long-term health and aging.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet consists entirely of meat and animal products, excluding all other foods. Specifically, someone on the carnivore diet can eat meat (beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, etc.), organ meats (liver, kidney, sweetbread, tripe, heart, brain), fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, crab, lobster, tilapia, herring, etc.), other animal products (eggs, lard, bone marrow, bone broth, etc.), and low-lactose dairy in small amounts (heavy cream, hard cheese, butter, etc.). According to some proponents of the diet, salt, pepper, and seasonings with no carbs are allowed. Some people choose to eat yogurt, milk, and soft cheese, but these foods are typically not included due to their carb contents.
The carnivore diet stems from the controversial belief that human ancestral populations ate mostly meat and fish and that high-carb diets are to blame for today’s high rates of chronic disease. Other popular low-carb diets, like the keto and paleo diets, limit but don’t exclude carb intake. However, the carnivore diet aims for zero carbs. Shawn Baker, an American orthopedic doctor, is the most well-known proponent of the carnivore diet. He cites testimonials from those who follow the carnivore diet as proof that it can treat depression, anxiety, arthritis, obesity, diabetes, and more.
All foods that do not come from animals are excluded from the carnivore diet. Restricted foods include vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, peppers, etc.), fruits (apples, berries, bananas, kiwi, oranges, etc.), high-lactose dairy (milk, yogurt, soft cheese, etc.), legumes (beans, lentils, etc.), nuts and seeds (almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, etc.), grains (rice, wheat, bread, quinoa, pasta, etc.), alcohol (beer, wine, liquor, etc.), sugars (table sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, etc.), and beverages other than water (soda, coffee, tea, fruit juice, etc.). While some people incorporate some of these foods, a strict carnivore diet does not permit them.
Following the diet involves eliminating all plant foods from your diet and exclusively eating meat, fish, eggs, and small amounts of low-lactose dairy products. Foods to eat include beef, chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, organ meats, salmon, sardines, white fish, and small amounts of heavy cream and hard cheese. Butter, lard, and bone marrow are also allowed. Proponents of the diet emphasize eating fatty cuts of meat to reach your daily energy needs, and organ meats such as liver, to ensure intake of vitamins low in other cuts of meat such as vitamin C. The carnivore diet encourages drinking water and bone broth but discourages drinking tea, coffee, and other drinks made from plants. Carnivore diet plans may offer little guidance regarding calorie intake, serving sizes, or how many meals or snacks to eat per day. Most proponents of the diet suggest eating as often as you desire.
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Potential Benefits of the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet claims to provide several health benefits. It’s claimed to aid weight loss, mood issues, and blood sugar regulation, among other health issues. However, the diet is extremely restrictive and likely unhealthy in the long term. Plus, no research backs its purported benefits.
Certain aspects of the carnivore diet may lead to weight loss. Specifically, some studies have shown that high-protein and low-carb diets can promote weight loss. This is mostly because protein, as well as fat, can help you feel more full after meals, which may lead to reduced calorie intake and subsequent weight loss. Protein can also increase your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories. Therefore, following the carnivore diet would likely cause you to feel fuller and eat fewer calories overall - at least in the short term.
For instance, since the carnivore diet excludes carbs, it eliminates cookies, cakes, candy, sodas, pastries, and similar high-carb foods. These foods are low in beneficial nutrients and often high in calories. Thus, they should be limited in a healthy, balanced diet. High-sugar foods can also be problematic for people with diabetes, as they can spike blood sugar levels. In fact, limiting refined carbs and sugary foods is often recommended to control diabetes. Due to the removal of highly processed carbohydrates in the carnivore diet, you might see some early benefits such as improved blood pressure, reduced belly fat, and improved cardiovascular health.
Some supporters of the carnivore diet suggest that eliminating plant-based foods may benefit individuals with autoimmune conditions by reducing exposure to potential dietary triggers, such as lectins and oxalates.
Risks and Downsides of the Carnivore Diet
Due to its highly restrictive nature and complete elimination of the majority of food groups, there are many downsides to the carnivore diet.
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Nutritional Deficiencies
The carnivore diet eliminates highly nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, all of which contain beneficial vitamins and minerals. While meat is nutritious and provides many micronutrients, it should not be the only part of your diet. Following a restrictive diet like the carnivore diet may lead to deficiencies in some nutrients and the overconsumption of others. What’s more, diets that are rich in plant-based foods have been associated with a lower risk of certain long-term conditions like heart disease, certain cancers, Alzheimer’s, and type 2 diabetes. This is not only due to the high vitamin, fiber, and mineral contents of plant foods but also their beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants. The carnivore diet does not contain these compounds and has not been associated with any long-term health benefits.
As with any imbalanced diet, the carnivore diet can cause nutrient deficiencies. Plants are a source of various vitamins and minerals that are not found in useful amounts in animal products. As a result, following the carnivore diet may put you at risk of serious health issues that get worse over time, potentially shortening your life. Perhaps the most concerning deficiency is in vitamin C, which is vital for all sorts of bodily processes: immune function, collagen synthesis, and skin health. A lack of vitamin C famously causes scurvy, which leads to symptoms such as fatigue, swollen gums, joint pain, and anemia-and can even be life-threatening (6). Even if the deficiency isn’t severe enough to cause scurvy, it can accelerate the growth of wrinkles, cause bruising, and exacerbate dryness in the skin. This happens because vitamin C is an important ingredient in collagen production (7). There are animal products that are good sources of vitamin C, like liver meat. But people don’t often eat these, so a carnivore diet without them (and without supplementation) could cause these issues. The absence of dietary folate can also be a major concern. Folate is needed for DNA synthesis and cell division-as in the mTOR pathway and autophagy described above. More generally, a deficiency in folate can lead to anemia and negatively affect brain health, too. It is especially important for women of childbearing age, as adequate folate levels are required for fetal development during pregnancy. While animal products can be a good source of minerals, removing plants from your diet puts significant limitations on the variety of foods you can eat, and a varied diet is the best way to get all the minerals you need.
Cardiovascular Risks
Given that the carnivore diet consists solely of animal foods, it can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Saturated fat may raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol, which may increase your risk of heart disease. However, recent studies have shown that the link between saturated fat intake and heart disease risk may not be as strong as previously believed. Still, consuming high amounts of saturated fat on the carnivore diet may be of concern. No research has analyzed the health effects of eating animal foods exclusively. Therefore, the effects of consuming such high levels of fat and cholesterol are unknown. Moreover, some processed meats, especially bacon and breakfast meats, also contain high amounts of sodium. Eating a lot of these foods on the carnivore diet can lead to excessive sodium intake, which has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, kidney disease, and other negative health outcomes.
One way in which the carnivore diet can accelerate aging is by increasing the risk of age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD includes heart attacks and strokes, but also a wide range of other issues like high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and more, all of which can be very serious-and potentially shorten your life. Heart attacks, for example, reduce life expectancy by more than 16 years (1). A meta-analysis published in eBioMedicine-an important tool that combines data from multiple studies-found that high consumption of red meat tends to increase the risk of CVD mortality. This is mainly due to the high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol that come from red and processed meats. Consuming these in large amounts contributes to higher cholesterol levels in the blood, which, over time, can lead to blocked arteries and heart disease. The diet can also cause excess levels of other potentially harmful substances, like heme iron, salt, and phosphate, which can further strain the heart. As well as excess animal protein being identified as a cause of cardiovascular disease, a lack of plant protein is bad too. Plant-based foods contain important nutrients and compounds that help protect the heart through reducing inflammation and getting rid of cholesterol.
Gut Health Issues
Fiber, a non-digestible carb that promotes gut health and healthy bowel movements, is only found in plant foods. Thus, the carnivore diet contains no fiber, which may lead to constipation as a side effect. Additionally, fiber is incredibly important for the proper balance of bacteria in your gut. In fact, suboptimal gut health can lead to a number of issues and may even be linked to colon cancer. In fact, one review found that a high-protein, low-carb diet may increase your risk for gut inflammation. When your body digests large amounts of protein, it creates potentially harmful byproducts in your gut. These byproducts may have a negative effect on the health of your bowels. Overall, following the carnivore diet may harm your gut health.
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Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, cheese and yogurt may all contain lots of calories and protein, but they don’t contain any dietary fiber. Fiber is essential for a healthy digestive system because it regulates bowel movements. Getting no fiber at all causes digestion to slow down, causing uncomfortable symptoms such as stomach pain, constipation, and wind. Fiber is also food for gut bacteria, which use it to produce short-chain fatty acids that help maintain gut lining and gut health. And more generally, cutting out food sources leads to a reduced variety in gut bacteria. Diets high in red meat can particularly promote the growth of bacteria like Streptococcus bovis, Fusobacterium, Clostridium, and Helicobacter pylori. These bacteria thrive in the gut when exposed to high levels of heme iron, which is abundant in red meat. Over time, an imbalance in gut bacteria can damage the intestinal lining and increase inflammation, further raising the risk of gastrointestinal issues and even serious diseases like colorectal cancer, reducing lifespan.
Accelerated Cellular Aging
The carnivore diet can also accelerate cellular aging: the decline of physiological functions in cells and body tissues. This happens naturally and gradually as we age, but evidence shows that a diet consisting only of animal products can speed up this process significantly. It does this in several interrelated ways: through its activation of the mTOR pathway, through reducing autophagy, and through shortening telomeres. Cellular aging has a huge impact on health and longevity, affecting everything from organ function to injury recovery. It can even be seen with the naked eye through its effect on skin health, much like how alcohol ages the skin.
The mTOR Pathway is what determines whether your cells will grow, divide, or repair themselves. Which choice your cells make depends in part on what you eat. Diets low in protein (or only high in plant-based proteins) shut down the mTOR pathway, while diets high in certain amino acids from animal protein-BCAAs-keep the pathway constantly switched on, stopping your cells from being recycled in a process called autophagy. Autophagy is when cell death is a natural bodily function, but all the different parts of a cell aren’t simply left to die. They’re recycled and converted into energy through a process called autophagy, mediated by compounds called polyamides, including spermidine. Damaged proteins and organelles of cells are broken down into smaller components like amino acids and sugars, which can be used as energy, or to make new parts for the cell. Autophagy is essential because it keeps cells working optimally; perhaps unsurprisingly, then, reduced autophagy has been linked to negative effects like liver damage and insulin resistance. By inhibiting this vital process, the carnivore diet may contribute to metabolic diseases, worsen overall cellular health, and reduce lifespan (2). Autophagy in particular contributes to anti-aging effects like the reduction of wrinkles and the overall look of healthy skin. The best longevity supplements trigger this process to protect the skin and prevent both visible and invisible aging. Another key factor in aging is telomere shortening. Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, and they play a critical role in maintaining the stability of DNA. Each time a cell divides, its telomeres shorten; when they become too short, the cell can no longer divide and eventually dies, contributing to the aging process. Studies have shown that diets high in red and processed meats are associated with shorter telomere length, whereas diets rich in plant-based foods like legumes, nuts, and fruits are linked to longer telomeres.
Increased Cancer Risk
Cancer is one of the most serious potentially lifespan-limiting health issues that can be caused by a carnivore diet. Research indicates that people aged 50-65 who consume higher levels of protein, like in the carnivore diet, face significantly increased risks of all-cause and cancer-related mortality. Participants in the study’s high-protein intake group had a 74% increase in their risk of all-cause mortality and were over four times more likely to die from cancer than the low-protein group (2). It’s not just a high-protein diet that raises your risk of cancer. People following carnivore diets typically eat a lot of red meat, which is classified by the World Health Organization as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. Studies show a notable link between eating red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb, and developing colorectal cancer; the evidence for processed meat is even stronger (8). A potential explanation is the high level of heme iron in red meat. Heme iron damages cells and DNA by creating free radicals, and over time, this can result in cancer-causing DNA mutations. It also contributes to poor skin health and signs of aging (9). In addition, plants contain cancer-fighting phytochemicals which can’t be found in meat. These compounds, such as flavonoids, carotenoids, and polyphenols protect cells and DNA from damage, and reduce inflammation. Studies have found that dietary phytochemicals play a significant role in cancer prevention-and can even destroy cancer cells (10).
Impaired Cognitive Function
A carnivore diet can also age the brain. Consuming processed red meat, such as bacon or bologna, is linked to a higher risk of dementia. In fact, eating just a quarter serving of processed meat a day-about two servings a week-has been associated with a significantly increased likelihood of developing dementia compared to those who consume far less (11). This may be because many animal-based foods lack certain brain-protective nutrients found in plant-based foods. Antioxidants, which are abundant in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, help reduce cell damage in the brain, which can slow cognitive aging. Plus, processed red meats are thought to promote inflammation, which can increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
Kidney Stress and Damage
Last but certainly not least, a carnivore diet can accelerate aging by putting significant strain on your kidneys. When more protein is eaten than is needed, the kidneys need to work harder to get rid of protein-derived nitrogen. The volume and weight of your kidneys increases as a result. This isn’t harmful in the short term, but over time, an increase in kidney size can cause permanent damage. While any diet can be excessively high in protein, you’re much more likely to get more than you need from a carnivore diet than a varied diet. Another risk factor is the formation of kidney stones. High levels of animal-derived protein can lead to kidney stone formation due to higher concentrations of calcium and uric acid in the urine. Unless rectified, chronic inflammation and kidney stones will lead to reduced kidney function, and can even cause chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is a life-threatening progressive condition in which the kidneys eventually fail, requiring dialysis or even a transplant. A diet high in animal protein can both cause CKD and make it much worse if its early signs are already present (12). CKD is one of the major conditions associated with accelerated aging, specifically premature vascular aging, muscle wasting, osteoporosis, frailty, and stiffening of the arteries.
Suitability for Certain Populations
The carnivore diet may be especially problematic for certain populations. For example, those who need to limit their protein intake, including people with chronic kidney disease, should not follow the diet. Also, those who are more sensitive to the cholesterol in foods, or cholesterol hyper-responders, should be cautious about consuming so many high-cholesterol foods. Furthermore, certain populations with special nutrient needs would likely not meet them on the carnivore diet. This includes children and people who are pregnant or lactating. Lastly, those who have anxiety about food or a history of disordered eating should not try this diet.
Sustainability and Long-Term Adherence
The carnivore diet is difficult to follow long term and does not offer much variety. The highly restrictive nature of the carnivore diet makes it difficult to follow long term. Eventually food cravings are going to kick in. “You’re going to want a sandwich. You’re going to want a piece of whole-grain bread. And you’re going to want to have some cereal, some fruit, or a salad,” she says.
Sample Carnivore Diet Menu
Here’s a five-day sample menu for the carnivore diet:
Day 1
- Breakfast: eggs, bacon, sardines
- Lunch: turkey burger patty, salmon jerky, beef tips
- Dinner: filet mignon, crab, chicken liver
- Snacks: a small amount of Parmesan cheese, jerky
Day 2
- Breakfast: shrimp, eggs, a small glass of heavy cream
- Lunch: strip steak, tuna fish, beef jerky
- Dinner: lamb chops, scallops, beef liver
- Snacks: a small amount of hard Cheddar cheese, bone broth
Day 3
- Breakfast: eggs, salmon, turkey sausage
- Lunch: sweetbreads, pork chops, mackerel
- Dinner: turkey burger patty, a small amount of Parmesan cheese, bone marrow
- Snacks: hard-boiled eggs, shrimp
Day 4
- Breakfast: trout, shredded chicken, bacon
- Lunch: beef meatballs, small amount Cheddar cheese, salmon jerky
- Dinner: crab cooked in lard, filet mignon
- Snacks: sardines, beef jerky
Day 5
- Breakfast: eggs, chicken and turkey sausage links
- Lunch: lamb roast, chicken liver, pork chop
- Dinner: flank steak, scallops cooked in butter, a small glass of heavy cream
- Snacks: bone broth, turkey jerky
Recipes
Here are a few recipes based on the carnivore diet:
- Scrambled eggs with turkey. Cut 1/2 pound turkey breast into small pieces. Cook in a skillet until browned. Whisk three large eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Move the turkey to one side of the skillet and pour the eggs onto the other side. Scramble the eggs and mix them with the turkey until the mixture is cooked through.
- Salmon patties. Cook three slices of turkey bacon and crumble. Mix bacon, two cans of salmon, 1 teaspoon of salt, and two whisked eggs in a bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of dill. Form into burger-sized patties. Cook in butter until browned.
- Carnivore chicken casserole. Put 1 pound of cubed rotisserie chicken into a food processor and process until chopped very fine. Add 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Process until fully combined. Add 1 tablespoon of taco or Cajun seasoning and mix again. Put the mixture into a baking dish and bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes
Conclusion
The carnivore diet is a restrictive diet that only includes meat, fish, and other animal foods like eggs and certain dairy products. It excludes all other foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. The carnivore diet is extremely restrictive, consisting entirely of meat, fish, eggs, and small amounts of low-lactose dairy. It’s said to aid weight loss and several health issues, but no reliable research backs these claims. What’s more, it’s high in fat, contains no fiber or beneficial plant compounds, and is difficult to maintain long term.
In summary, despite its supposed benefits, there are many ways in which the carnivore diet can accelerate aging-and potentially even shorten your life. A diet of all animal products and no plants can increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, cognitive decline, nutrient deficiencies, and premature cellular aging. The carnivore diet presents both potential benefits and risks. Given the limited long-term research, individuals considering this diet should exercise caution and consult healthcare professionals to ensure adequate nutrient intake. Instead of following an extremely restrictive diet, a balanced approach is best for overall health and longevity. Overall, the carnivore diet is unnecessarily restrictive.
No controlled studies support claims that the carnivore diet can help eliminate health issues. It lacks beneficial nutrients, including fiber and plant compounds like antioxidants. It may be unsafe for some people. Thus, it’s low in vitamin c, folate, has no fiber, and is difficult to maintain. You should follow a well-rounded diet instead.