The health implications of an animal-based diet have garnered significant attention, with many individuals and celebrities endorsing this dietary approach. This comprehensive guide explores the animal-based diet, also known as the carnivore diet, its food groups, nutritional composition, potential health benefits, and associated concerns.
What is an Animal-Based Diet?
An animal-based diet is a dietary pattern that primarily consists of consuming foods derived from animals. This includes meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs. People may choose to follow an animal-based diet for various reasons, including its perceived nutritional benefits and satiating effect. Animal-based diets are known for their higher protein and fat content, which may help with weight management and feelings of fullness.
Food Groups in an Animal-Based Diet
An animal-based diet food list embraces a wide range of nutrient-rich options derived from animals, including:
Meat
Meat, especially red meat from ruminant animals like beef, bison, lamb, goat, venison, and elk, should form the foundation of an animal-based diet. These animals convert grass into highly bioavailable nutrients. Organs and different cuts of meat are a valuable source of high-quality protein, essential amino acids, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and other essential nutrients. Choosing lean cuts of meat is ideal.
Poultry
Poultry, like chicken and turkey, is a lean source of protein that provides a wide range of nutrients, including essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Choose corn- and soy-free, low-PUFA options.
Read also: Your Guide to an Animal-Based Diet
Fish and Seafood
Seafood varieties are nutrient-dense options that offer numerous health benefits. Fish and seafood also provide other important nutrients like vitamin D, selenium, and iodine. Shellfish like shrimp, crab, and oysters are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and iodine. Wild-caught seafood can have issues like contamination with heavy metals, microplastics, or antibiotics. Limit to once per week if you're concerned about heavy metals and microplastics.
Eggs
Eggs provide high-quality protein, essential vitamins, and minerals. Eggs are incredibly nutrient-dense, packed with high-quality protein, healthy fats, and essential nutrients like choline for brain health. Prioritize pasture-raised eggs for maximum benefits.
Dairy Products
High-quality dairy provides protein, fats, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria. Dairy products are commonly known for their calcium and vitamin D content but also provide protein and other nutrients. Low-lactose dairy products offer the nutritional benefits of dairy while being more digestible for those with lactose sensitivity. Look for A2/A2 raw or gently pasteurized dairy and fermented options like kefir and yogurt.
Animal Fats
Animal fats are nutrient-dense, brain-supportive, and hormone-friendly. These traditional fats contain the ideal balance of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Include tallow, suet, butter, ghee, marrow, and lard in your diet.
Other Animal-Derived Foods
Beyond traditional meats and seafood, various animal products provide essential nutrients and can be incorporated into an animal-based diet, including:
Read also: Are Animal Crackers Healthy?
- Gelatin: Lauded for its potential to support skin elasticity and joint health because it contains the building blocks for collagen formation.
- Lard: Comes from pig fat and is historically prevalent for baking.
- Bone broth: Comes from simmering animal bones and connective tissues for an extended time.
- Rennet: An enzyme used in cheesemaking, typically derived from the stomach lining of calves or other young ruminant animals.
- Honey: Bees produce honey through a complex process involving nectar, enzymes, and evaporation.
- Whey and casein: The proteins often found in powder supplements, are extracted from milk.
- Ghee: Commonly used in Indian cooking, is a clarified butter made by removing water and milk solids.
- Shrimp shells: These leftovers can be transformed into stock or crisped as snacks.
Nutritional Composition and Potential Health Benefits
Animal-based proteins are considered complete proteins, as they contain all the essential amino acids needed for proper bodily function. The animal diet provides essential nutrients like high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals that are important for overall health and wellness.
High-Quality Protein
Protein plays many roles in the human body. It’s used in the production of muscle and structural tissues, as well as the production of many hormones, transport molecules, and antibodies. Choosing animal-based sources can be beneficial, as they’re considered complete proteins, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids. Protein is vital for building and repairing tissues, producing enzymes and hormones, and supporting immune function.
Essential Amino Acids
Animal-based foods are rich in essential amino acids, which the body cannot produce on its own. These amino acids are crucial for various bodily functions, including muscle growth, tissue repair, and hormone production.
Vitamins and Minerals
Organs and different cuts of meat offer a rich nutritional profile that can potentially support your health and well-being. Animal source foods (ASF) include many food items that come from an animal source such as fish, meat, dairy, eggs and honey. Key nutrients include:
- Vitamin B12: Important for nerve function and red blood cell formation.
- Iron: Essential for oxygen transport and energy production. Heme iron is found in meat, fish and poultry. It is the form of iron that is most readily absorbed by your body.
- Zinc: Supports immune function and wound healing.
- Vitamin D: Important for bone health and immune function.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found in fish and seafood, beneficial for heart and brain health.
Potential Health Benefits
When following a properly planned animal-based diet, many practitioners report several potential advantages, including:
Read also: A Guide to Animal Dietary Categories
- Weight Management: Following a low-carb, high-protein diet like the animal-based diet can help reduce body weight and fat mass.
- Satiety: Animal-based diets are known for their satiating effect due to their higher protein and fat content.
- Blood Sugar Control: An animal-based diet's minimal carbs can appeal to individuals seeking to limit blood sugar fluctuations.
- Improved Cognitive Development: Micronutrient deficiency is associated in poor early cognitive development. Programs designed to address these micronutrient deficiencies should be targeted to infants, children, and pregnant women.
Concerns and Potential Side Effects
Major concerns from following an animal diet include nutrient deficiencies from eliminating plant foods, particularly vitamins C and E, magnesium, and potassium. The lack of fiber can cause digestive issues and impact gut health.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Eliminating plant foods can lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, and potassium. It is important to address these deficiencies through careful meal planning or supplementation.
Digestive Issues
The lack of fiber in an animal-based diet can cause constipation and other digestive issues. Fiber is important for maintaining healthy bowel movements and promoting gut health. Interestingly, people who have tried this diet reported the opposite side effect: diarrhea. A high-fat, high-protein diet may cause loose poop because it changes the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut.
High Saturated Fat and Sodium Intake
The animal diet is low in fiber and tends to be high in sodium and saturated fat. Many animal-based foods, particularly red meat and butter, contain high levels of saturated fat. Researchers have historically linked consuming too much saturated fat to an increased risk of heart disease. And processed meats, which the diet allows, are high in salt, which can raise blood pressure. Choosing lean cuts of meat, poultry, and seafood, and sticking with less processed options is ideal.
Environmental Impact
According to a 2006 United Nations study, the livestock industry sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. As such, using plant-derived foods is typically considered better for the interests of the environment. The planetary diet of the EAT-Lancet commission has advised substantial reductions in consumption of ASF on the basis that these diets threaten sustainability because of their environmental footprint and negative health impacts. Despite this, the raising of certain animals can be more environmentally sound than others.
Other Potential Side Effects
People who eat this way also complain of headaches, nausea, and a lack of energy. Animal-based diets are high in saturated fat, which can raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Meal Planning on an Animal-Based Diet
Meal planning on an animal based diet involves careful consideration of various food groups derived from animals to ensure you are eating a wide range of nutrients. Creating animal based meals will involve incorporating different cuts of meat, poultry, and fish, along with dairy products and eggs, to meet your protein needs and provide a variety of essential nutrients.
Sample Meal Ideas
- Breakfast: Eggs and crispy bacon. Eggs provide high-quality protein, essential vitamins, and minerals, while bacon adds robust flavor and a savory element. Cheesy Scrambled Eggs: Whisk eggs with heavy cream, cook in butter, and sprinkle with your favorite grated cheese.
- Lunch: Keto taco pie is a delicious option made with a flavorful combination of ground meat, taco seasoning, eggs, and cheese. Grilled Chicken Salad (Animal-Based Version): This salad uses shredded chicken, boiled egg slices, and crispy bacon drizzled with a ghee-and-spice dressing.
- Dinner: Carnivore pizza. This zero carb pizza recipe has a delightfully crispy bacon crust with lightly seasoned sunny-side-up eggs on top. Seared Ribeye with Garlic Butter: Season a steak with salt and pepper, sear it in tallow or butter, and top it with garlic butter for extra flavor.
- Snacks: Cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, salmon jerky, sardines, skinless chicken wings.
Convenient Options
For busy days, having convenient, on-the-go options you can rely on, like Chomps best-selling beef sticks.
Animal-Based Diet vs. Carnivore Diet
Many think it’s the same as the carnivore diet, though not all animal-based diets are as strict. The carnivore diet cuts out all carbohydrates and other food groups, including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds, and legumes. Strict diet versions often exclude fruits entirely, arguing that plant-based carbohydrates aren’t necessary for human health. However, flexible approaches allow small quantities of certain fruits-especially those that are lower in sugar or align with ancestral dietary patterns.
Considerations and Recommendations
The question of whether animal based diets are healthy is complex and depends on various factors. The animal-based diet is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Your age, activity level, medical history, and personal goals affect whether an animal-based approach is right for you.
Moderation and Balance
For a healthy diet, keep in mind that moderation is key. Eat balanced meals with a great variety of all food groups for adequate nutrition.
Choosing Quality Sources
Choosing lean cuts of meat, poultry, and seafood, and sticking with less processed options is ideal. Look for A2/A2 raw or gently pasteurized dairy and pasture-raised eggs. Prioritize any cut of meat from ruminant animals like cows, deer, sheep, goats, or wild game.
Consulting a Healthcare Professional
Talk to your doctor before starting any new diet, especially one that cuts out entire food groups. It could leave you low in certain nutrients. If you have kidney disease, the high protein content may be too much for your kidneys to process. Also avoid this diet if you have diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure because of the high saturated fat and sodium content. This diet isn’t safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding because it will leave you short on the nutrients that both you and your growing baby need.