The growing interest in ancestral eating patterns and elimination diets has brought the animal-based diet with fruit into the spotlight. This diet emphasizes animal-derived products, such as meat, organs, fish, eggs, and dairy, alongside fruit, while eliminating most plant foods. Advocates of this approach suggest it can lead to improved energy levels, better health, and fewer digestive issues. However, like any dietary approach, it has potential benefits and risks that need to be carefully considered.
What is an Animal-Based Diet?
An animal-based diet prioritizes the consumption of foods derived from animals. This includes meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. While the carnivore diet focuses solely on animal sources, an animal-based diet is more flexible, offering a wider range of nutrients by incorporating some plant foods.
Animal-Based vs. Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet strictly limits intake to animal products only, excluding all plant foods. In contrast, the animal-based diet, especially when including fruit, allows for a wider range of nutrients. There is no specific way to follow the animal-based diet, but typically foods are categorized as either having a low, medium, or high toxicity.
Animal-Based vs. Ketogenic, Carnivore, and Paleo Diets
Compared to a ketogenic, carnivore, or paleo diet, the meat and fruit diet can be more approachable because of its increased flexibility. Unlike the keto diet, which has dozens of restrictions, the meat and fruit diet is very simple to follow.
Foods Included in an Animal-Based Diet with Fruit
An animal-based diet centers around nutrient-dense, bioavailable sources of protein and fat. All forms of meat are typically permitted, including beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, and shellfish. Organ meats, such as beef liver, can be a vital addition to the meat and fruit diet. These are readily available at local farmers’ markets and grocery stores. Fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried fruit is another staple
Read also: Your Guide to an Animal-Based Diet
Fruits to Include
When eaten in moderation, fruit can be a very healthy part of a nutritious diet.
- Fruits High in Fiber: Apples, pears, blackberries, and raspberries are examples of fruits high in dietary fiber. Fiber can help lower your cholesterol and encourage regular bowel movements.
- Fruits High in Vitamin C: Oranges, red peppers, and strawberries are examples of fruits that contain lots of vitamin C, which helps keep teeth and gums healthy and supports the immune system.
- Fruits High in Potassium: Bananas, guavas, cantaloupe, and mangos are examples of fruits higher in potassium, which can help maintain healthy blood pressure and regulate fluid balance in the body.
- Fruits High in Folate: Oranges and tropical fruits such as mangos are high in folate, which can help the body produce red blood cells and supports healthy fetal development.
- Fruits Rich in Antioxidants: Black plums, prunes, and all berries are examples of fruits rich in antioxidants, which limit the production of free radicals, protect your skin, and fight off illness.
Looking for fruits that are low in sugar? Try these.
Foods to Avoid
The meat and fruit diet eliminates all vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and ultra-processed food.
Potential Benefits of an Animal-Based Diet
Proponents of the animal-based diet highlight several health benefits:
- Animal products are rich in essential nutrients, like B vitamins, iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and complete proteins.
- An animal-based diet can help reduce inflammation by eliminating all processed foods. Chronic inflammation can contribute to heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and autoimmune diseases.
- Animal-based diets significantly reduce the intake of FODMAPS, lectins, oxalates, and phytates. These naturally occurring plant compounds typically don’t impact our digestive system or health.
- Eggs contain high-quality, bioavailable protein.
Potential Risks and Considerations
While the animal-based diet can provide many essential nutrients, careful attention must be paid to potential nutritional gaps left from the absence of dairy, eggs, and certain vegetables.
Read also: Are Animal Crackers Healthy?
- Restricting plant foods may lead to deficiencies in certain vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
- Evidence shows that higher intakes of red and processed meats lead to an increased risk of heart disease. This risk is significant if you have any underlying health conditions and are considering following this diet.
- Eating primarily animal products can have environmental impacts, as meat production requires more resources compared to plant-based foods.
- An animal-based diet can be restrictive and not suitable for everyone, especially those with underlying health conditions.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Several nutrients that are vital for overall health are lacking in a fruit-based diet, including protein, fat, calcium, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids. Due to the diet’s highly restrictive nature, malnourishment is a significant concern. Your body might even go into starvation mode. This means that your metabolism will slow as it attempts to hold onto your nutritional stores and conserve energy. You may also experience anemia, fatigue, and a reduced immune system. Over time, the lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis.
Sugar Content
A fruit-based diet is also very heavy on sugar, even though it’s a natural source. This may make it a poor choice for people with diabetes, prediabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, or insulin resistance.
Research on Diet Quality and Mortality
A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition assessed the quality of plant-based vs. animal foods in relation to mortality. The study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2014 and included 36,825 individuals aged 20+ years.
Comprehensive Diet Quality Index (cDQI)
The researchers developed a de novo Comprehensive Diet Quality Index (cDQI) that assesses the quality of 17 foods based on their healthfulness. They separately scored the quality of 11 plant-based foods in a plant-based Diet Quality Index (pDQI) and 6 animal foods in an animal-based Diet Quality index (aDQI).
The cDQI has 17 components, including 11 plant-based foods and 6 animal foods. For healthful plant-based foods (whole grains, vegetables excluding white potatoes, whole fruits, nuts/seeds/legumes, vegetable oils, and coffee/tea) or animal foods (fish/seafood, dairy, and poultry), a score of 0 is assigned for no intake or lowest quintile, and the scores increase proportionately as intakes increase. For unhealthful plant-based (refined grains, fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sweets/desserts) or animal foods (processed meats, unprocessed red meats, and eggs), levels of intakes at the recommended level or lowest quintile are assigned the maximum score, and the scores decrease proportionally as intakes increase.
Read also: A Guide to Animal Dietary Categories
Key Findings
- Compared to individuals in the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile of cDQI had a lower risk of all-cause mortality.
- The inverse relationship between the quality of plant-based foods (pDQI) and all-cause mortality largely reflected this.
- No independent association was found for the quality of animal-foods (aDQI) and mortality.
- Lower all-cause mortality was associated with higher intake of vegetables (excluding white potatoes), whole fruits, nuts/seeds/legumes, vegetable oils, and coffee/tea.
- The aDQI was not associated with any of the mortality outcomes after controlling for pDQI.
Implications
The study suggests that the quality of plant-based foods in the diet may be more strongly associated with lower mortality risk than the quality of animal-based foods.
Plant-Based vs. Animal-Based Foods: A Broader Perspective
While a plant-based diet has been recommended for preventing obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases, whether eliminating or reducing animal foods from diet confers health benefits remains controversial.
Conflicting Evidence
The Adventist Health Study 2 found a 12% lower risk of all-cause mortality in those who had no or low consumption animal foods from their diet compared to those who consumed animal foods. However, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Oxford (EPIC-Oxford) Cohort and the Oxford Vegetarian Study found no difference in all-cause mortality between those who consumed no meat or fish and those who consumed meat and/or fish.
The Importance of Food Quality
Not all plant-based and animal foods exert the same health effects due to their various nutrient compositions. Similarly, not all plant-based foods are equal in their nutrient contents and associations with health.
Is Meat Bad?
High-quality research shows that red meats (like beef, lamb, pork) and processed meats (bacon, sausage, deli meats) are metabolized to toxins that cause damage to your blood vessels and other organs. This toxic process has been linked to heart disease and diabetes.
The Role of Plant Nutrients
Fruits and vegetables contain special plant nutrients that neutralize toxins. These are antioxidants, and they are really good for us. A balanced diet that includes a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is what works.
Protein Sources Beyond Meat
Protein does not have to mean meat. Many plant foods are excellent sources of protein. Think beans, lentils, peas, and edamame! Nuts and nut butters, seeds and seed butter!
Transitioning to a More Animal-Based Diet with Fruit
If the diet appeals to you, proceed slowly. Rather than start all at once, make a gradual transition away from your current eating patterns. This may mean giving up alcohol, animal products, grains, processed foods, and caffeine. You should also begin adding raw fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.
Fruit Groups to Choose From
Fruitarians typically eat freely from multiple fruit groups. You may wish to stick to a three-meal-a-day plan or build in four to five smaller meals throughout the day. The fruit groups to choose from include:
- Acidic fruits, such as oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, berries, plums, and cranberries
- Sub-acidic fruits, such as apples, apricots, raspberries, and cherries
- Oily fruits, such as avocados, olives, and coconuts
- Sweet fruits, such as bananas, dates, figs, and grapes
- Starchy fruits, such as squash
- Melons of all kinds
- Vegetable-fruits, such as cucumbers and bell peppers
You should also drink water, coconut water, or 100 percent fruit juice throughout the day.
Adapting the Fruit Diet
There aren’t any ironclad rules to follow, so you may be able to adapt the fruit diet to your specific nutritional needs. Limiting your fruit intake to 50 percent and adding protein sources, such as nuts or vegetarian-approved supplements, may help balance out the nutritional deficits inherent in the fruit diet.
Considerations for Specific Health Conditions
As with any diet, personal experimentation and professional guidance can help determine if this eating style is suitable for you. An animal-based diet can be restrictive and not suitable for everyone, especially those with underlying health conditions.
Consulting Healthcare Professionals
Whether your goal is weight loss, increased health, or a more natural way of life, checking in with your doctor before beginning the fruit diet is a good idea. This diet may have an adverse effect on your overall health if you have an underlying medical condition or take any medications. Your doctor can help you understand your individual risks and help you modify the diet to suit your needs. Meeting with a registered dietitian is also a good idea.