Is the Carnivore Diet Safe While Breastfeeding? Essential Risks and Expert Tips Revealed!

The carnivore diet is a restrictive dietary approach that eliminates all plant-based foods, focusing solely on animal products like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and some dairy. Proponents of this diet claim it can promote weight loss, reduce inflammation, improve mental health, and control blood sugar levels. However, these claims are often based on anecdotal evidence rather than rigorous scientific research.

Understanding the Carnivore Diet

The carnivore diet is similar to the ketogenic (keto) and Atkins diets in that it restricts carbohydrate intake. However, it is more extreme, cutting out all carbohydrates and other food groups, including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. The idea behind the carnivore diet is that by eliminating carbs, your body will burn fat for energy, leading to weight loss.

Historical Context

Eating a carb-free diet isn’t a new idea. Scottish military surgeon John Rollo, MD, first used a meat-only diet to treat patients with diabetes in the late 1700s, helping to lower their blood sugar levels. More recently, former orthopedic surgeon Shawn Baker, MD, popularized this way of eating with the release of his 2019 book The Carnivore Diet. An endorsement from comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan further increased the diet's exposure.

Foods Allowed and Avoided

The carnivore diet includes a limited list of foods:

Allowed: Beef (steaks, ground beef, chuck roast, brisket), chicken (breast, thighs, drumsticks, wings, rotisserie chicken), pork (pork butt, pork chops, bacon, pork ribs, pork shoulder), lamb (lamb chops, lamb shanks, ground lamb), seafood (fish like salmon, trout, and mackerel; clams, crabs, mussels, oysters, scallops, shrimp, lobster), organ meats (liver, kidneys, tongue, oxtail, heart, feet, cheeks), eggs, and fats like butter, tallow, or ghee for cooking. Seasonings like salt, pepper, chili paste, cumin, paprika, and garlic are also allowed.
Limited: Cheese, heavy cream, milk, yogurt, bacon, sausage, and cured meats.
Avoided: All plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Potential Benefits and Risks of the Carnivore Diet

Potential Benefits

Some individuals who have followed the carnivore diet have reported benefits such as weight loss, increased energy, better sleep, improved memory and focus, and better blood sugar control. However, these reports are largely based on surveys and anecdotal evidence, and more research is needed to confirm these benefits.

Potential Risks

The carnivore diet is a very restrictive way of eating that doesn’t align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains along with lean protein from animal sources. Cutting out entire food groups could leave you short on the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

Potential side effects of the carnivore diet include:

Nutrient deficiencies: Eliminating plant-based foods can lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Constipation or diarrhea: A lack of fiber can cause constipation, while a high-fat, high-protein diet can lead to diarrhea.
Headaches, nausea, and lack of energy: Some people report these symptoms when starting the carnivore diet.
Increased cholesterol and blood pressure: Animal-based diets are high in saturated fat and sodium, which can raise LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Carnivore Diet and Breastfeeding: A Risky Combination

The carnivore diet is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. This is because it can lead to nutrient deficiencies that are critical for both the mother and the developing baby.

Nutritional Needs During Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a demanding process that requires extra calories and specific nutrients. Health experts estimate that energy needs during breastfeeding increase by about 500 calories per day. The needs for the following nutrients also increase: protein, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B12, selenium, and zinc.

Breast milk consists of 87% water, 7% carbohydrate, 3.8% fat, and 1% protein and provides 65-75 calories per 100-milliliter portion. Unlike baby formula, breast milk varies in calorie content and composition. Your breast milk changes during each feeding and throughout your lactation period to meet your baby’s needs.

A healthy diet is essential for ensuring that your baby is getting all the nutrients they need to thrive. With the exception of vitamin D, breast milk contains everything your baby needs for proper development during the first 6 months. But if your overall diet does not provide enough nutrients, it can affect both the quality of your breast milk and your health.

Why the Carnivore Diet is Unsuitable for Breastfeeding Mothers

The carnivore diet excludes many nutrient-dense foods that are important for breast milk production and the baby's development.

Lack of essential vitamins and minerals: The absence of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can lead to deficiencies in vitamins A, C, folate, potassium, and fiber, among others.
Potential impact on milk supply: Restricting calorie intake too much, especially during the first few months of breastfeeding, may decrease your milk supply and much-needed energy levels.
Risk of nutrient deficiencies in breast milk: If the mother's diet is deficient in certain nutrients, it can affect the quality of breast milk and potentially impact the baby's health.

Recommended Dietary Practices for Breastfeeding Mothers

Instead of following a restrictive diet like the carnivore diet, breastfeeding mothers should focus on eating a variety of nutrient-dense, whole foods. Some nutritious and delicious food choices you can aim to prioritize when breastfeeding:

Fish and seafood: salmon, seaweed, shellfish, sardines
Meat and poultry: chicken, beef, lamb, pork, organ meats (such as liver)
Fruits and vegetables: berries, tomatoes, bell peppers, cabbage, kale, garlic, broccoli
Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseed
Healthy fats: avocados, olive oil, coconut, eggs, full-fat yogurt
Fiber-rich starches: potatoes, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, oats, quinoa, buckwheat
Other foods: tofu, dark chocolate, kimchi, sauerkraut

Supplementation During Breastfeeding

Although a healthy diet is the most important factor in nutrition during breastfeeding, there’s no question that taking supplements can help replenish your stores of certain vitamins and minerals. There are a number of reasons you might be low in certain nutrients during the postpartum period. You might not be eating enough of the foods that contain those nutrients or meeting the increased energy demands of breast milk production. Plus, your diet may have changed since you’re busy looking after your baby. Taking supplements can help boost your intake of essential nutrients. But it’s important to be wary when choosing supplements since many contain herbs and other additives that aren’t safe for breastfeeding parents.

Multivitamins: A multivitamin can be a great way to increase your intake of important vitamins and minerals. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common after delivery, and research shows that deficiencies affect birthing people in both high income and low income settings.
Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is a super important water-soluble vitamin that’s essential for your baby’s health and your own health during breastfeeding. Plus, many people - especially those who follow mostly plant-based diets, have had gastric bypass surgery, or take certain medications (such as acid reflux drugs) - are already at an increased risk of having low B12 levels.
Omega-3 DHA: Omega-3 fatty acids are all the rage nowadays, and for good reason. These fats, naturally found in fatty fish and algae, play essential roles in both your and your baby’s health. For example, the omega-3 fat docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is critical for developing your baby’s nervous system, skin, and eyes. And the concentration of this important fat in breast milk largely depends on your intake levels.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is found in only a few foods, such as fatty fish, fish liver oils, and fortified products. Your body can also produce it with sunlight exposure, though your vitamin D production depends on many factors, such as your skin color and where you live. This vitamin plays many important roles in your body and is essential for immune function and bone health.

Hydration During Breastfeeding

In addition to being hungrier than usual while breastfeeding, you may feel thirstier. When your baby latches onto your breast, your oxytocin levels increase, causing your milk to start flowing. This also stimulates thirst and helps ensure that you stay hydrated while feeding your baby.

Your hydration needs will vary depending on factors such as your activity levels and dietary intake. There’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation for how much fluid you need during breastfeeding. As a general rule, you should always drink when you’re thirsty and until you’ve quenched your thirst.

Foods and Drinks to Limit or Avoid During Breastfeeding

Although you may have heard otherwise, it’s safe to eat just about any food while breastfeeding unless you have an allergy to a specific food. And while some flavors from food, spices, or beverages may change the taste of your breast milk, research shows that those changes are unlikely to affect your baby’s feeding time or make them fussy. In summary, most foods and drinks are safe during breastfeeding, but there are a few that are best to limit or avoid.

Caffeine: About 1% of the caffeine you consume is transferred to breast milk, and babies take much longer to metabolize caffeine than adults do. Drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee has not been shown to cause harm but may affect your baby’s sleep. Therefore, health experts recommend limiting your coffee intake to 2-3 cups per day while you’re breastfeeding.
Alcohol: Alcohol can also make its way into breast milk. The concentration resembles the amount found in the breastfeeding parent’s blood. But babies metabolize alcohol at only half the rate that adults do. Nursing after drinking just 1-2 drinks can decrease your baby’s milk intake by up to 23% and cause agitation and poor sleep.
Cow’s milk: Although it’s uncommon, some babies are allergic to cow’s milk. If your baby has a cow’s milk allergy, it’s important that you exclude all dairy products from your diet.

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