Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition affecting over 125 million people worldwide. It's more than just a skin condition-it's intricately linked to systemic inflammation, often rooted in the gut microbiome. Psoriasis isn't just skin deep; it involves overactive immune responses leading to rapid skin cell turnover and inflamed plaques. As a result, individuals with psoriasis often seek dietary and lifestyle interventions to manage their symptoms. In recent years, the carnivore diet has gained traction as an unconventional, highly restrictive eating plan that some claim reduces inflammation and improves skin health.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
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. People on this diet exclude carbs completely from their diet, including vegetables, fruit, seeds, legumes, and grains. Some variations also eliminate dairy and seasonings. The diet enthusiasts claim that it cures everything from inflammation to autoimmune diseases - including psoriasis.
The carnivore diet is as strict as it sounds: it involves eating only animal products-meat, eggs, and some animal-based fats. It eliminates all plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and even herbs. The logic? Supporters believe that by cutting out plant foods, they remove common triggers of inflammation and autoimmune reactions.
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.
The Gut-Psoriasis Axis
Emerging research highlights how gut dysbiosis can exacerbate psoriasis symptoms, while targeted dietary and lifestyle interventions offer promising relief. Psoriasis involves overactive immune responses leading to rapid skin cell turnover and inflamed plaques. These findings suggest that restoring gut balance isn't optional-it's foundational. Gut dysbiosis refers to an imbalance in the composition of gut bacteria. In psoriasis, overgrowth of pro-inflammatory microbes leads to elevated cytokines such as IL-12 and IL-23, which circulate systemically and drive skin inflammation. Restoring a balanced microbiome helps reduce these inflammatory signals at their source.
Read also: The Carnivore Diet: An Autoimmune Solution?
Claims and Potential Benefits of the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet claims to provide several health benefits. 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. Inflamed tissue is assumed by most individuals to be caused by the intake of plant foods, and removing them from the diet can help with psoriasis. Eliminating carbohydrates can feed the overgrowth of inflammatory microbes in the gut.
Some people with autoimmune conditions, including psoriasis, reported relief of symptoms. Supporters of the diet state that eliminating plant foods reduces inflammation and improves health. Some experts say that it absolutely can help. On the other hand, some say this type of diet will only exacerbate the symptoms that have you so frustrated in the first place.
Specifically, the diet contains high amounts of the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids from fish and animal fats. The Omega-3s have been shown to reduce the severity of the symptoms of psoriasis by soothing the immune responses of the body.
A 2021 study concluded that the low-calorie ketogenic diet, just like the carnivore diet, helped with the reduction of inflammation for individuals with psoriasis.
Research and Evidence
Research into the carnivore diet and psoriasis is still in its early stages, but the initial findings and anecdotal evidence are promising. However, existing research on the carnivore diet is limited, with most evidence being anecdotal or derived from broader studies on ketogenic and low-carbohydrate diets. No direct scientific study between the carnivore diet and more successful psoriasis results currently exists. A great deal of the evidence is anecdotal - that is, people’s experiences rather than clinical trials.
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Potential Risks and Considerations
While the removal of several of these anti-inflammatory foods might be advantageous, the removal of the plant foods altogether could also have risks. Potential nutritional imbalances due to the carnivore diet could also present challenges to long-term adherence. It is a strict diet that eliminates the intake of plant-based foods and involves the intake of only animal products.
The diet is extremely high in saturated fats from red meat and animal products. While some studies suggest that saturated fats alone do not cause heart disease. People with psoriasis are at a higher risk of heart disease compared to the general population. The carnivore diet can make this worse because an all-meat diet can lead to high cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart problems. Eating large amounts of high-sodium, processed meats can also increase the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) - another condition associated with psoriasis. Hypertension can raise the risk of other types of heart disease and stroke.
Cutting out all grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables can create other health problems. Some other potential health issues that may be associated with a carnivore diet include:
- Deficiency in minerals and vitamins
- Constipation from lack of fiber
- Kidney disease (related to high sodium from eating large amounts of processed meats)
- Colorectal cancer (associated with high meat consumption)
Ironically, restricting your diet to mostly meat and eggs increases the risk of developing sensitivities to animal proteins.
A Case Study
Stephen's health struggles begin at age 15 with unexplained joint pain in his wrists and lower back. By 19, psoriasis plaques appear on his elbows and knees. Doctors diagnose him with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, prescribing steroid creams and UVB phototherapy. The creams thin his skin, causing bleeding with minor contact, while phototherapy offers only temporary relief. Over decades, his condition spreads-75-80% of his body becomes covered in lesions, including his legs, thighs, buttocks, and arms. Joint pain intensifies, robbing him of sleep and mobility.
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By 2022, Stephen's pain and inflammation reach a breaking point. Doctors push immunosuppressant drugs like Humira, warning of side effects like worsened depression. For someone who has battled suicidal thoughts his entire life, this feels like a death sentence. After a final appointment where dual injections are recommended, he contemplates ending his life.
Years of raw vegetable diets, juicing, and plant-based protocols fail to improve his health. Kidney stones from excessive spinach consumption land him in the emergency room twice. Social media groups for psoriasis sufferers reject his attempts to share alternative solutions, further isolating him.
On the brink of despair, Stephen discovers a video detailing how a keto-carnivore diet reversed autoimmune conditions. With nothing left to lose, he eliminates sugar, seed oils, grains, gluten, and vegetables. Within months, his skin begins to heal. Joint pain diminishes, and for the first time, suicidal thoughts vanish. Mental clarity replaces brain fog, and chronic depression lifts.
A Thanksgiving indulgence in 2022-apple pie and pumpkin pie-triggers a month-long relapse. Psoriasis flares, joint pain returns, and depression resurfaces. The setback reinforces his commitment to strict keto-carnivore principles. On January 1, 2023, he adopts a lion diet (beef, salt, and water), resolving to never deviate again.
Six months into the lion diet, Stephen's psoriasis clears by 98%, leaving only faint scars. Joint pain improves by 75%, and he sleeps through the night. He loses 70 pounds, gains 10 pounds of muscle, and works out five times weekly. At 49, he feels stronger and more energetic than he did in college.
Mental health shifts dramatically. The daily "noise" of suicidal ideation disappears. He describes feeling "connected to the universe" in a way he never imagined. Physical markers of aging reverse-his eyes appear brighter, skin healthier, and cognitive function sharpens.
Practical Considerations for Trying the Carnivore Diet
Before attempting the diet, it should be kept in mind that it influences the health and the condition of the psoriasis. As with any big lifestyle change, it doesn’t hurt to chat with your doctor about the implications of this change. Before diving in, get a firm understanding of the carnivore diet basics. Research, read books, join online communities, and educate yourself about what the diet entails.
Quality matters when it comes to the carnivore diet. Opt for the best cuts of meat you can afford. But, it’s not all about steak and chicken breast. You can keep things fun and fresh by trying more exotic game - like elk, buffalo, quail, you name it.
Variety is the spice of life, and this is especially true on a carnivore diet. With so few options to choose from in preparing your meals, finding unique methods is more important than ever. That’s why we recommended experimenting with different cooking methods - grilling, roasting, slow-cooking - to keep things interesting.
Alternatives to the Carnivore Diet
More evidence supports balanced anti-inflammatory diets-like the Mediterranean or modified elimination diets-for improving psoriasis outcomes without extreme restrictions. In general, a healthy diet focused on fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, lean protein, and healthy fats is recommended. A Mediterranean-style diet also includes low-fat dairy products and nuts and seeds. This type of diet is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects on the body, which may help improve psoriasis symptoms.
A Mediterranean diet limits added sugars, processed foods, and saturated and trans fats. Limiting these types of inflammatory foods may also help with psoriasis symptoms. Eating high-fat foods can trigger inflammation in your adipose tissue (body fat), which could lead to a psoriasis flare-up.
People with psoriasis may also find they benefit from limiting other foods and beverages that trigger their particular symptoms. These may include alcohol, dairy, red meat, refined carbohydrates like white bread, and fried foods.
Additional Lifestyle Changes
Beyond following the carnivore diet for psoriasis, what else can you do to manage this condition and keep symptoms at bay?
- Keep Stress in Check: Stress can trigger psoriasis flare-ups, so it's important to find ways to manage it.
- Get Plenty of Sleep: Your skin, like the rest of your body, heals and regenerates while you sleep.
- Moisturize Regularly: Dry skin can worsen psoriasis symptoms.
- Stay Active: Regular physical activity can help reduce inflammation and boost your mood.
- Limit Alcohol & Quit Smoking: Alcohol and smoking can trigger psoriasis flare-ups and interfere with the effectiveness of certain psoriasis treatments. If you do choose to drink or smoke, do so in moderation.