The carnivore diet, primarily composed of animal products such as beef, butter, and eggs, has recently gained traction on social media. Proponents claim it can clear skin and aid in weight loss. However, experts caution about its long-term health consequences and environmental impact. This article explores the carnivore diet, examining its potential benefits and risks and comparing it to other dietary patterns.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet meal plan strictly limits consumption to meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, fish, some dairy products, and water. All vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts are excluded. In essence, the carnivore diet is a type of ketogenic diet.
Keto diets, including the carnivore diet, work by restricting glucose and other forms of sugar. The body compensates by burning fat, producing ketones as an energy source. The carnivore diet is considered the most ketogenic diet due to its near-zero carbohydrate content.
Potential Benefits of the Carnivore Diet
Weight Loss
Keto diets, like the carnivore diet, can kick-start weight loss by inducing the body to burn fat. If people cut out foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, the diet may help people lose weight in the short term.
Reported Health Improvements
A social media survey of 2029 adults following the carnivore diet for at least six months revealed that participants reported high satisfaction levels and improvements in overall health (95%), well-being (66%-91%), and various medical conditions (48%-98%). The median BMI also decreased from 27.2 kg/m2 to 24.3 kg/m2.
Read also: The Carnivore Diet: An Autoimmune Solution?
Potential Risks and Drawbacks
Nutrient Deficiencies
The carnivore diet's restrictive nature raises concerns about nutrient deficiencies. By skipping fruits and vegetables, people likely won’t get enough fiber in their diets, which can affect gut health. They also will miss out on carotenoids and polyphenols, substances with antioxidant properties that have been linked to lower risk of chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. This type of diet can lead to some vitamin deficiencies.
Elevated Cholesterol Levels
The disadvantage of all keto diets is they tend to raise LDL cholesterol levels in both the short and long term.
Other Health Concerns
Other longer-term concerns about keto diets, especially the carnivore diet, include the increased risk of kidney stones, gout, and osteoporosis. Keto can also be incredibly harsh on the kidneys.
Environmental Impact
Industrial production of animal-based foods is harmful to the planet.
Comparing the Carnivore Diet to Other Dietary Patterns
The EPIC-Oxford Study
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Oxford (EPIC-Oxford) study provides valuable insights into the nutritional differences between various dietary patterns. This study investigated differences in dietary intakes between 30 251 participants, comprising 18 244 meat eaters, 4 531 fish eaters, 6 673 vegetarians, and 803 vegans aged 30 to 90 years.
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The study revealed significant differences in estimated nutrient intakes between meat eaters and vegans, with fish eaters and vegetarians usually having intermediate values. Meat eaters had the highest energy intakes, followed by fish eaters and vegetarians, whereas vegans had the lowest intakes. Vegans had the highest intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, vitamins C and E, folate, magnesium, iron, and copper. Meat eaters had the highest intake of saturated fatty acids, protein, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, and iodine. Fish eaters had the highest intakes of calcium and selenium.
The results suggested a high prevalence of inadequacy for dietary vitamin B12 and iodine in vegans.
Vegetarian Diets
Vegetarians in Western countries have a lower risk of some noncommunicable chronic diseases compared with otherwise similar nonvegetarians, which may partially stem from the differences between their dietary intakes and those of the general population. A recent meta-analysis concluded that vegetarians have a significantly lower ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality (29%) and overall cancer incidence (18%) than do nonvegetarians.
Paleo Diet
The paleo diet is a style of eating that ditches foods that were not available to our earliest ancestors. Paleo participants also recorded higher levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has emerged as the most popular calorie restriction form in the past decade. But while the weight-loss benefits are undeniable, the jury's out on the long-term effects. Intermittent fasting - one of the most popular and promoted dieting techniques - may raise the risk of early death.
Read also: Troubleshooting Carnivore Diet Diarrhea
Dietary Recommendations and Guidelines
According to a joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) expert consultation from the year 2004, “households across all regions should select predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, pulses or legumes, and minimally processed starchy staple foods. The evidence that such diets will prevent or delay a significant proportion of non-communicable chronic diseases is consistent” [1]. This recommendation was reflected in recent dietary guidelines. However, the FAO/WHO consultation adds: “This [diet] should not exclude small amounts of animal foods, which make an important nutritional contribution to plant-food-based diets” [1].
The US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) also provide dietary guidelines for Americans.