The carnivore diet, a highly restrictive eating plan, has gained popularity for its purported benefits, including weight loss, reduced inflammation, and improved mental health. This article delves into the details of the carnivore diet, its relationship to ketosis, potential benefits and risks, and how it compares to other low-carb diets.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet involves eliminating all carbohydrates and consuming only meat and other animal products such as beef, chicken, pork, fish, and eggs. The central idea behind this diet is that by drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, the body will switch to burning fat for energy, leading to weight loss.
Historical Context
The concept of a carb-free diet is not new. In the late 1700s, Scottish military surgeon John Rollo used a meat-only diet to treat patients with diabetes, observing that it helped lower their blood sugar levels. In more recent times, former orthopedic surgeon Shawn Baker popularized the carnivore diet with his 2019 book, The Carnivore Diet. Endorsement from figures like comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan, who claimed to have lost weight and gained energy after a 30-day meat-only experiment, further boosted the diet's exposure.
Carnivore Diet vs. Ketogenic and Atkins Diets
The carnivore diet shares similarities with the ketogenic (keto) and Atkins diets, but with a key difference: while keto and Atkins diets limit carbohydrate intake, the carnivore diet eliminates all carbohydrates and other food groups, including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. This makes the carnivore diet a more extreme version of a low-carb eating plan.
How the Carnivore Diet Works: Ketosis Explained
Carbohydrates are the body's primary energy source. When you consume carbs, your body converts them into glucose (sugar), which is used for energy. Excess glucose is stored in the muscles and liver, and any remaining excess is converted to fat.
Read also: Benefits of couples massage detailed
When carbohydrate intake is severely restricted, as in the carnivore diet, the body turns to fat for energy, producing ketones in the process. This metabolic state is known as ketosis. Proponents of the carnivore diet claim that by cutting carbs, you can accelerate fat burning and weight loss while reducing hunger. Additionally, they suggest that a carb-free diet can improve blood sugar control in individuals with type 2 diabetes and reduce inflammation by eliminating inflammatory foods.
Ketosis and Weight Loss
Because keto diets induce the body to burn fat, all keto diets can jump-start a weight-loss program. When you are in ketosis, your body burns fat for its main fuel source instead of carbs. This may make it easier to lose weight.
Foods Allowed and Avoided on the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet is characterized by a very limited selection of foods.
Allowed Foods
- Red Meat: Steak, burgers, chuck roast
- Poultry: 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: In small amounts
- Cooking Fats: Butter, fat tallow, ghee (clarified butter)
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, chili paste, cumin, paprika, garlic
Foods to Avoid
Any foods that are not animal-based are excluded from the carnivore diet, including:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Grains
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Seeds
Foods to Eat in Limited Amounts
- Cheese
- Dairy foods like milk and yogurt
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Cured meats
Potential Benefits of the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet is claimed to promote weight loss and improve heart health, autoimmune issues, blood sugar control, and mood. However, it's important to note that these claims are not consistently backed by rigorous scientific research.
Read also: How digestive health affects weight loss
One survey of over 2,000 people who had followed a carnivore diet for nine to 20 months reported improvements such as lower body mass index (BMI), more energy, better sleep, more strength and endurance, and improved memory and focus. Many participants with diabetes were also able to reduce or eliminate their diabetes medication. However, this study relied on self-reported data and did not involve direct measurements of nutrient levels or health markers, highlighting the need for more comprehensive research.
Emerging Research
There is a great deal of emerging research on ketogenic diets for brain function. Additionally, we know that some people are profoundly sensitive to plant antinutrients, like lectins and phytates. Carnivore may also be helpful for fertility. Some research suggests that ketogenic and low carb diets may improve fertility in women and sperm quality in males (although, the evidence we have in males was in male rats, not humans - so take it with a grain of salt).
Potential Risks and Side Effects of the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet deviates significantly from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend that adults obtain 45% to 65% of their daily calories from carbohydrates. By eliminating entire food groups, this diet may lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Vegetables, for example, are important sources of fiber, potassium, vitamins A and C, and folate. A lack of fiber can lead to constipation, although some individuals on the carnivore diet have reported diarrhea instead, potentially due to changes in gut bacteria.
Other Potential Side Effects
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Lack of energy
- Increased LDL cholesterol (potentially raising the risk of heart disease and stroke)
- High sodium intake from processed meats, potentially leading to high blood pressure
Long-Term Concerns
Other longer-term concerns about keto diets, especially the carnivore diet, include the increased risk of kidney stones, gout, and osteoporosis.
Read also: Weight Loss Meds & BCBS
Hormone Imbalance
Particularly in women, strict carbohydrate restriction may negatively impact hormone balance - which could increase your body’s physiological stress load and affect your menstrual cycle.
Is the Carnivore Diet Sustainable?
Many experts, including registered dietitian nutritionist Kathleen Zelman, believe that the carnivore diet is too restrictive and unsustainable for long-term adherence. Food cravings are likely to occur, and the diet may become monotonous.
The Role of Fiber
One of the major downsides of carnivore is that there is no fiber in this diet. Fiber helps regulate digestion and provides a food source for beneficial gut bacteria.
Is the Carnivore Diet Safe?
While a short-term trial of the carnivore diet may not be harmful for healthy individuals, it is generally not recommended. Health professionals advocate for balanced diets that include plant-based foods due to their nutritional benefits, phytochemicals, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients.
Who Should Avoid the Carnivore Diet?
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women: The diet may lack essential nutrients for both mother and baby.
- Individuals with kidney disease: The high protein content may strain kidney function.
- Individuals with diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure: The high saturated fat and sodium content may exacerbate these conditions.
- Individuals with a history of eating disorders: The restrictive nature of the diet may trigger unhealthy eating patterns.
Practical Tips for Starting a Carnivore Diet
If you're considering trying the carnivore diet, here are some practical tips:
- Clear out your pantry and refrigerator: Remove any foods that contain carbs to avoid temptation.
- Make a shopping list: Focus on meat, poultry, seafood, and animal products.
- Plan your meals: Advance planning is essential, especially if you work outside the home or dine out.
- Consider supplements: Vitamin C, vitamin D, electrolytes, and collagen may be beneficial.
- Include skin, organs, and bone broth: These provide additional nutrients.
- Use salt liberally: This is important for electrolyte balance, similar to the keto diet.
Sample Carnivore Diet Menu
Here's a sample menu for a day on the carnivore diet:
- Breakfast: Eggs and bacon
- Lunch: Burger patties
- Dinner: Salmon
Carnivore Diet Recipes
- Scrambled eggs with turkey: Cook turkey breast pieces in a skillet, then scramble with eggs, salt, and pepper.
- Salmon patties: Mix crumbled bacon, canned salmon, salt, eggs, and dill, then cook in butter until browned.
- Carnivore chicken casserole: Process rotisserie chicken with cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and taco or Cajun seasoning, then bake until bubbly.
Carnivore Diet Snacks
- Cheese sticks
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Salmon jerky
- Sardines
- Skinless chicken wings
Alternatives to the Carnivore Diet
If you're looking to cut carbohydrates for weight loss, the keto and Paleo diets may be more balanced options, as they allow for small amounts of carbohydrates.
Modified Carnivore Diet
This diet is mostly-carnivore, but it includes some plant foods that Dr. Saladino considers “low toxic,” meaning that they are easy to digest and well-tolerated by most people.