With its emphasis on animal products and social media claims that it helps lower blood sugar, prompts better sleep and reduces joint pain, the meat-focused carnivore diet is garnering some enthusiasm as a weight loss tool and cure-all. “The popularity of the carnivore diet might be because it’s simple,” says Chrissy Arsenault, a registered dietitian in Indianapolis who tried the diet for two weeks.
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What Is the Carnivore Diet?
The highly restrictive carnivore diet is loosely based on the animal-only diets of indigenous people. Interest in it ebbed and flowed for decades, but the diet gained legions of new fans in 2019 with the publishing ofThe Carnivore Dietby Shawn Baker, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon. In his book, he touts the benefits of eating only meat, fish and other animal products like dairy products and eggs while excluding foods like fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes, bread, pasta and grains.
The weight-loss selling point for the carnivore diet boils down to a single concept, Baker says: Everything you eat will be high in protein, which makes you feel full, and low in total carbohydrates, which makes you feel more sluggish.
“Frankly, this diet is neither desirable nor fun,” says Sandy Younan Brikho, a registered dietary nutritionist in San Diego. “Ultimately, I think if it works it’s because there are very limited options to eat, thus reducing the likelihood that people will overeat.”
Research Surrounding the Carnivore Diet is Lacking
Little data surrounding the safety of this extremepaleo-type dietexists. Meanwhile, most evidence suggesting its effectiveness for weight loss is largely anecdotal. Those who promote the diet tend to base their claims on the premise that individuals function best on animal-derived fat and protein.
“The carnivore diet is not well-studied and we do not have much research on the long-term effects of eliminating all these important food groups,” says registered dietitian Natalie Allen, a clinical assistant professor of biomedical sciences at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.
There’s a healthy amount of controversy surrounding the carbohydrate component of the carnivore diet as well. It aims for net-zero daily carbohydrates, according to Baker, allowing for no more than 10 grams. This range contrasts dramatically with the Food and Drug Administration’s recommendation of 275 grams of carbs a day for someone consuming 2,000 calories a day.
What About the Carnivore Diet Health Claims?
In addition to dropping pounds, Baker and followers tout theanti-inflammatory componentsof the diet. Chronic inflammation has been linked to many diseases, including cancer.
It’s true fish, which is acceptable on the carnivore diet, is rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. “These fatty acids fight off inflammation in many different ways and reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines,” says Arsenault.
However, red meat, high in saturated fat, is also allowed on the diet. Saturated fats cancause inflammation. Additionally, a high-protein diet (such as the carnivore diet) can be harmful to the kidneys—and can even promote gout and kidney stones.
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Carnivore Diet Food List
The short list of foods considered acceptable in the carnivore diet includes:
- Beef
- Lamb
- Pork
- Chicken
- Organ meats (such as kidneys, liver and intestines)
- Fish
- Bone broth
- Dairy, including eggs, butter, hard cheese and heavy whipping cream (though some purists don’t allow dairy at all)
- Pink Himalayan sea salt
- Black coffee
- Water
Restricted foods include everything else, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains, alcohol, any drink besides water and black coffee and seasonings of any sort.
An Example Carnivore Diet Meal Plan
Below are examples of typical breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks for someone following the carnivore diet:
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snack |
|---|---|---|---|
Eggs (scrambled, omelet, etc.) and bacon with no seasonings except pink Himalayan sea salt, black coffee | Grilled steak, chicken breast or pork chops | Beef burger with a slice of hard cheese, chicken thighs, chicken liver or turkey burger | Parmesan cheese squares, beef jerky, pork rinds, tuna fish, deli meat, bone broth or sardines |
Risks of the Carnivore Diet
If you’re considering trying the carnivore diet, know it’s associated with some very serious risks, says Nicole Harkin, M.D., a cardiologist in San Francisco. These include:
Heart Disease
The carnivore diet can lead to an increased risk of developing heart disease because it prioritizes foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty steaks, which can elevate cholesterol levels, Arsenault says.
Meanwhile, eliminating fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds couldincreaseyour risk. “These food groups have been shown time and time again to be linked with lower rates of heart disease and other chronic diseases,” Harkin says.
Other risks associated with eliminating fruits, vegetables and whole grains is that it can promote metabolic acidosis—a condition in which there is too much acid in your body fluids—which, in turn, can impact your kidneys and increase your risk of diabetes.
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
You may also experience vitamin and mineral deficiencies because this diet is so restrictive, Brikho says. Without plant-based nutrients, it will be challenging to get the vitamins A, C and B12 you need into your daily intake.
Digestive Health Issues
Expect to experience nausea and other side effects that come with limiting your diet to only animal products. You may experience constipation as well, due to the decreased fiber intake since fruits, vegetables and whole grains are restricted.
In fact, the lack of fiber most concerns Alison Acerra, a registered dietary nutritionist in San Francisco. “This sets the stage for digestive health issues and imbalances in the gut microbiome that, over time, increase risk of chronic physical and mental health problems,” Acerra says.
Serious health implications of a low-fiber diet include coronary heart disease, hypertension and even some forms of cancer.
Complications for People With Certain Conditions
Anyone who takes multiple medications should follow this diet only under the care of a licensed healthcare provider.“Some modifications may also be required for certain populations, including people without a gallbladder, anyone with cardiac issues, [people with] diabetes and pregnant and nursing women,” Baker says.
What Our Experts Say About the Carnivore Diet
In the end, our experts can’t recommend the carnivore diet.
“There are other significantly healthier and more balanced eating strategies that include plant-based foods, which can be used to elicit the same purported results,” Acerra says. “[You] can also get those same results in a way that will improve your health, protect against chronic disease and be more environmentally sustainable.”
As someone who tried the carnivore diet, Arsenault, too, recommends against it. “Since meat and animal-based foods are low in fiber, it’s really hard to have regular bowel movements,” she says. “The pros are that it’s really filling but the cons are that since it’s so low in carbs, I felt irritable and constipated.”
Sources
Baker S.The Carnivore Diet.Victory Belt Publishing; 2019.
Interactive Nutrition Facts Label – Total Carbohydrate. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed 5/24/2021.
Chronic Inflammation. National Cancer Institute. Accessed 4/4/2021.
