Carnivore Diet Benefits — Is It Yet Another Wonder Diet?

When you first heard of the carnivore diet, you probably thought, “Another diet doing the rounds.” A diet that not only simplifies food and nutrition, appears to boost weight loss, potentially improves blood sugar levels and autoimmune conditions, but also sharpens mental focus and supercharges energy levels! It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

But there’s an entire community of people vouching for the numerous benefits of the carnivore diet, some of the most influential voices in the carnivore community include Dr. Paul Saladino, Dr. Shawn Baker and Dr. Ken Berry. Let's venture into the heart of the carnivore lifestyle, and dissect the science and stories behind its bold claims to offer you the opportunity to decide for yourself.

Whether you're a skeptic, a curious onlooker, or someone in desperate search of a dietary overhaul, join us as we explore the meat of the matter.

So, what is a carnivore diet? 

The carnivore diet, simply put, is an all-meat, no-carb diet. You might also think of it as an extreme elimination keto diet or a very low-carb diet. 

Dr. Shawn Baker, an orthopedic surgeon, popularized the carnivore diet in his book, The Carnivore Diet. Judy Cho, a registered nutritional therapist, wrote a book called The Carnivore Cure in which she talks about the potentially harmful effects of plant antinutrients, allergens, organic pesticides, and glyphosate.

A typical carnivore diet includes red meat (including muscle, fat, and organ meat), pork, wild game, poultry, seafood, milk, and eggs. Different proponents of the diet have differing opinions about milk and milk-based products (cheese and yogurt) due to their lactose content, but butter consumption is generally accepted.

Proponents, like Dr. Shawn Baker and Judy Cho, recommend that you maintain a fat-to-protein ratio of somewhere around 3:1 (75% fat and roughly 20-25% protein). For instance, for a total calorie requirement of 1800 calories, you will need to roughly 115 to 120 gm of protein and your 150 gm of fat. Please note, these macros may shift based on your activity levels and goals (weight loss, muscle gain or maintenance).

Here Dr. Eric Berg explains why red meat is the best single food for healing and repair.  It has the most protein and is twice as concentrated amount of amino acids as eggs and a much higher B vitamin profile. Beef liver has more than 70% times as much vitamin A as eggs.  Red meat also contains carnitine, which is needed to move fat in to your cells for mitochondrial fuel.   It's difficult to repair and heal your body without animal protein. The carnivore diet can be very beneficial for autoimmune disease.  

Is the carnivore diet healthy?

Individuals who want to try the carnivore diet are often feeling concerned about the effects of saturated fat, the nutrition density in animal-based foods, and the risk of colorectal cancer. 

Recent investigations into the supposed ill-effects of saturated fats on heart health have debunked previously accepted recommendations, questioning the veracity of Ancel Keys’ research that backed the American Heart Association and USDA guidelines in the 1960s and 1980s, respectively, citing weak data and biased research. Additionally, fats used in research that have studies high fat diets and associated ill effects differ from saturated fats of animal origin found in the carnivore diet. 

Furthermore, an independent group of experts conducted a systemic review of randomized trials and cohort studies including 1000 or more participants that assessed the diets including unprocessed red meats and processed meats recommended continuation of consumption of unprocessed red meat.

Experiences of the Modern Carnivore

The driving force behind the growing popularity of the carnivore diet are numerous health benefits being felt by thousands of carnivores. Here’s what, 52-year-old, Lindy shared about her success (18:31) with the carnivore diet:

“2 year carnivore here. I’ve lost over 500 lbs (yes, not a typo!). I agree diets are not one size fits all. For me, carnivore works! Being 800lbs is restrictive. Eating meat only has freed me from thinking about food 24/7, and cravings, I now have an off switch. Food is no longer the highlight of my life. I now have a life. 

It’s not for everyone. But for me, I feel better now in my 50s than I did in my 20s! I weigh less now too!”

Potential health benefits of the carnivore diet

Over the last few years, carnivores have enthusiastically shared their experiences with the carnivore diet and the potential benefits of the diet on social media. The study analyzed the results of over 2,000 individuals on the carnivore diet from social media. Given the lack of robust studies that can corroborate the potential benefits of the carnivore diet, some parallels can be drawn based on the benefits of very low carbohydrate keto diets (VLCD) or the low-carb Atkins diet. Since at its core, the carnivore diet is an extremely restrictive keto diet. 

Anecdotally shared benefits of the carnivore diet

Proponents speculate the potential benefits of the diet stem from eliminating dietary triggers like excess carbohydrates (high corn fructose syrup), anti-nutrients and allergens (oxalates, phytates, lectins, soy, gluten, etc.), and FODMAPS (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols). 

Plant-based triggers have been linked with exacerbating and developing metabolic health conditions like obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, prediabetes, NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver), irritable bowel syndrome (IBD), Crohn's disease, autoimmune diseases, allergies, and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. 

Tune in to hear Ben Azadi discuss the results of his 40-day carnivore diet journey and the fascinating effects it had on his blood work!

 

Potential carnivore diet benefits include:

1. Weight Loss and associated improvements in insulin resistance and diabetes

On a typical 3:1 carnivore diet, you get most of your calories from fat. Once you enter nutritional ketosis on the carnivore diet, you start burning fat for energy, and one of the advantages of burning fat is that it doesn't lead to glucose and insulin spikes.

Burning fat doesn't spike insulin in the body, which reduces fat storage as well as utilizes the fat reserve. A carnivore diet eliminates all carbohydrates, thereby reducing the need for insulin release to a bare minimum (if you don't eat enough fat and your liver turns to protein breakdown for energy, it will result in insulin release since protein breaks down to glucose).

Insulin is a fat-storing hormone, once your insulin levels are regulated, you won't store as much fat as before. Additionally, fat cells release leptin which signals satiety, but studies suggest that there might be leptin resistance in obese individuals which stops them from feeling satiated after a meal. This review addressing the effects of a ketogenic diet on glycemic status indicates that as you burn body fat, you may feel improvements in both insulin and leptin sensitivity and continued weight loss.

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2. May have anti-inflammatory effects

A key to staying healthy is to manage systemic inflammation. Low-grade chronic inflammation is a potentially hidden cause of numerous lifestyle, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Common ingredients that are avoided on the carnivore diet, like high fructose corn syrup found in dressings, marinades, soda, processed foods, etc., as well as fermentable sugars — that help endotoxin producing Gram-negative bacteria proliferate — have been associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. 

On the flip side, consumption of omega-3 fatty acids contained in fatty fish like salmon and fish roe that are encouraged in the diet, have been associated with anti-inflammatory effects.

3. May improve autoimmune symptoms

Autoimmune conditions refer to ill health states when the immune system begins to attack its own cells. Countless additives, allergens, herbicides and pesticides, heavy metals, etc. find their way on and in fruit, vegetables, grains, and seed oils which might trigger autoimmune diseases like lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis.

Anecdotal data shared by the carnivores report improvements in autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. This case report shares the successful remission of Crohn's disease in a 14-year-old boy over fifteen months by following a strict ketogenic paleolithic diet consisting of animal fat, red meat, offal, and eggs with an approximate 2:1 fat: protein ratio. While eliminating poultry, grains, milk, dairy, refined sugars, vegetable oils, seed oils, and artificial sweeteners.

Watch my video on the fascinating connection between the gut microbiome, dietary and autoimmune triggers in Parkinson's disease!

Gut microbiome and animal proteins

Gut microbes break down animal proteins to produce branched-chain amino acids, which have been linked with improvements in muscle growth. According to a review published in Food Science of Animal Products, animal products including meat, dairy, and eggs are crucial for providing essential nutrients for the gut microbiome. 

Animal proteins also help Lactobacillus thrive in the gut. One potential mechanism behind this effect may be the breakdown of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) by the human gut microbiome. GAGs are complex carbohydrates found in animal tissues like hyaluronan (hyluronic acid) and chondroitin sulfate (CS), etc that can act as prebiotics for gut microbes like lactobacilli. 

Consumption of dairy products has long been associated with increasing the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactococcus strains. Egg proteins contain choline and have been associated with strengthening the gut lining and the production of butyrate and propionate by the gut microbiome. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is carnivore diet healing?

The carnivore diet can potentially be healing since it eliminates several inflammatory triggers such ass FODMAPs and seed oils that might be setting you back unknowingly. Additionally, a well planned carnivore diet is nutritionally dense and optimum source of bioavailable protein. Carnivore diet may also help lower the abundance of Gram-negative bacteria that thrive in a high sugar (HFCS) environment. 

How long does it take to see the benefits of a carnivore diet?

While everyone’s body is unique, anecdotal data suggests carnivores begin to see changes in about 3–6 weeks. But there's a period of adjustment that is considered similar to keto flu, where you might go through a period of diarrhea or constipation and other flu-like symptoms. Keep up with your electrolyte intake, since low electrolyte levels during this initial adjustment period can be harmful and set you further back than where you started.

What are the negatives of the carnivore diet?

Ensuring you're meeting your nutritional needs can quickly become challenging. Cost and accessibility are other considerations you need to keep in mind, and food safety in terms of clean cooking, food-borne diseases, and the use of antibiotics in cattle can lead to the introduction of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in your gut. Please note that carnivore diet may be a good way to restore and repair gut and immune health in the short-run, but there is a lack of long-term studies on the risks and benefits of the carnivore diet.

Is the carnivore diet good for your body?

Short durations of an elimination diet such as the carnivore diet can potentially help to eliminate dietary triggers that may be influencing health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diseases, gout (increased uric acid), weight gain, obesity, and diabetes.