Have you heard of the carnivore diet and wondered if it’s safe? Read this carnivore diet dietitian review to learn more about this diet trend and see the carnivore diet debunked once and for all.
In the wake of the keto-craze, we now have the carnivore-cults emerging. I put off addressing this diet trend for a while because it’s so preposterous that it seemed unnecessary to even discuss. However, as it continues to bleed into my social media feed and the zealous advocates spread more misinformation, I’m giving this conversation the green light.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
If you’re new to the carnivore diet and wondering what it is, it’s essentially a meat-only diet. Just like when you learned in school about animals that are carnivores (eat only meat), herbivores (eat only plants), and omnivores (eat both) – apparently there are also humans that are carnivores now.
Carnivore Diet Foods
The carnivore diet food list consists of:
- Meat, such as beef, pork, poultry, and game
- Eggs
- Seafood, such as fish and shellfish
- Dairy low in lactose, such as butter, lard, hard cheeses and maybe cream and/or heavy cream
- Water & bone broth
The carnivore diet ‘do not eat’ food list consists of:
- Processed foods
- Grains
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- All other dairy products
- Tea, coffee, or any other beverages
Carnivore Diet Rules
Beyond the foods allowed and disallowed, specific rules are going to vary based on who is talking. Generally speaking, condiments are not allowed on the carnivore diet (with the exception of salt and pepper).
Carnivore Diet vs Keto Diet
A carnivore diet induces a state of ketosis which some may find desirable. However, it is not the same as the keto diet. A keto diet does allow a small amount of carbohydrates (normally up to 50g or so) whereas the carnivore diet aims to completely eliminate carbohydrates.
The carnivore diet is also centered on eating meat and strictly forbids plants whereas the keto diet allows for foods like nuts, seeds, and avocados which are derived from plants.
Carnivore Diet vs Paleo Diet
Both the carnivore diet and paleo diet claim to be ‘how our ancestors ate’ (as if that makes it appropriate for us in the 21st century who have advanced immensely as both a society and as humans).
The paleo diet allows any whole foods including plant-derived ones such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The paleo diet also allows the use of oils. The carnivore diet does not allow anything but meat and a few select low-lactose dairy products.
Where Did The Carnivore Diet Come From?
The carnivore diet was popularized by Paul Saladino (a psychiatrist and certified functional medicine provider aka quack science provider) who published the Carnivore Code in 2020.
It has also been popularized by Anthony Chafee and Shawn Baker (an orthopedic doctor who had his license revoked in 2017 and then reinstated in 2019 with restrictions).
None of these people who have popularized the carnivore diet actually have a PhD in nutrition or are dietitians. The reason I bring this up is because it’s important to remember that a doctor is not a specialist in nutrition. They have 1 nutrition class at most during medical school.
Medical doctors have to actively pursue a specialty in nutrition by electing for and actively pursuing an advanced degree in nutrition (note: a certification does not count as an advanced degree. These are often biased programs that are more of a business model than an evidence-based resource of education).
As a reminder, dietitians are not automatically PhDs in nutrition (though many do go on to obtain their PhD). However, a registered dietitian’s entire education is devoted to nutrition science, which is far more than a medical doctor’s one class.
This is not to speak negatively of doctors – they play a hugely important role in the lives and well-being of others and have a vast knowledge on the human body and pharmaceuticals. Rather, it’s just to highlight that they are not automatically specialists in nutrition.
Men like Paul Saladino, Anthony Chafee, and Shawn Baker profit off of perceived credibility. In reality, they are not credible on the topic of nutrition, which requires a great deal of specialized education.
How Does the Carnivore Diet Work?
The carnivore diet aims to demonize plants and carbohydrates by using scary language like “oxalates [found in plant-derived foods] are giving you kidney stones,” “fiber is unnecessary,” and “oatmeal is killing you,” to name a few.
Proposed Benefits of The Carnivore Diet
If your social media feed surfaces the content of carnivore zealots, you’ll see some pretty compelling content about “how great the carnivore diet is for you.” The problem is, all of these perceived benefits are from anecdotal evidence of people saying they “feel better,” not any actual published evidence of quality studies showing it to be beneficial.
We’ll talk down below about why people say they feel better on this diet and the ugly side of this diet that you can’t necessarily feel.
I will feature the ‘benefits’ we often hear about from carnivore die-hards and why they may be experiencing those symptoms. However, keep in mind that for every one person sharing these benefits, there are 10 others who are having the opposite experience. (Check out this Instagram page for screenshots of carnivore diet reviews and horror stories).
Weight Loss
Many carnivores delightfully report weight loss as a result of following the diet. There are a few reasons why this is possible:
- Fewer calories are being eaten overall on the carnivore diet. This won’t always happen, but it certainly is possible if someone is getting full quickly from all the fats and protein they are eating. Not to mention the constant backup sitting in their gut from little to no fiber/carbohydrates being consumed.
- Water weight. When someone embarks on a very low carbohydrate diet and all the remaining carbohydrate stores are being used in the body, water is naturally excreted. This is why a lot of times people report losing “5 lbs in a week” in the beginning even though 5 pounds of pure body fat in a week is nearly impossible; 5 pounds consisting of body fat + lean tissue + water + food IS possible though.
This is where I’ll insert an important reminder: just because someone loses weight doesn’t mean it was healthy.
Energy Levels
Carnivore eaters sometimes report improved energy levels. This could be for a couple of different reasons: a reduction of foods which someone didn’t tolerate/digest well and/or ketones.
When someone cuts out 90% of the food they are eating (such as on the carnivorous diet), there’s a good chance that they are now not consuming foods that used to make them feel crummy.
Whether it was ultra-processed foods, a food they were unknowingly allergic/sensitive to, or a food they didn’t realize was a trigger for their IBS symptoms, this will of course make them feel better. It’s important to see that this doesn’t mean they needed to eliminate 90% of their diet, only the specific food(s) that were the real culprit.
I also mentioned ketones above. When the body is no longer using carbohydrates as a fuel source it will at some point resort to using ketones as a last-ditch survival effort. This has of course been paraded as being a ‘superior’ fuel source by keto-advocates, but that’s not necessarily the case.
One thing that keto-advocates and carnivores report enjoying is the stable energy levels. Relying on carbohydrates for fuel will naturally create some ebb/flow of energy when the carb bank is starting to run out between mealtimes.
Reduced Inflammation
The carnivore diet has the potential to both increase inflammation drastically and decrease it. This all depends on the person. Saturated fats are known to be harmful to our health when eaten in excess and can contribute to overall inflammation.
Due to the risk saturated fats pose to overall health, the 2020-2025 dietary guidelines for Americans recommend consuming no more than 10% of your daily calories from saturated fats, and the American Heart Association calls for even less than that by recommending less than 6% of daily calories coming from saturated fats.
On the other hand, eating a carnivorous diet may reduce inflammation for some (at least in the short term) if they are now avoiding foods that were contributing to their chronic inflammation.
For example, someone who has a diet high in ultra-processed foods (chips, sweets, fast foods, etc) and is now avoiding them may feel they have reduced inflammation. Or if someone has difficulty digesting certain FODMAPs and is now naturally avoiding them, they would of course feel better for a bit.
Improved Mental Clarity
Following a carnivore diet will naturally induce a state of ketosis, which some may experience improved mental clarity from.
Does the Carnivore Diet Work?
The carnivore diet is not a superior style of eating, despite what carnivore-die-hards are saying. Eating a diet composed of meat only deprives the body of many key nutrients. It also creates an unnaturally high intake of saturated fats, which can contribute to high LDL cholesterol levels (a biomarker shown to be causative of cardiovascular disease).
There is also zero published evidence regarding humans following a carnivore diet.
Is the Carnivore Diet Safe?
No. It is one of the most dangerous diet trends to date. It is the exact opposite of what respectable health professionals recommend due to the risk of cardiovascular events, insulin resistance, fatty liver, and more.
What Are the Negatives of A Carnivore Diet?
There are truly so many downsides of the carnivore diet. Here are some of the most critical:
Nutrient Deficiencies
Have you ever heard someone say, “Eat your meat; it’s full of important vitamins and minerals!” Probably not. While meats do provide us with some micronutrients, it’s not enough to cover the needs of our incredibly complex (and somewhat needy) bodies. Organ meats can help to cover the missing pieces, but most people aren’t a big fan of eating organ meats.
Plant-derived foods are packed with all kinds of vitamins and minerals. They are also our best source of fiber: a key nutrient involved in the regulation of our gut health, keeping cholesterol in check, weight control, and blood sugar management.
Popular carnivore advocates typically just happen to sell supplements that make up for the nutrient deficiencies that come along with the carnivore diet. Coincidence? I think not.
Increased Cholesterol
In high quantities, saturated fat changes the expression of the LDL receptor at the liver. As a result, the liver takes in and filters less LDL, allowing more LDL to circulate in the bloodstream. This increases your risk of plaque buildup and heart disease long term.
Fiber would help clear that, but with no fiber in the carnivore diet the LDL are just circulating and accumulating with no challenger(s) coming in to defend the arteries.
Some carnivores boast of having perfectly fine cholesterol levels. The problem is that this consequence isn’t always seen right away. It may take a few years for those effects to show up on blood panels.
Insulin Resistance / Diabetes
High amounts of saturated fat can also cause insulin resistance and raise HgA1C. In this study, participants were fed either a low fat diet (8% of calories from fat) or high fat diet (55% of calories from fat, almost half of the fat being saturated fat). Calories were controlled among the groups to avoid that being a limiting factor. What they found was glucose disposal was decreased on the high fat diet. They concluded that a high fat diet may contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes.
In another study, researchers overfed people by 1,000 cals/day of either saturated fat, unsaturated fat, or simple sugars for 3 weeks. The group overfed with saturated fat increased liver fat by 55%, the unsaturated fat group by 15%, and the simple sugars group by 33%. Meaning, the group who was overfed by saturated fat experienced more of a fattened liver than the simple sugars group did (by 22%). Researchers concluded that saturated fat resulted in a fatty liver causing insulin resistance.
Finally, this study tested a diet high in polyunsaturated fat versus a diet high in saturated fat on metabolic markers. Calories were controlled, once again. They found that saturated fat trended towards increased liver fat while polyunsaturated fat decreased liver fat. Insulin was reported higher in the saturated fat group whereas insulin and blood lipids all lower with the polyunsaturated fat group.
All of the above studies independently conducted and not paid for by “big food” or “big pharma,” by the way. 😉
Cancer
Eating more red meats increases the risk for many cancers unless there is produce intake to counteract… which there isn’t with carnivores.
Digestive Issues
The gut microbiome has many colonies that require a variety of carbohydrates in order to survive/thrive. Some of these colonies serve as guards for the lining of our digestive tract. When those colonies are neglected, the lining of our digestive system can be compromised. With a compromised gut, we start to see many digestive problems occurring.
Then, of course, there are the stool problems that can (and probably will) accompany a carnivorous diet. Steatorrhea, a condition of fat malabsorption, is when there is too much fat in the stool. These poops are pale, foul smelling, sticky, oily, and not fun to pass. We would also expect to see chronic constipation on a carnivore diet, and/or diarrhea.
Disordered Eating
Disordered eating/eating disorders is a huge risk we need to acknowledge when it comes to the carnivore diet. It takes a great deal of mental gymnastics to justify following the carnivore diet long term – the same mental gymnastics we see in EDs.
Social and Mental Health Impacts
Imagine going to someone’s house who is following the carnivore diet and trying to have a meal with them. Or, imagine them coming to your house and trying to feed them. It poses some issues, doesn’t it?
Now, imagine you are the carnivore. Trying to live a normal life would be incredibly difficult with this style of eating. How you eat naturally bleeds into your social life, as does the way you feel. If someone is suffering from terrible side effects due to following the carnivore diet, their social and mental health may be greatly impacted.
Sustainability
With concerns over ecological sustainability in the food industry and the carbon footprint seen with the meat industry, some may say a carnivore diet is unwise for the planet. I’m not personally an expert on this, but it is a concern I hear often.
Final Verdict: Is the Carnivore Diet Healthy?
Does this dietitian recommend the carnivore diet?
There are only 2 situations where I can see that the carnivore diet would make any sense:
- If it is your only option
- If you need to follow an elimination diet and adopt a carnivorous style of eating for a short period of time before re-introducing foods to identify culprits of unwanted symptoms.
Other than that, the carnivore diet is not healthy and should not be followed. Do not recommend.
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