All You Need to Know About the Carnivore (All-Meat) Diet
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Jul 26, 2019
- 3 min read
All You Need to Know About the Carnivore (All-Meat) Diet
The Carnivore Diet consists entirely of meat and animal products, excluding all other foods.
It’s claimed to aid weight loss, mood issues, and blood sugar regulation, among other health issues.
However, the diet is extremely restrictive and likely unhealthy in the long term. Plus, no research backs its purported benefits.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
The Carnivore Diet excludes all foods except meat, eggs, and small amounts of low-lactose dairy products. Testimonials from those who follow the diet claim that it can help treat several health issues, but no research supports these claims.
How to follow the Carnivore Diet
Following the Carnivore Diet involves eating only meat, fish, and animal products, eliminating all other foods. It provides no guidelines on calorie intake, serving size, or meal timing.
Can it help you lose weight?
Increasing your protein intake and reducing your carb intake may help you lose weight. That said, the extremely high amounts of protein and complete elimination of carbs on the Carnivore Diet are not necessary to lose weight.
Benefits of the Carnivore Diet
The Carnivore Diet does not include refined carbs or sugary foods, which can spike your blood sugar levels. Still, completely avoiding carbs is not necessary to control your blood sugar.
Downsides of the Carnivore Diet
Due to its highly restrictive nature and complete elimination of the majority of food groups, there are many downsides to the Carnivore Diet.
High in fat, cholesterol, and sodium
Given that the Carnivore Diet consists solely of animal foods, it can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Moreover, some processed meat especially bacon and breakfast meats, also contain high amounts of sodium.
Processed meat intake has also been linked to higher rates of certain types of cancer like colon and rectal cancers.
May lack certain micronutrients and beneficial plant compounds
The Carnivore Diet eliminates highly nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, all of which contain beneficial vitamins and minerals.
What’s more, diets that are rich in plant-based foods have been associated with a lower risk of certain chronic conditions like heart disease, certain cancers, Alzheimer’s, and type 2 diabetes.
This is not only due to the high vitamin, fiber, and mineral contents of plant foods but also their beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants.
Does not provide fiber
Thus, the Carnivore Diet contains no fiber, which may lead to constipation.
Additionally, fiber is incredibly important for the proper balance of bacteria in your gut.
In fact, suboptimal gut health can lead to a number of issues and may even be linked to weakened immunity and colon cancer.
May not be suited for some populations
The Carnivore Diet may be especially problematic for certain populations.
For example, those who need to limit their protein intake, including people with chronic kidney disease should not follow the diet.
Also, those who are more sensitive to the cholesterol in foods, or cholesterol hyper-responders, should be cautious about consuming so many high-cholesterol foods.
Children and pregnant or lactating women have special nutrients need and cannt meet them through carnivore diet.
Lastly, those who have anxiety about food or struggle with restrictive eating should not try this diet.
Foods to eat
The Carnivore Diet includes only animal products and excludes all other foods.
Specifically, someone on the Carnivore Diet can eat:
Meat: beef,chicken, turkey, organ meats, lamb, pork, etc.
Fish: salmon,mackerel, sardines, crab, lobster, tilapia, herring, etc.
Other animal products: eggs,lard, bone marrow, bone broth, etc.
Low-lactose dairy (in small amounts): heavy cream, hard cheese, butter, etc.
Water
According to some proponents of the diet, salt, pepper, and seasonings with no carbs are allowed.
In addition, some people choose to eat yogurt, milk, and soft cheese, but these foods are typically not included due to their carb contents.
Foods to avoid
All foods that do not come from animals are excluded from the Carnivore Diet.
Restricted foods include:
Vegetables: broccoli,cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, peppers, etc.
Fruits: apples,berries, bananas, kiwi, oranges, etc.
High-lactose dairy: milk, yogurt, soft cheese, etc.
Legumes: beans,lentils, etc.
Nuts and seeds: almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, etc.
Grains: rice,wheat, bread, quinoa, pasta, etc.
Alcohol: beer,wine, liquor, etc.
Sugars: table sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, etc.
Beverages other than water: soda, coffee, tea, fruit juice, etc.
While some people incorporate some of these foods, a true Carnivore Diet does not permit them.
Conclusion:
The Carnivore Diet is extremely restrictive, consisting entirely of meat,fish, eggs, and small amounts of low-lactose dairy.
It’s said to aid weight loss and several health issues, but no research backs these claims.
What’s more, it’s high in fat and sodium, contains no fiber or beneficial plant compounds, and is difficult to maintain long term.
Overall, the Carnivore Diet is unnecessarily restrictive. Eating a balanced diet with a variety of healthy foods is more sustainable and will likely afford you more health benefits.
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