Website Article: Why everyone is talking about the carnivore diet

For the uninitiated, the carnivore diet does exactly what it says on the packet: a meat-only eating regime, where anything that doesn’t come from an animal (think: vegetables, fruit, grains) is strictly off-limits. What’s left on the menu is… well, not much: red meat is the preference – with beef and lamb favoured most heavily. Animal products like eggs, dairy and offal (such as pâté, foie gras, sweetbreads) are also ok, but that’s about it. The very limited number of foods on offer may contribute at least in part, to its alleged efficacy, for most people, there is only so much steak one can eat (or afford).

In an age when plant-based eating has never been more popular, the rise of the carnivore diet seems unlikely. But like any weight loss trend worth its hashtag, the carnivore diet can thank social media – at least in part – for its rise to infamy. Beyond its extreme restriction, there’s another factor that might contribute to why its devotees swear by: protein. With nothing but animal products on the menu, you can’t help but eat but consume a very high protein, totally no carb intake. And that, at least in the short term, can lead to weight loss. But is it sustainable? And what are the other health implications of eating nothing but meat? We delve into the science to find out…

What it is Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is one kind of high protein diet in which only relies on animal source and excluding most or all plant foods. What makes it different from other high-protein eating plans, is that the carnivore diets is strictly no carbs, at all.

People who adhere to carnivore diet usually eat red meat, such as beef, lamb, goat, as well as eggs and dairy products. Meanwhile, animal protein sources, such as pork, poultry, and seafood, are permitted but less commonly eaten (1).

Carnivore Diet vs Paleo Diet, what is the difference?

There are clear similiarities between the paleo and carnivore diets. Both are very high in protein. However, the paleo diet allows plant-based food consumption, such as fruit, veggies, and nuts. Therefore, carbohydrates equate for about 25% of total energy intake, protein for about 30% of total energy intake, and the rest is fat (2).

The main idea of paleo diet is eating wild and natural foods such as fruit, veggies, meat fish, nuts, and eggs that were commonly consumed during the paleolithic era before industrial farming methods were developed, (2). Grains, dairy products, sugar, salt, and processed foods are all off limits in both diets (2).

Why do people adopt a carnivore diet?

The most common drawcard is undoubtedly weight loss, especially those with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus(1). There is also suggestions that T2DM patients have reduced diabetic medication usage and lower HbA1c, a biomarker indicating the glucose level. These reports may be analogous with reports on Arctic or nomadic people where a carnivore diet was applied as nutrition therapy for T2DM before the discovery of insulin (1).

Carnivore diet from the perspective of science

One of the gravest concerns of the carnivore diet is its nutritional imbalance. High intakes of animal proteins, known to be rich in saturated fat contents, will potentially increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

As the diet excludes fruit and veggies, it may lead to vitamins and mineral deficiencies. Antioxidants and other nutrients that are known to be beneficial in preventing cardiovascular disease are also by default absent in this diet (1).

Another implication from the absence of fruit and veggies is the lack of fibre intake that can affect gut health and the digestive system (1).

A high protein diet can also be dangerous for people with pre-existing health conditions. High protein diet tends to increase glomerular filtration rate (GFR) that should be avoided by people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or at risk of CKD, such as diabetic and obese people (3). High consumption of red meats is also associated with the increased risk of CKD as Gut flora transforms choline and carnitine into trimethylamine (TMA) and TMA N-oxide, which are associated to renal fibrosis (3).

The upshot? Environmental implications and costs aside, the carnivore diet’s extreme restrictions outweigh any alleged health benefits. For a healthier, more sustained approach to weight loss, speak to your GP.

Reference:

1. Lennerz BS, Mey JT, Henn OH, Ludwig DS. Behavioral Characteristics and Self-Reported Health Status among 2029 Adults Consuming a “Carnivore Diet” [Internet]. 2021. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/cdn/.

2. Cambeses-Franco C, González-García S, Feijoo G, Moreira MT. Is the Paleo diet safe for health and the environment? Science of the Total Environment. 2021 Aug 10;781.

3. Kalantar-Zadeh K, Kramer HM, Fouque D. High-protein diet is bad for kidney health: Unleashing the taboo. Vol. 35, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. Oxford University Press; 2020. p. 1–4.

The published version of this article can be seen here.