The carnivore diet, popularized by Shawn Baker, MD, a doctor, athlete, and YouTuber, is precisely what it sounds like: eating only animal products, primarily meat. The extreme cousin of keto and paleo, it cuts out all plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It’s attracted followers who claim it offers a range of benefits, from rapid weight loss to diabetes reversal.
But let’s be clear – while it’s gained popularity in recent years, the carnivore diet isn’t a sustainable or balanced way to eat. The supposed benefits might sound appealing, but the long-term health risks and potential nutrient deficiencies are too significant to ignore. Its quick rise in popularity can be attributed to its simplicity and the promise of quick results, but it’s not the silver bullet solution for health and wellness that so many fitfluencers claim.
To get the lowdown on the health effects of the carnivore diet, we spoke with two registered dietitians. Read on to learn about what the carnivore diet is and why dietitians definitely don’t recommend it.
Experts Featured in This Article
Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, is a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com.
Katie Breazeale, MS, RD, LD, is a gut health dietitian.
What Is the Carnivore Diet, Exactly?
As its name implies, the carnivore diet is an eating plan that eliminates all plant foods. That means eating only meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and other animal-derived foods, like butter and heavy cream. The diet excludes all vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and plant-based oils, making it one of the most restrictive diets out there.
What’s the rationale behind the carnivore diet? It’s rooted in the (questionable) belief that humans are designed to thrive on a diet made exclusively of animal products. Followers of the diet claim that plants contain anti-nutrients – compounds that can interfere with the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals. They also claim that many people are sensitive to these compounds, leading to inflammation, digestive issues, and other health problems.
Given it contains only animal products, the carnivore diet is high in protein and fat, with virtually no carbohydrates. If a person following the carnivore diet chooses to eat fatty cuts of meat, which increases the total proportion of fat eaten, this can put the body in a state of ketosis, similar to the keto diet. Ketosis is where fat is used as the primary energy source instead of carbohydrates. However, unlike the keto diet, which allows for some vegetables and plant-based fats, the carnivore diet leaves no room for dietary variety beyond animal products.
Are There Carnivore Diet Benefits?
Most experts would say no – or if there are, they’re vastly outweighed by the risks. Advocates of the carnivore diet claim that eliminating plant-based foods and only eating animal products can lead to numerous health benefits, such as:
- Weight loss
- Reduced inflammation
- Improved mental clarity
- Reversal of type 2 diabetes
- Normalized blood pressure
- Reduction in digestive symptoms
- Improved mental health
- Improvement in autoimmune disorders
However, it’s worth noting that some of these claims fly directly in the face of what the current science tells us about the health effects of eating meat. For example, high meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Eating fatty meats may also increase the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Finally, both processed and unprocessed red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. It seems that meat may not be the health solution that people were hoping for.
What Are the Risks of the Carnivore Diet?
One of the most obvious risks of the carnivore diet is a lack of nutritional balance, says Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN. “The diet lacks many essential nutrients found in plant foods, including fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and various antioxidants and phytonutrients.”
But the risks of the carnivore diet don’t stop at what it doesn’t have. There’s just as much to worry about in terms of what it does have.
Heart Health
“The carnivore diet poses several heart health risks, primarily through its effects on TMAO levels, LDL cholesterol, and overall nutrient balance,” says Routhenstein.
She explains that TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) is a compound gut bacteria produce when they digest animal protein. TMAO levels rise significantly when following a carnivore diet thanks to the large amount of animal protein. “Elevated TMAO is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, as it promotes cholesterol buildup in arteries and increases inflammation,” she adds.
And TMAO isn’t the only thing to worry about. “The carnivore diet is high in saturated fats,” says Routhenstein, “which can raise LDL and apoB cholesterol levels in the blood.” What’s the problem with this? “Elevated LDL and apoB are major risk factors for atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by the buildup of fatty deposits in arteries,” she explains. This increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Gut Health
Given the removal of all fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, the carnivore diet affects the gut in multiple ways, says Katie Breazeale, MS, RD, LD. “Individuals on the carnivore diet experience more constipation due to the lack of fiber,” she explains. This can lead to a host of other problems, like nausea, vomiting, bloating, hemorrhoids, and fissures (small tears or cuts in the skin around the anus). In other words? The carnivore diet throws your digestion entirely out of whack.
In addition, Breazeale notes that there’s a higher risk of gallstones due to the higher fat content of the carnivore diet. “Your gallbladder releases bile to help with the digestion of fats,” she explains, “but when there is a higher volume of fat being eaten, it changes the bile and can cause a ‘back up’, leading to gallstones.”
There’s also the issue of an extreme lack of dietary variety on the carnivore diet, and as Breazele explains, when it comes to gut health, diversity is a must. “Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds contain polyphenols and fiber that our gut loves to use to support our good bacteria,” says Breazeale. By not supporting microbial diversity in the gut, you increase your risk of developing gut dysbiosis, where the microbes in your gut become unbalanced. This can lead to a wide range of problems, such as heart disease, cancers, and respiratory disease.
Finally, a major long-term health risk of the carnivore diet is colon cancer due to the lack of fiber and phytochemicals from the diet, says Breazeale. “Research has shown that a diet high in fiber reduces the risk of colon cancer, while higher intakes of red and processed meats increase the risk of colon cancer,” she explains.
Disordered Eating
We need to be aware of risks to mental health as well. Following a restrictive diet such as the carnivore diet requires a lot of mental effort, which can seriously impact mental health.
A recent study looking at the effects of a low-carb diet and intermittent fasting on food cravings and disordered eating found that following a low-carb diet (both with and without intermittent fasting) led to negative feelings like guilt, intense cravings for food, and binge eating. People following low-carb diets also tended to use food as a way to cope with negative emotions.
While there’s less research about the carnivore diet specifically, it’s even more restrictive than standard low-carb diets. It seems likely that these negative side effects would be just as common with the carnivore diet as other low-carb diets. And even if it did have health benefits (which, let’s be clear: it doesn’t), is it really worth giving up your mental sanity just to lose a few pounds?
The Bottom Line
If you’re thinking about trying the carnivore diet, Routhenstein recommends consulting with a healthcare provider first – particularly if you have existing health conditions or concerns about heart health. “Those with a family history of heart disease or elevated cholesterol should strongly avoid this diet, as it may accelerate cardiovascular issues and complications,” she cautions.
If you’re really set on trying a carnivore diet, Routhenstein recommends monitoring your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other health indicators to assess the diet’s impact on your health. However, both Routhenstein and Breazeale recommend steering clear of the carnivore diet for overall health.
For a more balanced and heart-healthy approach, Routhenstein suggests considering the Mediterranean diet, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, or balanced plant-based diets that include moderate amounts of animal protein. These diets offer a more heart-healthy way to incorporate animal products while maintaining overall health.
Overall, while the carnivore diet might sound like an easy fix for health issues, it’s important to remember that quick results don’t always mean lasting health. Cutting out entire food groups comes with significant risk, especially when those food groups are packed with essential nutrients. Remember, a healthy diet is about far more than what you cut out – it’s what you put in that really matters.
Sarah Glinski is a registered dietitian and health and nutrition writer with over six years of experience in the health and wellness industry. Her specialties include diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, gut health, and intuitive eating. She believes food is more than just nutrients and acknowledges the power food can have to heal and build community. As a nutrition professional who writes health content, Sarah uses the latest scientific research to guide her writing and recommendations. Her goal as a writer is to ensure that complex health information is made easy to understand and actionable so that more people can benefit from it.
