Does the ‘carnivore diet’ work? Here’s what eating only meat does to your body (2024)

FAQs

Does the ‘carnivore diet’ work? Here’s what eating only meat does to your body? ›

No controlled studies support claims that the carnivore diet can help eliminate health issues. It lacks beneficial nutrients, including fiber and plant compounds like antioxidants. It may be unsafe for some people. The carnivore diet consists entirely of meat and animal products, excluding all other foods.

The carnivore diet can lead to an increased risk of developing heart disease because it prioritizes foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty steaks, which can elevate cholesterol levels, Arsenault says. Meanwhile, eliminating fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds could increase your risk.

The idea is that by cutting all carbs, your body will burn fat for energy and you'll lose weight. Other claims of this diet are that it can fight inflammation, lower blood sugar in people with diabetes, and improve mental health. The carnivore diet is similar to the ketogenic (keto) and Atkins diets.

But in a recent interview with podcaster Thomas DeLauer, Saladino said that after five years on the carnivore diet his testosterone levels tanked. He also believes the diet is the cause of his sleep issues and joint and muscle pain.

Steady Progress: Typical Timeline of Noticeable Changes. Once your body has adapted to the carnivore diet, you'll begin to notice more profound carnivore diet results around the 3-6 week mark. Weight loss can become apparent during this time, as your body continues to burn fat for energy.

Other longer-term concerns about keto diets, especially the carnivore diet, include the increased risk of kidney stones, gout, and osteoporosis. Also, the very high protein intake associated with the carnivore diet can lead to impaired kidney function.

Given that the carnivore diet consists solely of animal foods, it can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Saturated fat may raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol, which may increase your risk of heart disease.

“The carnivore diet can increase the risk of disease because it is an acidic diet that is high in sodium that lacks in key nutrients responsible for optimal health,” Rydyger says. “The diet can also be high in saturated fat and LDL cholesterol.

Rogan shared with Huberman, “The problem that I had with pure carnivore was that I workout very hard.” The main issue with this diet that the podcaster faces is his struggle and low-energy with his workouts. He continued, “And when I workout very hard with pure carnivore. I was struggling. I din't like it.

On his Instagram account, Rogan shared that after 30 days on carnivore “lots of aches and pains went away” and that he'd seen “improvements in my vitiligo.” He also describes how carnivore supported stable energy, weight loss, and improved mental health.

Can you drink coffee on a carnivore diet? ›

Ideally, it is best to stick to black coffee as it contains zero calories and carbohydrates, making it suitable for a low-carb diet like carnivore. Adding cream or other additives can increase the calorie and carbohydrate content of the coffee, which may not align with the principles of this diet.

The Keto diet is also effective for weight loss, but not as effective as the Carnivore diet. This is because the Carnivore diet is more ideal for people who are training for athletic events like a marathon since it has a high protein intake.

By cutting carbs and consuming only whole animal products centered around ruminant meats, fish, pork, eggs, and full-fat dairy, the carnivore diet induces a metabolic shift that triggers your body to more efficiently break down body fat into energy.

Eating too much processed meat and red meat probably increases your risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer. Processed meat can also be high in salt and eating too much salt can increase your risk of high blood pressure.

Gradually replacing meat with plants could have immense benefits for the planet. “It would be a huge net win for the environment,” Dutkiewicz said. By one estimate, a complete phaseout of meat over 15 years would cut as much as one-third of all methane emissions and two-thirds of all nitrous oxide emissions.

It's worth mentioning that some individuals who regularly eat meat can actually experience acne breakouts if they suddenly stop consuming meat. The body is complex, and there's no way to know for sure how eating meat or cutting it out will affect one's skin until enough time has gone by.

And people who don't eat meat, called vegetarians, generally eat fewer calories and less fat. They also tend to weigh less. And they have a lower risk of heart disease than nonvegetarians do. Research shows that people who eat red meat are at a higher risk of death from heart disease, stroke or diabetes.