The Carnivore Diet: Can It Really Change Your Health?

Definition | Basics | Advantages | Disadvantages | Side effects | Carnivore Diet Plan | Grocery list

To some, the carnivore diet may sound a little "out there".

This is the diet where you sit down for breakfast of steak and eggs, lunch of liver and kidney (maybe accompanied by some beef tenderloin), and dinner of ribeye steak with a side of prawns.

Carnivore proponents say this all-meat approach is key to unlocking fat loss, regulating blood sugar, and even improving mood.

But can all meat really always be that good for you?

In this story, we're going to explore that question and tell you what you need to know about this increasingly popular eating style. (Spoiler: The diet might work for some people – but not for the reasons that proponents of the carnivore diet claim.)

You will also find:

• A framework that can help you determine if the carnivore diet is a good fit for you
• Our comprehensive plan and grocery list to get you started (if you choose to)
• A FREE downloadable nutritionist-approved nutrition guide for carnivores

Knowledge is power. No matter why you're curious about the all-meat trend, we have answers ahead of us.

FREE PDF: The Smart Carnivore Diet Plan

Would you like to try the carnivore diet? Our completely FREE nutritionist-approved guide includes:

• A quiz to help you decide if the diet is right for you
• Our comprehensive list of carnivore diet foods
• Worksheets to help you track your progress and results

Sounds good? Download the FREE Guide to Carnivore Diets here.

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What is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is a style of eating that focuses on eating meat.

Well, mostly meat. Animal organs too. (Those filled with nutrients, FYI).

Versions of the diet have been around for years. One of the earliest modern references dates back to 1856 when a German writer published a book on the virtues of eating only animals.1 More recently, Dr. Shawn Baker (an athlete and orthopedic surgeon) popularized. Dr. Paul Saladino (psychiatrist) and Jordan Peterson (psychologist).

The variations of carnivores range from very strict meat and organs to iterations that include:

• Fish and other types of seafood
• Eggs
• animal fats (suet, lard and tallow)
• small amounts of full-fat, low-lactose dairy products
• small amounts of certain fruits and vegetables

(For a full list of carnivore diet foods, see the graphic below.)

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Why so much meat?

In the world of the carnivore diet one often hears terms like "evolutionarily consistent" and "toxic plant compounds" as evidence that the diet works.

Evolutionary consistency means eating like our ancestors did.

Toxic botanicals refer to the idea that some plants contain substances that make people sick.

Let's take a closer look at each one, starting with evolutionary consistency.

Carnivore proponents often point to hunter-gatherer tribes who have been primarily carnivorous diets for thousands of years. And some research seems to show that today's hunter-gatherer tribes (yes, there are still many around the world) have far fewer health problems that plague those who eat a standard western diet

But that's not the whole story.

Practically all hunter-gatherer tribes – historical and modern – eat more than just meat. That's because they have to eat what is available. To be honest, plants made up the bulk of what most historical hunters and gatherers consumed. 3 4 5 6

Additionally, some research shows that groups normally considered healthier due to their animal-heavy eating habits, such as the Inuit, may not have had as many benefits as previously thought

As for these poisonous botanicals? Proponents of the carnivore diet also believe that plants aren't as good for you as everyone says because of the chemical compounds they contain.

One example is lectins, which are found in plant foods like grains and legumes and which essentially serve as built-in defense mechanisms against microorganisms, insects, and other pests. Some people are sensitive to them and if certain foods are not cooked properly (like kidney beans) they can make you sick.

Here's the thing: as long as you prepare your legumes properly, lectins are generally not harmful. (Learn about lectins and how to make foods that contain them.)

Bottom line: There is no scientific evidence linking carnivore diets to good health.

We don't have any data on what happens to people in the long term. This does not include long-term data on weight and body composition, the digestive system, metabolic health or any other topic.

However, a quick Google search will reveal an abundance of “incredible carnivore nutrition results”. So what's up?

In many ways, the carnivore diet is not that different from other popular diets.

Sure, the rules and rationale behind the carnivore diet are somewhat unique (although there are some parallels to the equally popular Paleo diet).

However, at Precision Nutrition, we've seen a lot of diets. We've coached over 100,000 clients – and they've tried everything: full plant-based diets, Mediterranean diets, intermittent fasting … and we've found that success doesn't depend on the factors that make a single diet unique.

It's the stuff these diets have in common that gives results: eating enough protein and focusing more on minimally processed foods and less on highly processed foods.

See the illustration below for a visual representation. (And if you'd rather use your ears, listen Diet debates and purple states –A fascinating podcast from PN co-founder Dr. John Berardi, who examines the greatest nutritional debate of our time: Plants versus animals for human health.)

What Are The Benefits Of The Carnivore Diet?

Some people attribute the solution to diseases to diet, from metabolic disorders to autoimmune problems to arthritis and depression. Others say the eating style gave them the energy and washboard abs they'd always wanted all day.

As a reminder, these are individual reports, not results from published studies.

But still, what does it mean to mainly eat meat, which can feel so transformative to some?

How the Carnivore Diet Could Improve Health

The carnivore diet is basically an elimination diet.

This eating style is very restrictive. Because of this, people drastically reduce the types of foods they eat. And this is where the diet's benefits really come from.

People who feel so much better on the carnivore diet are likely talking about an intolerance. Food intolerance can cause a variety of symptoms: indigestion, chronic inflammation, and sluggishness.

So it's not that the carnivore diet is magic. By eliminating dairy products, gluten, FODMAPs, and so many other foods, they are stopping to eat which is causing their problems. Bottom line: you feel better.

(To learn more about food intolerance – and what to do about it – check out our complete guide to the elimination diet.)

The same reasoning applies to other health problems that carnivore diets address.

For example, if a person has a metabolic disorder and typically eats a ton of highly processed foods, they may suddenly feel a lot better after six weeks of a carnivore diet. Perhaps their health traits will even improve.

But it's not necessarily because they eat so much meat.

Anything they don't eat also makes a world of difference.

(Think: highly processed, refined foods.)

How the carnivore diet can lead to weight loss

Similarly, people who experience fat loss on the carnivore diet are likely to benefit (at least in the short term) from the restrictiveness of the diet.

The clear rules reduce decision-making about food. Highly processed foods are not on the menu, and you will have to rely on protein, some fat, and maybe some fruits and vegetables to fill your plate. If these are your only food options, you are likely to be calorie deficit.

(Find out why a calorie deficit is the key fat loss here: calories in, calories out: all you need to know.)

Possible side effects of the carnivore diet

With little or no plant foods on the carnivore diet, you are likely to encounter some nutritional deficiencies. Especially if you have been eating like this for many months.

Yes, liver and other organ meats are laden with good things. But here's something that the liver doesn't get: fiber.

That means you may be constipated.

All the evidence we have about our microbiome suggests that a varied, high-fiber diet is best for your gut

Some vitamins are hard to come by on a carnivore diet, including vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits, peppers, berries, and other plant-based foods.

And then there are all of the phytonutrients – healthy chemicals only found in plant-based foods – that you are missing out on on this diet. Research suggests these offer all kinds of health benefits.9,10

Other disadvantages of the carnivore diet

There is another major drawback here that I mentioned earlier.

This diet is extremely restrictive, which may help some people at first. But when it comes to long-term health outcomes, restrictiveness is not an asset.

Take weight loss. Nobody goes on a restrictive diet and thinks, "I want to lose 30 pounds and then put them back on when I can't follow it."

Law?

If you look at research on people following highly restrictive diets over the long term, the vast majority goes back to their old eating habits.11,12,13

Why? A long-term carnivore diet means unfortunately you won't be able to eat cake at your child's birthday party this year or on your birthday. (Though maybe you could enjoy some … meat cake?)

If you go out for a drink with coworkers, no alcohol for you. Because that's right, all alcohol is vegetable. And grandma's lasagna? No chance.

If your goal is to lose weight and keep it off, you need to have a plan that will allow your diet to become more sustainable. Same goes for people trying to deal with a specific health problem with the carnivore diet.

So do we recommend the carnivore diet?

Not really.

But we wouldn't stop anyone from trying. (If you're a coach, check out our article: Surviving the Dr. Oz Diet to learn more about how to deal with these trending diets.)

Instead, we help prepare them for success. How do you ask See below.

The intelligent nutrition plan for carnivores

Use the three step process outlined here to determine the right level of carnivore for you (yes, carnivore is a real word). You move from a strict carnivore diet to something that is ultimately more sustainable.

Think of this as a diet experiment – one that can help you figure out which foods are right for your body. (If you're interested in all of the experimentation, also check out this article: Three Diet Experiments That Can Change Your Body.)

REMINDER: You can download this FREE Carnivore Nutrition Plan, print it out, keep it handy on your phone, or share it with a customer.

The evolution of the carnivore diet

The carnivore diet began as a strict all-meat experience.

However, the approach is gradually evolving, possibly due to the issues mentioned in this article.

They only have animals, of course. But we also see some of the leading figures in space talk about how they start eating the following foods that were previously considered banned:

• Dairy products with a higher lactose content
• Certain fruits and vegetables (such as pumpkin, avocados, and small amounts of fruit)

Some of them even consume some white rice. (Scandal!)

So the approach outlined below is not necessarily incompatible with the carnivore diet ideology.

Indeed, this could be the direction the diet is headed.

Step 1: contact your doctor.

You've likely heard this advice before, but it's important to have a discussion with your doctor, nurse, or home health care provider before starting the carnivore diet.

Let your provider know that you are trying a meat diet and that you want to keep track of how the process is going. They may recommend a standard blood count that includes blood lipids, blood sugar, and markers of inflammation.

They may also want to track your nutritional status with blood tests to make sure you are not missing any important nutrients to begin with.

During this appointment, ask your provider how often you should contact them to repeat any of the tests they will run in this initial phase.

Step 2: the elimination phase

Now you can either start the strict carnivore diet or the modified carnivore diet.

Take a look at the table below and decide which one suits you best. If you're comfortable with a more restrictive approach, the strict carnivore diet might feel right. If you think something more moderate would be better, try the modified version.

Remember: we're treating this like an elimination diet. This phase is short and lasts between two and six weeks, depending on your needs.

Important Note: If you are only eating meat and you are getting diarrhea or constipation continuously, you can abort this mission.

After at least two weeks, use the How Does the Carnivore Diet work for you? Rating in PDF to get an insight into your experience. Stick to your results as you will need them for comparison later.

Step 3: the reintroduction phase

Now is the time to systematically reintroduce foods and see how you react to them.

Of course, when you are completely satisfied with the tightening up of a more rigorous version of the diet – you don't feel like you are missing out, you feel good, and your blood count looks good – you can keep it going as you are. However, based on our experience, people are usually willing to have a little more variety in their diet at this point.

During the process, you can take notes in the How Food Feels Journal (also included in the Carnivore Diet PDF). This is how it works:

Day 1: Reintroduce a food and eat at least two servings of it at different times of the day. For example, you can reintroduce Greek yogurt by having it for breakfast and lunch.

Day 2 and 3: Stop eating the new food.

Day 4 and beyond: What happens after day 4 depends on how it went on days 2 and 3.

• When you are feeling good, add the food you just reintroduced to your “safe” list and reintroduce another food the next day.
• If you notice a reaction, take note of it and wait for the symptoms to wear off before reintroducing another food.

Keep introducing food and notice how you react.

The foods in the Modified Carnivore Diet and Sustainable Carnivore Diet columns are a good place to start, but you are not limited to just those foods. The point is to create a diet that will work for you. So include the essential foods that make your life worth living.

From time to time, come back to How's The Carnivore Diet that works for you. Assessment from the PDF to check your progress. In this way you can:

• Compare how you feel now to what you felt during the elimination phase
• Make sure you are still on track with the goals that led you to try the carnivore diet in the first place

You may also want to see your doctor after a few months to review your objective health characteristics.

(By the way, in case you're the type who wants to understand every detail, we have an entire e-book on elimination diets that is COMPLETELY FREE.)

The final result

It's difficult to argue with dramatic before and after pictures or firsthand stories with incredible results.

We see this effect with all types of trending diets, and the carnivore diet is no exception. But for any success story, there are likely hundreds of people who the carnivore diet didn't work for, mainly because it's so restrictive.

That doesn't mean you can't try if you want to.

Remember: it's an experiment.

If it works for you, that's great.

If it doesn't, try not to consider it a bug. You will gain valuable insights when you try a new approach to nutrition – even if the biggest insight is: "I hate this diet!"

So mainly don't beat yourself up. Because the carnivore diet isn't for everyone … and millions of healthy plant-based eaters will attest to this.

References

Click here to view the resources referenced in this article.

1. Animal nutrition. Journal of Public Health and Sanitary Review. 1856 Oct; 2 (7): 222.

2. Pontzer H, Wood BM, Raichlen DA. Hunters and gatherers as role models in public health. Obes Rev. 2018 Dec; 19 Suppl 1: 24-35.

3. Eaton SB. Ancestral Human Diet: What Was It and Should It Be a Paradigm for Contemporary Diet? Proc Nutr Soc. 2006 Feb; 65 (1): 1-6.

4. Wang C., Lu H., Zhang J., He K., Huan X. Macro-Process of Livelihood of Earlier Plants from the Upper Paleolithic to the Middle Neolithic in China: A Quantitative Analysis of Multi-Archaeobotanical Data. Plus one. 2016, February 3; 11 (2): e0148136.

5. Sponheimer M., Alemseged Z., Cerling TE, Grine FE, Kimbel WH, Leakey MG, et al. Isotopic evidence for early hominin diets. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013, June 25; 110 (26): 10513.

6. Cerling TE, Manthi FK, Mbua EN, Leakey LN, Leakey MG, Leakey RE, et al. Stable isotope-based nutritional reconstructions of hominins from the Turkana Basin. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013, June 25; 110 (26): 10501-6.

7. Fodor JG, Helis E., Yazdekhasti N., Vohnout B. “Fishing” according to the origins of the story “Eskimos and Heart Diseases”: Facts or wishful thinking? Can J Cardiol. 2014 Aug; 30 (8): 864-8.

8. Son J, Jang L-G, Kim B-Y, Lee S, Park H. The effects of probiotic intake on athletes may depend on protein and fiber intake. Nutrient. 2020, September 25; 12 (10).

9. Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, Fadnes LT, Boffetta P, Greenwood DC, et al. Food intake and blood concentration of antioxidants and the risk of cardiovascular disease, all-cause cancer, and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. At J Clin Nutr. 2018, November 1st; 108 (5): 1069-91.

10. Aune D. Plant foods, antioxidant biomarkers, and the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality: A review of the evidence. Adv Nutr. 2019, November 1st; 10 (Suppl_4): S404-21.

11. Huntriss R, Campbell M, Bedwell C. The interpretation and effect of a low-carbohydrate diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018 Mar; 72 (3): 311-25.

12. McArdle PD, Greenfield SM, Rilstone SK, Narendran P, Haque MS, Gill PS. Carbohydrate restriction for blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabet Med. 2019 Mar; 36 (3): 335-48.

13. van Wyk HJ, Davis RE, Davies JS. A Critical Review of the Low Carbohydrate Diet in People with Type 2 Diabetes. Diabet Med. 2016 Feb; 33 (2): 148-57.

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