Carnivore diet: can you eat only meat?
What do you think about eating meat, just meat and still improving your productivity and mental clarity, boosting your libido, and controlling your blood pressure? Well, that’s what the followers of the carnivore diet believe in, and the basis of this diet is just meat, offal, and eggs (some include fish and cured cheese) and no vegetable or plant-based foods or any kind of supplement.
It is the opposite of the vegan diet. The carnivore diet is based on high protein and saturated fats and no carbohydrates, and there is no defined protocol for the number of proteins and fats to be ingested.
In some countries, people have migrated from the low-carb and ketogenic diet to the carnivore diet, and one of the most famous adepts of this diet is Shawn Baker. In his profile on social media, he said that the diet is very easy because he does not need meal plans or counting calories. “I just have to think about how hungry I am and how many steaks I want to eat,” he said.
Followers of this diet say that it brings several benefits such as fast weight loss, improved sleep, more disposition, improved libido, greater mental clarity, less hunger and more satiety, more strength and more endurance in training.
And now from the nutritional point of view, is a carnivore diet healthy in the long term? And how about the other nutrients and fibres?
The disadvantage of the carnivore diet is that it is just meat, which means that carbohydrates and healthy fats are completely out of the diet. Carbohydrates contain almost non-existent nutrients in meats such as fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folic acid among others. A meat-only diet, especially with an excess of saturated fat, can increase the risk of inflammation in the body.
Moreover, the functioning of our gut is impaired due to the lack of substrate to have a healthy gut microbiome. Recent studies have shown the importance of having a healthy gut microbiome to have good health, strong immunity and prevent various diseases.
Another aspect is that there are bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and antioxidants that are found specifically in plant-based food that reduce the risk of oxidative stress and also inflammation.
Despite the promises that the carnivore diet brings no evidence studies are showing its benefits.
Before making any drastic changes on your diet always consult with a nutritionist or dietitian to ensure you meat all requirements and don’t miss out on any essential nutrient.
