In recent years we have seen an increase in diets based on plant-based foods, such as vegetarian and vegan. Even so, there are people who opt for a high meat content, leading an almost entirely carnivorous diet. The carnivore diet can have benefits, as well as many health drawbacks. Here's a look at how healthy eating only meat is in the long run.
Personally, I think that eating animal foods is necessary in a healthy diet, but eating meat is a different matter. You must be careful about starting diets that are not recommended for you. Always count on the advice of a dietitian-nutritionist who will assess your case and guide you in this type of diet.
What is a carnivore diet?
According to its name, there is not much mystery in this eating model: you can only eat foods of animal origin and avoid all those of plant origin. That is, the energy will come from proteins and fats, so the consumption of carbohydrates is totally eliminated.
When someone goes on a carnivore diet, they typically experience rapid weight loss, improved digestion, and possibly increased athletic performance. It is clear that there are people who feel relief from some health problems when they carry out this diet, but there are also many others who, in addition to not improving, make them worse.
Its proponents also recommend eliminating or limiting dairy intake to foods low in lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products, such as butter and hard cheeses. The carnivore diet stems from the controversial belief that ancestral human populations ate primarily meat and fish and that carbohydrate-rich diets are to blame for today's high rates of chronic disease.
Other popular low-carb diets, such as the ketogenic and paleo diets, limit but do not exclude carbohydrate intake. However, the carnivore is aiming for zero carbs.
How it is performed?
Following the diet involves eliminating all plant foods from the diet and eating exclusively meat, fish, eggs, and small amounts of low-lactose dairy products. Allowable foods include beef, chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, organ meats, salmon, sardines, white fish, and small amounts of heavy cream and hard cheese. Butter, lard and bone marrow are also allowed.
Proponents of the diet emphasize eating fatty cuts of meat to meet daily energy needs. The carnivore diet encourages consumption of water and bone broth, but discourages consumption of tea, coffee, and other plant-based beverages. It does not provide specific guidelines regarding calorie intake, portion sizes, or how many meals or snacks to eat per day.
Allowed foods
Logically, the carnivore diet includes only animal products and excludes all other foods. Specifically, someone on the carnivore diet can eat:
- Meat: beef, chicken, turkey, organ meats, lamb, pork, etc.
- Fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines, crab, lobster, tilapia, herring, etc.
- Other animal products: eggs, lard, bone marrow, bone broth, etc.
- Low-lactose dairy (in small amounts): heavy cream, hard cheese, butter, etc.
- Water
According to some proponents of the diet, salt, pepper, and non-carb seasonings are allowed. Also, some people choose to eat yogurt, milk, and soft cheese, although these foods are not included due to their carbohydrate content.
Advantages of this type of diet
The carnivore diet does not include refined carbohydrates or sugary foods, which can spike blood sugar levels. Still, you don't need to completely avoid carbs to control your blood sugar.
It is low in waste
When we speak of "residue", we refer to a substance that the body does not absorb and that it needs to improve intestinal transit. Therefore, in a low-residue diet, high-fiber foods (cereals, grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits) will have no place. A diet low in this substance is recommended in people with inflammatory bowel diseases or irritable bowel.
In this case, the meat is composed mainly of proteins and fats, which leave little residue to irritate or inflame the intestine. Of course, sausages are not a good meat option.
The carnivore diet is ketogenic
If you are eating large amounts of meat, but you only do it once or twice a day, you are probably on a ketogenic diet. This type of diet, high in fat and moderate in protein, consists of:
- 60-70% fat.
- 20-30% protein.
- 5-10% carbohydrates.
Certainly, the carnivore diet is not governed by these nutrient ratios, but you may very well reap the benefits of having your body in a state of ketosis.
Reduce caloric content
As you well know, protein has a fairly high satiating power. It is possible that after you had steak, you were quite satisfied, right? This nutrient sends a signal to your brain to notify you that you have consumed the necessary amount of food and therefore food cravings are reduced. Therefore, it is possible that there are people who with the carnivore diet stop feeling so hungry and eat less frequently.
When you eat the same amount of food every day, your brain loses its “reward” value. So if eating a great steak seemed very rewarding before, now it will feel like a habit. This can lead to unintentional caloric restriction and lead to certain results in the body, such as:
- Decreased concentration of insulin and growth hormone.
- Autophagy.
- Reduce inflammation.
- Weightloss.
The intestinal flora varies
Completely changing your diet can drastically alter your gut microbiota (flora). A 2014 study observed how dietary changes can alter the microbiota in less than 48 hours. An animal-based diet increased the abundance of bile-tolerant organisms and reduced the levels of microbes that metabolize different types of fiber.
Obviously, radically varying intestinal flora can increase the chances of suffering from some type of gastrointestinal problem.
What dangers does the carnivore diet have?
Due to its highly restrictive nature and the complete elimination of most food groups, the carnivore diet has many disadvantages.
nutrient deficit
Despite the fact that there are no studies that negatively and emphatically point out the carnivore diet as dangerous to health, it is true that it lacks the contribution of many essential nutrients to enjoy proper functioning.
There are four micronutrients that are hard to get on a meat-only diet:
- Vitamin C: . In an antioxidant that stimulates the functioning of immune cells.
- Vitamin E. Prevents oxidation of lipids and lipoproteins.
- Vitamin K2. Reduces calcification of blood vessels.
- Football. It is a mineral necessary for healthy bones, as well as for muscle contraction and nerve transmission.
Does not provide beneficial phytonutrients
Phytonutrients are chemicals that plants produce to protect themselves from environmental threats, such as insects or disease. Interestingly, these phytonutrients have health benefits. And many of you will know them by the name of curcumin, beta-carotene, quercetin or resveratrol.
Those who defend the carnivore diet comment that phytonutrients are toxic to humans, and that the ideal is to eliminate them completely from our diet. Instead, many of these "toxins" make us much more resistant immunologically.
Can overload the liver (lean meats)
When our body does not ingest enough carbohydrates and fats, the liver can produce glucose from protein (gluconeogenesis). This causes nitrogen waste to be created that has to be eliminated through the kidneys. The process is totally normal and our body is designed for it, the problem appears when it has to handle very high amounts. Exceeding more than 40% daily protein intake would be above the safe limit.
affects hormones
There is still no research reporting on the long-term effect of a carnivore diet on hormones, thyroid function, and fertility. In the case of pregnant women, it has been shown that a low-carbohydrate diet can negatively influence fertility. Carbohydrates are an important nutrient in thyroid function, since insulin stimulates thyroid hormones.