Is the Carnivore Diet Safe?

SINCE THE LATE 2src1src’s, the carnivore diet has been all over social media. And it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon.

As its name indicates, the carnivore diet is a diet that only allows animal-based foods, says Melanie Betz, R.D. Yes, you heard that right: chicken, steak, pork, fish, and eggs, only.

“The carnivore trend happened after [the rise of] Keto. Around 2src17, Shawn Baker, a doctor, started promoting it [on social media]. It’s really a fringe diet for people who are suspicious of conventional science and medicine,” says Abby Langer, R.D., a Men’s Health nutrition advisor.

Despite what many have said online, the carnivore diet is not your fast-track to good health. In fact, there are some serious dangers of doing this diet. Ahead, dietitians share what you should know about the carnivore diet.

What is the carnivore diet?

“The carnivore diet is an animal based eating plan that focuses on meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, fish and minimal dairy. To follow this trendy diet diligently, you need to exclude all vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts,” says Shelley Balls, a registered dietitian for Consumer Health Digest.

If you’re following this trendy diet you can steer clear of the produce section, the grain section, and all the middle aisles in the grocery store (except maybe for a can of tuna).

Is the carnivore diet healthy?

As you may have gathered, dietitians aren’t a fan of this fad.

“A carnivore diet is not healthy under any circumstances. There are no quality research studies showing that eating such a dietary pattern is beneficial for humans,” says Betz.

There is a lot of research showing the exact opposite: “Eating a diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and plant protein foods such as beans, nuts, seeds and lentils has been linked to many of the benefits [for which] carnivore diet advocates claim a carnivore diet is beneficial.”

Betz says there’s wide body of research that indicate that eating more plant based foods is beneficial for preventing heart disease and diabetes, and promoting a healthy body weight.

The carnivore diet is often promoted for its weight loss benefit. “Eating only meat can help you lose weight, but it can completely take out your social life, raise your cholesterol (yes, that still matters), and cause bacteria die-off in the gut,” says Langer.

Plus, the possibility of weight loss doesn’t outweigh the other negative side effects. Someone on a carnivore diet they typically increase the amount of saturated fat in their diet—and too much of saturated fat from animal products can spike LDL cholesterol, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease.

The American Heart Association nutrition guidelines recommend no more than six percent of calories from saturated fat. For reference, on a 2,srcsrcsrc calorie diet, this is about 12src calories (or 13 grams) of saturated fat per day. For context, a six ounce steak has about 38 percent of calories from saturated fat, or about seven grams saturated fat.

Both Langer and Betz also dislike the fact that the carnivore diet has no fiber, as fiber is exclusively found in plant-based foods—and vital to our health. Consuming enough fiber (around 32 grams per day for men) can help prevent high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and a many other common chronic health conditions.

Advocates also tend to recommend a carnivore diet because it lacks many plant “toxins” such as oxalate and lectins. “However, many of these ‘toxins’ are either present in minuscule amounts, become unavailable to our bodies after cooking or are simply unfounded claims,” Betz says.

There is a big concern for kidney stone formation when adhering to a carnivore diet. “It is well known that diets high in animal protein promote kidney stones and is recommended to be limited by the American Urological Association,” she says.

Should you try the carnivore diet?

No surprises here: Exit the cave and proceed far, far away from the carnivore diet.

The carnivore eating pattern is not healthy, as it limits your intake of key nutrients such as vitamin C, B vitamins, dietary fiber, healthy fats, probiotics, prebiotics, and so much more. It is also not sustainable long-term—unless you really, really like meat.

“The worst part of the carnivore diet? All of the unproven claims surrounding it, and their potential to lead people down a path that’s potentially lethal. Suggesting that eating only meat can ‘cure 9src% of health problems,’ including depression, is reckless and dangerous,” says Langer. “If you’re looking for nutrition and diet advice, please consult a registered dietitian—not social media.