Is The Carnivore Diet Good for You? 

I can’t tell whether this topic is trendy for now, or if it will dissipate somewhere in the ether by the time you read this. Either way, it’s a topic at least for now that has people’s curiosity. 

Having looked at some articles on the subject matter, I didn’t find it compelling enough in terms of its brevity and in-depth viewpoint and so I decided to take it upon myself to share my thoughts on the matter. 

I could very well suck and lack depth and conciseness as well, but I’ll do my best to mix my style of writing with humor and education in the hopes of you finding it helpful. 

Side Note: To be fair, Mike Matthews at Legion Athletics does a really good job debunking some of the “benefits” of this diet as well. I thought I should share that, because being fully transparent and honest to you is important to me. 

Let’s dive in….

It is exactly what you’re thinking, a diet that only consist of eating meat, nothing else. To be fair, you can also eat fish and eggs, but that is it. It excludes fruits, vegetables, other forms of fat or carb source. 

I am not making this up. The concern I have is, because of its trendiness people are going into this diet without doing much homework. The media doing what it does best: 

“Sally lost 20 pounds on the carnivore diet and you can too!!” 

“The carnivore diet might be your best way to lose weight” 

Can you blame the media though?

Wherever the trend goes, it’s always there, right at the forefront of it all. In case you didn’t know, it almost never has your best interest at heart. Trendy topics brings in attention, mass attention brings in eyeballs, more eyeballs results in more dollars. That’s how it actually works. 

This is where I come in…… 

I thought this might bring some laughter, because it sure did for me 

I just can’t stop laughing…… it’s so good 

Anyway, this carnivore diet thing, why are people all of a sudden so interested in it? 

That’s a great question Rick. If there is an actual Rick out there who happened to read this blog, leave me a comment below lol. 

On a serious note, my assumption is, this diet like every other trendy diet picks up steam and eventually dies to the waste side.

When did it start being trendy? 

I have no idea 

A better question is whether it’s healthy for you or not?

Let’s explore further. 

I don’t know Rick, is it? 

This is how I see it, anytime a subject matter sways too one sided, I get skeptical. Let’s look at the carnivore diet as an example. You have actual “doctors,” supposedly, you can never tell now a days. Just because someone has doctor on their Instagram bio, doesn’t mean anything. Like any other profession or person, intently challenge their viewpoint, their thought process and see for yourself whether it’s backed by evidence base research. 

If it is, great and if it’s not you have your answer. It’s called bull-s#4@! 

I really want that to sink in. Don’t just gloss over it. Seriously, if you are going to embark into a new trendy diet and you’re serious about losing weight, you should take it upon yourself to do some homework. Having said that, I am well aware that 99.9% of you guys still wouldn’t do it. I guess that’s why blogs exist right? To condense information that maybe of interest to you and lay it out in the most concise way possible that hits key points backed by actual science, not some wannabe “expert” or “doctor.” 

Alright enough with the ranting, let’s get back to our meat diet 

Like I was saying, you have actual “doctors” who claim how healthy and beneficial this diet is. Let’s look under the hood and see for ourselves. 

Here are some of the “benefits” that have been purported by these “doctors” and carnivore enthusiast: 

• Weight loss (my favorite one) 
• Improves insulin sensitivity 
• Improves gut health 
• Improves heart health 
• Increases testosterone and libido 
• Decreases inflammation

It all sounds great on the surface, but is it really the case? Let’s analyze each one and see what science has to say about it.

Can a diet consisting of only meat, really help me lose weight? 

Is it the diet or is it just overall caloric consumption? There is not a single diet in the world that causes weight loss, not a single one. Losing weight derives from eating less calories than the number of calories your body is burning. That’s it. 

You can find yourself eating only twinkies like professor Haub and still lose weight. Regardless of what diet you’re on, calories are what counts. 

There is nothing special about the carnivore diet, enthusiasts and “experts” will tell you how quickly they lost weight in just a few weeks. That’s not surprising, being on a very low carb diet flushes water and glycogen storage. 

When glycogen stores are depleted, it causes a temporary drop in water weight, not actual fat. It’s worth noting, any diet that is low carb based will produce the same result. 

Here is a more in-depth take on how eating in calorie deficit leads to weight loss not the actual diet itself. This is why, I implore my online coaching clients to find a nutrition plan that caters to their lifestyle, not some restrictive meal plan. With a lifestyle nutrition plan, you’re more likely to adhere to it long-term because it will be more enjoyable along the way, while still making progress. 

Just prescribing a meal plan doesn’t do anything. You don’t learn anything. What happens when your coaching experience ends? I know what happens. You revert back to where you first started. Not because you were bad at it, simply because you didn’t formulate any skill-sets along the way, things like: 

Tracking your calories 

Learning the difference of food quality 

Learning the types of foods that helps you stay full in a deficit 

Learning how to incorporate cheat meals 

Learning how to not freak-out about losing your progress when eating out with friends 

Learning how to incorporate foods you enjoy while still making progress 

All of these skills may look easy on paper, but trust me when I tell you, it’s much more difficult to execute in practice. 

One down, five to go. Alright, next on our menu is whether insulin sensitivity improves in a carnivore diet. 

Insulin sensitivity for those who are curious, refers to how well your body response to insulin. If you are insulin sensitive, your body is able to use glucose in your blood stream effectively to lower your sugar level. Conversely, if you have poor insulin sensitivity (insulin resistance) your body can’t use glucose effectively to lower your sugar level. 

Ways to improve insulin sensitivity is through lifestyle and dietary changes: 

Being more active 

Having a balance nutrition 

Carrying less body fat (having more lean muscle) 

Sleep quality 

Reduce stress 

Etc. 

The carnivore diet doesn’t improve insulin sensitivity, all the above points mentioned earlier does, two of the main factors being exercising frequently and carrying less body fat. one study, concluded how carrying more body fat led to poor insulin sensitivity (insulin resistant).

The only way to carry less body fat is by eating in a deficit. That’s it. There is no secret or quick fix formula. By eating in a deficit, you end up losing weight, losing weight causes overall body fat to come down. Carrying less body fat results in being more insulin sensitive. It isn’t from a specific diet, exercise or magic pill. 

Calories matter bro…. a whole lot…….

Another study, concluded how moderate activity can make a big difference in individuals suffering from diabetes and poor insulin sensitivity. 

The next time someone tells you how being on the carnivore diet helped improved their insulin sensitivity. Ask, whether it’s the actual diet or is it from other things like: 

Exercising more often 

Eating less calories 

Sleeping better 

More than not, it’s a combination of those other things and it just happens that the person was also on the carnivore diet. That’s very different than the actual diet improving insulin sensitivity. 

One of the largest studies done on the impact of diet and lifestyle on gut health concluded that the best determinant was a combination of fruits, vegetables and fiber, which is completely the opposite of what the carnivore diet is all about.

The problem with such a restrictive diet is the micronutrient deficiency that comes along with it, fiber being one of them. 

Fiber plays such an integral role in improving gut function via: 

• Helps relieve constipation 

• Keeps gut lining intact by providing nourishment to keep it healthy and serve as a protective barrier 

• Helps produce short chain fatty acids (SFCA), which helps prevent/ fight diseases 

I have a hard time believing how a diet that lacks micronutrients, the very nutrients that helps with gut function can supposedly do the same thing. 

Next….

Time and time again studies have showcased how a well balance diet that includes calorie restriction, fruits, vegetables, proteins and fiber are a much better indicator of preventing cardiovascular disease such as the one done by NIH. 

There have been no studies that have identified any benefits the carnivore diet has had on heart health. None. Purported claims saying otherwise are anecdotal at best. On the contrary, a meat only diet can increase your risk of heart disease due to its high saturated fat content. 

A study done by Harvard concluded that a “higher intake of the most commonly consumed saturated fatty acids- lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid- was associated with a 18% increased relative risk of coronary heart disease.” That same study also found out that by “replacing just 1% of daily consumption of these fatty acids with equivalent calories from polyunsaturated fats, whole grain carbohydrates, or plant proteins, was estimated to reduce relative coronary heart disease risk by 6 to 8%.” 

Again, I find it hard to believe that a diet so restrictive can harness so many of the “benefits” that it purports without any conclusive data to back it up other than anecdotal claims. I don’t know about you, but science is king. These aren’t my opinions; the data is pretty clear on what this diet is all about. Nevertheless, let’s continue. 

Next on our list is…… 

A common claim purported by carnivore enthusiasts and these so called “experts” is how well the carnivore diet can increase testosterone and libido and in return can lead to weight loss, muscle gain and energy. 

As I’ve alluded earlier in this article, be it weight loss or muscle gain, calories are what counts. Weight loss comes from eating in a deficit and muscle gain comes from eating in a surplus. 

To claim that this diet will help people lose weight and gain muscle is a false narrative to paint to the public, especially when a number of studies says otherwise, such as the one done by the National Cancer Institute. Researchers found out the group that ate more fat after a 10-week period had a 13% increase in testosterone levels compared to the group who didn’t. 

You’re probably thinking a 13% increase is a lot . It really isn’t. A 13% increase in testosterone levels does absolutely nothing in terms of helping you lose fat or gain muscle. It sounds great on paper, but on a practical level, 13% means nothing at all. 

You might be asking yourself; how can I possibly know that. A great question by the way. Well, a study done by scientists at McMaster University conducted a 12-week strength training program to see the response of anabolic hormones like testosterone, growth hormone, and IGF-1. They found out these hormones had zero effects on overall muscle growth.

If these studies aren’t enough to at least force you to take a closer look at this diet before jumping on it, I don’t know what else I can do. My hands are tied. 

Moving on…. 

Inflammation is one of those words that is so easily used, but I don’t think people really know what it actually means. I’ll do the honors and give my two second take on what it is. Inflammation is your body fighting against something, whether it’s an infection or an injury to heal itself. 

When your body starts experiencing inflammation, a specific protein called C-reactive protein in your blood which is produced by your liver starts rising. It’s why you start experiencing symptoms like (fever, chills, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate and so on). 

Omega 3, a form of polyunsaturated fatty acid found in fish has been linked to lower C-reactive protein which in turn, reduces inflammation. In case you forgot, part of being on the carnivore diet also includes eating fish and eggs. 

And so, out of the six claimed “benefits” that the carnivore diet supposedly can do for you, decreasing inflammation is the only one science has agreed with. 

Let’s wrap this up, we’re nine pages into this and I hope I didn’t lose you. If I did, just leave me a comment below and I’ll be sure to address any looming questions that you may have. 

I really don’t have anything else to say lol. As I sit here at Starbucks gazing out the window to come up with some clever way to end this article. I have nothing. And guess what… that’s OK.

I just thought about something…

I am not a doctor, just your average lousy writer who happens to be a strength and nutrition coach whose lifelong ambition is to help as many people as he can via fitness. 

I implore you to do your own research as well. I figured it’s worth mentioning especially in today’s age where people believe everything, they read about without doing much due diligence themselves. 

Take care…