The Carnivore Diet is a way of eating consisting of entirely meat and excludes all other foods.

It’s been indicated to aid in weight loss, mental issues and reduced heart disease risk among a myriad of other health issues.

This article will be going over what exactly is going on within the Carnivore Diet, debunking common myths, modern/ancient history of the diet, my theory on why America does not want you to know about it and also why in my subjective view it’s the most optimal diet for a human being.

What’s going on in your body while doing the Carnivore Diet?

When you start doing the Carnivore Diet your body will begin depleting Its glycogen stores. This process takes 3-4 days in which your body will enter a natural metabolic state known as Ketosis. This state is characterized by an elevated amount of ketones in the blood and urine serving as a fuel source. It provides energy to your brain and central nervous system. The body is burning stored fats for energy instead of carbohydrates. It’s also key to note that the depletion of carbs will often be followed by the excretion of water weight as for every gram of glycogen there is 3 grams of water. Your body will then also be in the initial stages of body recomposition.

Some would say that Ketosis is an alternate fuel source and response to low glucose. I would argue that Ketosis is the body’s natural condition and this is further reflected by babies being born in the state of Ketosis. When fasting for 12-16 hours ketones are reported at a lower level of ~.05mM and those levels increase to 1 - 2mM after 48 hours. Meat does not have any carbs so while eating on the Carnivore Diet your ketone levels will be at constantly elevated levels. It’s not viable to achieve the state of Ketosis on a typical diet that has an average intake of 225-325 grams of carbohydrates a day. Ketone levels being elevated in times of not eating and eating meat demonstrates to me that this is how our bodies are supposed to be.

Benefits of the Carnivore Diet over a normal diet.

The Carnivore Diet has several advantages over a typical diet, this may range from a High Carbohydrate to a Low-Fat diet, a Vegan to a Plant-based diet, or the common Standard American Diet also known as SAD.

People on the Carnivore Diet typically report weight loss, an increased level of mental clarity, and remission of prior health issues.

This is due to a variety of factors. We have already established that there is a natural biological function known as Ketosis actively at work within your body. Another factor that separates this diet from the others is that there is zero sugar/carbohydrates/plants.

Let’s take a look at this study for a little context on carbohydrates

“Three lines of evidence support the concept of food addiction: (1) behavioral responses to certain foods are similar compared to substances of abuse; (2) food intake regulation and addiction rely on similar neurobiological circuits; (3) individuals suffering from obesity or addiction show similar neurochemical- and brain activation patterns.”

“High glycemic index carbohydrates elicit a rapid shift in blood glucose and insulin levels, akin to the pharmacokinetics of addictive substances. Akin to drugs of abuse, glucose and insulin signals in the mesolimbic system to modify dopamine concentration. Sugar elicits addiction-like craving and self-reported problem foods are rich in high glycemic index carbohydrates. These properties make high glycemic index carbohydrates plausible triggers for food addiction.“

“Food addiction is a plausible etiological factor contributing to the heterogeneous condition and phenotype of obesity. In at least a subset of vulnerable individuals, high glycemic index carbohydrates trigger addiction-like neurochemical and behavioral responses.”

What we know of carbs generally is that they are “sweet” and from this study, we can see that there is a connection similar to drugs of abuse with the consumption of high glycemic carbohydrates. They trigger addiction-like responses in relation to people’s behavior and mental state.

Lets take a look at another study

“In this study, intakes of carbohydrate and fat were independently associated with cancer outcomes. Looking across both phases (pre- and post-treatment), higher intakes of carbohydrate, total sugar, glycemic load, and simple carbohydrate foods were variably associated with greater recurrence and mortality, whereas post-treatment medium fat intake was associated with lower recurrence and mortality. These observations suggest that both restriction of dietary carbohydrate and a moderate increase in dietary fat may have independent effects, and suggest that overall macronutrient composition, rather than foods or macronutrients individually, may be relevant in determining cancer outcomes. The theoretical basis through which alteration in dietary carbohydrate or fat intake could affect cancer-related outcomes has been reviewed.6, 9 In general, higher dietary carbohydrate could provide the glucose necessary to support metabolism of cancer cells, which are obligately glycolytic. Higher carbohydrate intake also stimulates insulin secretion, which not only accelerates glucose uptake by cancer cells, but also stimulates mitogenesis. Higher fat intake could impair metabolism of cancer cells, which cannot use fat as a fuel, and would increase production of ketones, which appear to interfere with cancer cell glycolysis”

This study points in the direction of high carbohydrate intake leaning towards being a catalyst for an uncontrollable disease also known as cancer. While on the other hand the production of ketones as a result of higher fat intake was shown to impair cancer cells. This seems pretty damning but I’ll let you take a look at the study from The International Journal of Cancer yourself. Another study found that colon and rectal cancers had the highest number of diet-related cases at 38.3% while it’s been estimated that diet accounts for 35% of cancer overall.

I would say some markers for general health would include not being overweight/obese, exercising, eating around your TDEE, not suffering from persistent health issues, and a good degree of mental health as well. It doesn’t seem effective to me to simply reduce calories through CICO which is what’s commonly done on a normal diet to lose weight. You are at risk of suffering severe mental issues never-mind the cardiovascular issues added sugar is linked to. The Carnivore Diet meanwhile has demonstrated signs of promoting mental clarity all across the board while allowing people to eat until comfortably satiated which is often a result of less eating overall. There is also analysis to suggest that it has pushed diseases into remission through the state of Ketosis evidenced to a degree by the keto diet (which is just the restriction of carbs at 20 grams or less).

“The ketogenic diet probably creates an unfavorable metabolic environment for cancer cells and thus can be regarded as a promising adjuvant as a patient-specific multifactorial therapy. The majority of preclinical and several clinical studies argue for the use of the ketogenic diet in combination with standard therapies based on its potential to enhance the antitumor effects of classic chemo- and radiotherapy, its overall good safety and tolerability and increase in quality of life. However, to further elucidate the mechanisms of the ketogenic diet as a therapy and evaluate its application in clinical practice, more molecular studies as well as uniformly controlled clinical trials are needed.”

A vegan diet puts you at risk for deficiencies as there is no B12 in plants while a normal diet often requires extra supplementing to fulfill nutritional needs. The Carnivore Diet in comparison allows you to obtain all essential nutrients from eating just meat.

Plants contain anti-nutrients, plant toxins and phytochemicals. They have built-in defenses as they do not want to be eaten, just simply spread their seed. There was a great chart on Reddit by the user Qondrar_The_Redeemer which I will link here showing the shocking difference in bioavailability (how much your body can absorb from consuming it) of plant foods compared to meat. Meat has by far a staggeringly higher amount of absorption of nutrients juxtaposed to plants which are impacted in large part by its anti-nutrients like lectins, oxalates, goitrogens, phytoestrogens, phytates, and tannins.

Common myths surrounding the Carnivore Diet.

1. Your brain needs glucose to function.

   This is true but it doesn’t necessarily mean that glucose has to be supplied via the consumption of exogenous carbohydrates. Gluconeogenesis is an internal process that can produce all required glucose from noncarbohydrate sources such as amino acids, glycerol, and lactate. Ketone bodies are also in flux throughout your blood and fueling your brain for energy as well.

2. The Carnivore Diet is restrictive.

   This is true and false depending upon your perspective. The mindset of many Carnivores tends to view food in a new light, food as fuel, something to eat and move on while not becoming a highlight of the day but a mere component we enjoy. The standard American diet has a variety of foods which is true, it is also true that the Carnivore Diet has a variety of meats. Me and other Carnivores’ tastebuds changed when transitioning to this diet as there is a lack of cravings for carbohydrates due to their absence. I wouldn’t say that the Carnivore Diet is restrictive, I would just say it is merely simple and fulfilling.

3. What about Vitamin C?

   There is a reduced need for Vitamin C for people on the Carnivore Diet. This is due to several factors, one being that Vitamin C is required to extract energy from carbohydrates so henceforth the more carbs you consume, the more Vitamin C you will need. Carnivores do not consume carbs so we don’t have that requirement. Vitamin C is also utilized to synthesize collagen which fresh meat contains plenty of. There is also in fact a substantial amount of Vitamin C found in meat.

4. You’re going to die from heart disease in the long term.

   This is outright false. There has not been a single study correlating any harm to just a diet of fresh meat and water. There have been associations with heart disease in studies in which the participants were eating a high amount of carbs along with processed meats (like bacon or sausage which has sugar, celery powder, spices, additives, preservatives, artificial ingredients etc.). I have provided thorough research studies relating to the Carnivore Diet at the bottom section of this article.

5. Wait! I know you need fiber right? Where are you getting your Fiber?

   Fiber is not an essential nutrient it is indigestible and only important on a heavy-carb diet to slow the absorption of carbs you are filling your body with. This study actually shows that patients suffering from constipation who removed or reduced fiber had significant improvement in symptoms while those who continued a high-fiber diet had no change in their condition.

   “Idiopathic constipation and its associated symptoms can be effectively reduced by stopping or even lowering the intake of dietary fiber.”

   Also in 2007 Doctors Tan and Seow-Choen published an evaluation of medical studies in the World Journal of Gastroenterology which were conducted over the last 35 years about fiber and colon health concluding:

   “The main feature of a high-fiber diet is its poor digestibility. Soluble fiber like pectins, guar and ispaghula produce viscous solutions in the gastrointestinal tract delaying small bowel absorption and transit. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, pass largely unaltered through the gut. The more fiber is ingested, the more stools will have to be passed. Fermentation in the intestines results in build up of large amounts of gases in the colon. This article reviews the physiology of ingestion of fiber and defecation. It also looks into the impact of dietary fiber on various colorectal diseases. A strong case cannot be made for a protective effect of dietary fiber against colorectal polyp or cancer. Neither has fiber been found to be useful in chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. It is also not useful in the treatment of perianal conditions. The fiber deficit - diverticulosis theory should also be challenged. The authors urge clinicians to keep an open mind about fiber. One must be aware of the truths and myths about fiber before recommending it.”.

   The issue with the current landscape of nutrition is that it’s filled with propaganda and all based on the Standard American Diet which is unfortunately very sad (no pun intended).

What can I eat on the Carnivore Diet and is it affordable?

Foods in which you can eat include beef, lamb, goat, chicken, pork, turkey, organ meats, salmon, sardines, fish, bones, bone marrow and any other meat.

My theory on why America doesn’t want you to know about the Carnivore Diet

The answer to why America isn’t going to push any plan towards further research for the Carnivore Diet is for one simple reason: money. The television industry is currently populated with frequent fast food commercials advertising food full of heavily processed high-sugar foods. While a medical student is also spending less than one percent of his lecture hours on even standard nutrition, you have to ask the question: Why is that? This is because there is no money in medical professionals advocating for people to eat fewer carbs or sugar. It would cripple their entire “prescribe medicine to resolve your self-inflicted issues model”. Their job is to diagnose you and run you into the ground with bills for unnecessary prescriptions and surgeries for the most part. The fast food industry raked in revenue of $278.6 billion in 2021 while healthcare costs for obesity exceeded 200$ billion with diagnosed diabetes healthcare costs fairing no better at 300$ billion. This sounds like a “fine” business model to me.

The year 1980 is the year in which the food pyramid was pushed onto the population. Here is a picture of that food pyramid,

This chart is just saddening and reflective of the fact that America has failed the people tremendously. In the 1960s and 1970s the obesity rate was constant at 15% since this time starting in the 1980s it has more than doubled reaching 35% in 2008 in adults. Adults weren’t the only ones paying the cost but it was the children too as the obesity rate rose as well among them from 5% to 17%. The latest rates we have for obesity is 2017-2018 sitting at 42.4% with 73.6% currently being overweight. The problem is only getting worse and how are we going to resolve it? Maybe the FDA has learned from the past and can actually recommend us some good advice let’s take a look at what they suggest on Twitter,

It gets worse guess what they suggested doing under this post?

Now I’ll be fair here and say ok, I don’t mind them advocating for individuals to get vaccinated that’s your choice and I’d like to believe it’s in the best interest of society but it’s the flat-out hypocrisy that should disturb anyone. Throughout this pandemic, the data has consistently shown that there was a connection between being overweight or obese increasing your risk of contracting severe COVID-19, and dying from this virus. Now there’s the following study which was published by Stanford University on October 25th finding that it can directly infect fat cells! Another study published in Cell Metabolism in September stumbled upon similar findings. It’s time for America to wake up and it starts with a proper sustainable diet, right at home!

Studies and History of the Carnivore Diet

The overall research studies in relation to the Carnivore Diet have been lacking and the community still seems quite small. I suspect this is due to a myriad of reasons like social pressures, misinformation, lack of willpower, and incorrect application. There are however some critical studies I’ve gathered (one as recent as 2021!) and the results are encouraging. Here are some studies that stand out:

This study from 2021 reflected several positive health benefits in people eating on the Carnivore Diet.

“Contrary to common expectations, adults consuming a carnivore diet experienced few adverse effects and instead reported health benefits and high satisfaction. Cardiovascular disease risk factors were variably affected. The generalizability of these findings and the long-term effects of this dietary pattern require further study.”

Lennerz, B. S., Mey, J. T., Henn, O. H., & Ludwig, D. S. (2021, November 2). Behavioral characteristics and self-reported health status among 2029 adults consuming a "carnivore diet". OUP Academic. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://academic.oup.com/cdn/article/5/12/nzab133/6415894

This study is evidence of meat provides all essential nutrients.

• “All essential nutrients can be found in animal-sourced foods.”

• “Some such nutrients are not commonly eaten in high enough amounts to meet recommended intakes.”

• “Studies on individuals eating only meat did not reveal nutrient deficiencies.”

• “Carnivore diet nutrient profiles and effects on metabolism may reduce or increase the needs for some nutrients.”

• “More study is warranted to understand long term implications of plant-free diets.”

A;, O. H. (n.d.). Can a carnivore diet provide all essential nutrients? Current opinion in endocrinology, diabetes, and obesity. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32833688/

The following study isn’t Carnivore but shows evidence of the lack of carbohydrates being a possible factor for reversing health conditions

“The patient refused standard of care (SOC) and steroid medication after initial diagnosis, but was knowledgeable and self-motivated enough to consume a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet consisting mostly of saturated fats, minimal vegetables, and a variety of meats. The patient used the glucose ketone index calculator to maintain his Glucose Ketone Index (GKI) near 2.0 without body weight loss.”

“This is the first report of confirmed IDH1-mutant GBM treated with KMT and surgical debulking without chemo- or radiotherapy. The long-term survival of this patient, now at 80 months, could be due in part to a therapeutic metabolic synergy between KMT and the IDH1 mutation that simultaneously target the glycolysis and glutaminolysis pathways that are essential for GBM growth. Further studies are needed to determine if this non-toxic therapeutic strategy could be effective in providing long-term management for other GBM patients with or without IDH mutations.”

Seyfried, T. N., Shivane, A. G., Kalamian, M., Maroon, J. C., Mukherjee, P., & Zuccoli, G. (1AD, January 1). Ketogenic metabolic therapy, without chemo or radiation, for the long-term management of Idh1-mutant glioblastoma: An 80-month follow-up Case report. Frontiers. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.682243/full

This 2020 Carnivore Diet study substantiates multiple positive benefits I’ve alluded to including increased satiation, a disconnect with carbs, weight loss and remission of health conditions.

“The carbohydrate, zero fibre, carnivore diet shows great potential for being a readily available, cost-effective, and equally effective alternative treatment for SIBO. According to our observations it also results in better satisfaction after meals, decreases cravings for sweets and generate weight-loss in patients where it is needed.  “

A zero carbohydrate, carnivore diet can normalize hydrogen positive small intestinal bacterial overgrowth lactulose breath tests: A case report. Home. (2021, January 19). Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-148500/v1

This is one of my favorite studies and it is a study on the Carnivore Diet from 1930! Multiple signs of good health were indicated in this. Two men lived on meat for an entire year and a third man for 10 days.

“At the end of the year, the subjects were mentally alert, physically active, and showed no specific physical changes in any system of the body.”

“The control of the bowels was not disturbed while the subjects were on prescribed meat diet.”

“During the 1st week, all three men lost weight, due to a shift in the water content of the body while adjusting itself to the low carbohydrate diet. Thereafter, their weights remained practically constant.”

“Urine examinations, determinations of the nitrogenous constituents of the blood, and kidney function tests revealed no evidence of kidney damage.”

“Vitamin deficiencies did not appear.”

“The mild gingivitis which V. S. had at the beginning cleared up entirely, after the meat diet was taken.”

MCCLELLAN , W. A. L. T. E. R. S., & BOIS. , E. U. G. E. N. E. F. D. (n.d.). Clinical calorimetry. - asset-pdf.scinapse.io. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://asset-pdf.scinapse.io/prod/1505712800/1505712800.pdf

Finally, there has been evidence of populations eating 90-99% meat while demonstrating great success in regard to it. For more information in regards to these groups like the Inuit, Mandans, Nenets, etc. take a look at the website down below.

At the end of the day, the information is here and I hope that the research continues along with more people objectively examining/partaking in the Carnivore Diet. The general mental health stability effect of the diet that the data has shown evidence for, will do wonders in leading us toward a more productive society. If you’re not ready to hop right into the Carnivore Diet I truly understand but I would hope individuals could at least be more mindful of what they eat, remove more high glycemic carbs and opt for a better relationship with food and life in general.

Last but not least I’ll leave you guys with this historical anecdote from the Mongols who in my view had a good grasp on the concept of quality nutrition which they used to their advantage ages ago.

"The Chinese noted with surprise and disgust the ability of the Mongol warrior to survive on little food and water for long periods; according to one, the entire army could camp without a single puff of smoke since they needed no fires to cook. Compared to the Jurched soldiers, the Mongols were much healthier and stronger. The Mongols consumed a steady diet of meat, milk, yogurt, and other dairy products, and they fought men who lived on gruel made from various grains. The grain diet of the peasant warriors stunted their bones, rotted their teeth, and left them weak and prone to disease. In contrast, the poorest Mongol soldier ate mostly protein, thereby giving him strong teeth and bones."

-- Jack Weatherford, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World