No rigorous trials support assertions that the carnivore diet can resolve health conditions. It omits many useful nutrients, such as fiber and plant-derived compounds like antioxidants, and may be unsafe for some individuals.
The carnivore diet is composed solely of meat and animal-derived foods, excluding all other food groups.
Advocates claim it can help with weight loss, mood disorders, and blood sugar control, among other health concerns.
However, the plan is extremely limiting and likely unhealthy over the long term. In addition, there’s no scientific evidence confirming the claimed benefits.
By removing everything except meat and animal products, the carnivore diet is deficient in vitamin C and folate, provides no fiber, and is hard to sustain. A balanced diet is a better choice.
This article examines the carnivore diet: what it entails, whether it can support weight loss, and the possible advantages and disadvantages.
What is the carnivore diet?
The carnivore diet is a restrictive eating pattern that includes only meat, fish, and other animal-sourced foods like eggs and some dairy.
It excludes all other items, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds.
Some followers also advise limiting dairy to products low in lactose — the sugar present in milk and many dairy items — such as butter and aged cheeses.
The diet is rooted in the contentious idea that ancestral humans mostly consumed meat and fish and that carbohydrate-rich diets are largely responsible for today’s chronic disease rates.
Other low-carb approaches, such as keto and paleo, limit but do not completely eliminate carbohydrates. The carnivore diet aims for essentially zero carbs.
Shawn Baker, an American orthopedic physician, is the most visible advocate of the carnivore approach.
He points to anecdotal reports from people on the diet as evidence that it can help with depression, anxiety, arthritis, obesity, diabetes, and other conditions.
Nevertheless, no controlled clinical trials have evaluated the carnivore diet’s effects.
One paper associated with Baker surveyed followers about their diets and health. Respondents reported satisfaction and perceived benefits.
However, nutrition specialists have questioned the study’s health claims. For instance, the research lacked objective verification of the health information provided by participants. The findings should be treated cautiously.
Additionally, Baker’s medical license was revoked in 2017 by the New Mexico Medical Board over competency concerns. His license was later reinstated in 2019 with a condition requiring direct supervision to practice medicine.
How to follow the carnivore diet
Following this plan means cutting out all plant-based foods and eating only meat, fish, eggs, and limited low-lactose dairy.
Allowed foods include beef, chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, organ meats, salmon, sardines, white fish, and modest amounts of heavy cream and aged cheese. Butter, lard, and bone marrow are permitted as well.
Advocates stress consuming fattier cuts to meet daily energy needs and organ meats like liver to obtain vitamins that are scarce in muscle meats, such as vitamin C.
The carnivore approach recommends water and bone broth while discouraging tea, coffee, and other plant-based beverages.
Meal plans for the carnivore diet often give little direction on calories, portion sizes, or how many meals or snacks to have each day. Most advocates suggest eating whenever you feel the need.
Foods to eat
The carnivore diet is restricted to animal-derived foods and excludes everything else.
Specifically, someone following the carnivore diet may eat:
- Meat: beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, and similar.
- Organ meats: liver, kidney, sweetbreads, tripe, heart, brain.
- Fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines, crab, lobster, tilapia, herring, etc.
- Other animal products: eggs, lard, bone marrow, bone broth, and so forth.
- Low-lactose dairy (in moderation): heavy cream, aged hard cheeses, butter.
- Water
Some proponents allow salt, pepper, and seasonings that contain no carbohydrates.
While some people include yogurt, milk, and softer cheeses, these items are usually excluded due to their carbohydrate content.
Foods to avoid
All non-animal foods are off-limits on the carnivore diet.
Examples of restricted foods include:
- Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, peppers, etc.
- Fruits: apples, berries, bananas, kiwi, oranges, etc.
- High-lactose dairy: milk, yogurt, soft cheeses, etc.
- Legumes: beans, lentils, and so on.
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, etc.
- Grains: rice, wheat, bread, quinoa, pasta, etc.
- Alcohol: beer, wine, spirits, etc.
- Sugars: table sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, and the like.
- Non-water beverages: soda, coffee, tea, fruit juices, etc.
Although some people may add a few of these items, a strict carnivore regimen does not allow them.
Can it help you lose weight?
Certain features of the carnivore diet could result in weight loss. Research shows that high-protein, low-carb diets can help promote weight reduction.
This is largely because protein and fat increase feelings of fullness after eating, which can reduce calorie consumption and lead to weight loss. Protein also raises metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories.
Consequently, following the carnivore diet would likely make you feel fuller and consume fewer calories overall — at least initially.
One study in people with overweight or obesity compared weight-loss outcomes among four calorie-restricted diets with varying carbohydrate and protein levels.
Participants on high-protein plans (0.4–0.6 grams of protein per pound, or 0.9–1.3 grams per kilogram, of body weight per day) lost significantly more weight and fat than those who consumed 0.2–0.4 grams per pound (0.5–0.9 grams per kilogram) per day.
Other trials show similar findings, indicating that boosting protein and dietary fat can prompt weight loss and help reduce weight regain over time.
However, total carbohydrate elimination isn’t required to see results. Better-studied approaches, such as ketogenic and low-carbohydrate diets, have been shown to reduce weight. In keto, high-fat foods replace carbs as the primary energy source and contribute to both satiety and weight loss.
Also, the very restrictive nature of the carnivore diet makes long-term adherence challenging.
Benefits of the carnivore diet
Because research on the carnivore diet is limited, any potential benefits are speculative and inferred from what we know about other diets and macronutrients.
For example, by removing carbohydrates entirely, the diet eliminates many refined, high-sugar foods — cookies, cakes, candy, soda, pastries — that are nutritionally poor and calorie-dense.
These items are low in valuable nutrients and often high in calories, so limiting them is sensible in a healthy eating plan.
High-sugar foods can be especially problematic for people with diabetes because they raise blood sugar levels. Limiting refined carbs and sweets is commonly advised to manage diabetes.
Because the carnivore diet removes many processed carbohydrates, some early improvements may occur, such as lower blood pressure, reduced abdominal fat, and improved cardiovascular markers. Whether these effects last is unclear.
That said, eliminating all carbs is neither necessary nor recommended for diabetes care. A better approach is consuming modest amounts of whole, high-fiber carbohydrates that don’t spike blood sugar.
Downsides of the carnivore diet
Because it removes most food groups, the carnivore diet has several drawbacks.
High in fat, cholesterol, and sodium
Since the diet relies entirely on animal foods, it can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Saturated fat can raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, potentially increasing heart disease risk.
However, some studies suggest the relationship between saturated fat intake and heart disease may not be as straightforward as once thought.
Still, consuming large amounts of saturated fat on a carnivore diet may be concerning. No studies have examined the health consequences of eating exclusively animal foods, so the long-term effects of very high fat and cholesterol intake are unknown.
In addition, processed meats such as bacon and breakfast sausages are often high in sodium.
Eating a lot of these products could lead to excessive sodium consumption, which has been linked to elevated blood pressure, kidney problems, and other adverse outcomes.
High intake of red and processed meats has also been associated with increased rates of certain cancers, including colorectal cancer.
May lack certain micronutrients and beneficial plant compounds
The carnivore diet excludes nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, which supply many essential vitamins and minerals.
Although meat delivers many micronutrients, relying on it exclusively can cause deficiencies in some nutrients and excessive intake of others.
Diets rich in plant-based foods are linked to lower risks of long-term conditions such as heart disease, some cancers, Alzheimer’s, and type 2 diabetes.
This benefit stems not only from the vitamins, fiber, and minerals in plants but also from their phytochemicals and antioxidants.
The carnivore diet lacks these compounds and has not been connected to long-term health advantages.
Does not provide fiber
Fiber — a non-digestible carbohydrate that supports gut health and regular bowel movements — is only present in plant foods.
Therefore, the carnivore diet contains no fiber, which can cause constipation as a side effect.
Fiber is also crucial for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Poor gut health can contribute to various problems and may be linked to colon cancer.
Some research indicates that very high-protein, low-carb diets might increase gut inflammation. Digesting large amounts of protein can produce potentially harmful byproducts in the intestines, which may negatively affect bowel health.
Overall, the carnivore diet may damage gut health.
May not be suitable for some populations
The carnivore diet may be particularly inappropriate for certain groups.
For instance, people who need to restrict protein intake — such as those with chronic kidney disease — should avoid this diet.
Individuals who are particularly sensitive to dietary cholesterol, or are cholesterol hyper-responders, should be cautious about consuming many high-cholesterol foods.
Also, populations with unique nutrient needs, including children and pregnant or breastfeeding people, are unlikely to meet requirements on this diet.
Finally, people with food anxieties or a history of disordered eating should not attempt such a restrictive plan.
Sample menu
The carnivore diet is hard to maintain long term and offers little variety.
Below is a five-day example menu for the carnivore diet:
Day 1
- Breakfast: eggs, bacon, sardines
- Lunch: turkey burger patty, salmon jerky, beef tips
- Dinner: filet mignon, crab, chicken liver
- Snacks: a small amount of Parmesan cheese, jerky
Day 2
- Breakfast: shrimp, eggs, a small glass of heavy cream
- Lunch: strip steak, tuna, beef jerky
- Dinner: lamb chops, scallops, beef liver
- Snacks: a small portion of hard Cheddar, bone broth
Day 3
- Breakfast: eggs, salmon, turkey sausage
- Lunch: sweetbreads, pork chops, mackerel
- Dinner: turkey burger patty, a small amount of Parmesan, bone marrow
- Snacks: hard-boiled eggs, shrimp
Day 4
- Breakfast: trout, shredded chicken, bacon
- Lunch: beef meatballs, a small amount of Cheddar, salmon jerky
- Dinner: crab cooked in lard, filet mignon
- Snacks: sardines, beef jerky
Day 5
- Breakfast: eggs, chicken and turkey sausage links
- Lunch: lamb roast, chicken liver, pork chop
- Dinner: flank steak, scallops cooked in butter, a small glass of heavy cream
- Snacks: bone broth, turkey jerky
The bottom line
The carnivore diet is highly restrictive, consisting only of meat, fish, eggs, and modest amounts of low-lactose dairy.
Claims that it promotes weight loss and addresses various health problems lack solid scientific backing.
Moreover, it can be high in fat, offers no fiber or plant-based beneficial compounds, and is hard to maintain over time.
In summary, the carnivore diet is unnecessarily limiting. A varied, balanced diet with many healthy foods is more sustainable and likely to produce greater health benefits.
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