We have all lived through many diet trends. Some with wider claims than others but they have always existed. I remember my grandmother talking about many ways to lose weight in her time and she was always looking into new fad diets and reading books about them. One of the latest has been the carnivore diet trend. Today, we will take a look at some of the claims and why this is growing in popularity at such a rapid speed.
The carnivore diet consists entirely of meat and animal products, excluding all other foods.
It’s claimed to aid weight loss, mood issues, and blood sugar regulation, among other health issues.
However, the diet is extremely restrictive and likely unhealthy in the long term. Plus, no research backs its purported benefits.
The carnivore diet eliminates all foods except meat and animal products. Thus, it’s low in vitamin c, folate, has no fiber, and is difficult to maintain. You should follow a well-rounded diet instead.
The carnivore diet is a restrictive diet that only includes meat, fish, and other animal foods like eggs and certain dairy products.
It excludes all other foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds.
Its proponents also recommend eliminating or limiting dairy intake to foods that are 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 human ancestral populations ate mostly meat and fish and that high-carb diets are to blame for today’s high rates of chronic disease.
Following the diet involves eliminating all plant foods from your diet and exclusively eating meat, fish, eggs, and small amounts of low-lactose dairy products.
Foods to eat 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 reach your daily energy needs, and organ meats such as liver, to ensure intake of vitamins low in other cuts of meat such as vitamin C.
The carnivore diet encourages drinking water and bone broth but discourages drinking tea, coffee, and other drinks made from plants.
Carnivore diet plans may offer little guidance regarding calorie intake, serving sizes, or how many meals or snacks to eat per day. Most proponents of the diet suggest eating as often as you desire.
The carnivore diet includes only animal products and excludes all other foods.
Specifically, someone on the carnivore diet can eat:
According to some proponents of the diet, salt, pepper, and seasonings with no carbs are allowed.
In addition, some people choose to eat yogurt, milk, and soft cheese, but these foods are typically not included due to their carb contents.
Due to the limited research on the carnivore diet, it is difficult to state the diet’s benefits. They can only be assumed based on the knowledge we have about other diet and macro nutrients.
For instance, since the carnivore diet excludes carbs, it eliminates cookies, cakes, candy, sodas, pastries, and similar high-carb foods.
These foods are low in beneficial nutrients and often high in calories. Thus, they should be limited in a healthy, balanced diet.
High-sugar foods can also be problematic for people with diabetes, as they can spike blood sugar levels. In fact, limiting refined carbs and sugary foods is often recommended to control diabetes.
Due to the removal of highly processed carbohydrates in the carnivore diet, you might see some early benefits such as improved blood pressure, reduced belly fat, and improved cardiovascular health. Whether these benefits are lasting, however, is less clear.
However, the complete elimination of carbs on the carnivore diet is not recommended or necessary for diabetes management. Instead, eating smaller amounts of wholesome, high-fiber carbs that don’t cause spikes in blood sugar is recommended.
Due to its highly restrictive nature and complete elimination of the majority of food groups, there are many downsides to the carnivore diet.
High in fat, cholesterol, and sodium
Given that the carnivore diet consists solely of animal foods, it can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Saturated fat may raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol, which may increase your risk of heart disease.
However, recent studies have shown that the link between saturated fat intake and heart disease risk may not be as strong as previously believed.
Still, consuming high amounts of saturated fat on the carnivore diet may be of concern. No research has analyzed the health effects of eating animal foods exclusively. Therefore, the effects of consuming such high levels of fat and cholesterol are unknown.
Moreover, some processed meats, especially bacon and breakfast meats, also contain high amounts of sodium.
Eating a lot of these foods on the carnivore diet can lead to excessive sodium intake, which has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, kidney disease, and other negative health outcomes.
Red and processed meat intake has also been linked to higher rates of certain types of cancer, including colon and rectal cancer.
In conclusion, this diet lacks fiber, nutrients and other plant compounds that our bodies often require to function at and be the best we can be. Never start a diet, especially a trendy diet without speaking to your trusted physician first.
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