Carnivore diet explained

The carnivore diet (also called a zero carb diet) is a high-protein fad diet in which only animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy are consumed.[1] [2] [3] The carnivore diet is associated with pseudoscientific health claims. The diet lacks dietary fiber, can lead to deficiencies of vitamins, and can increase the risk of chronic diseases.[2] [3] [4] [5] The lion diet is a highly restrictive form of the carnivore diet in which only beef is eaten.

History

The idea of an exclusive meat diet can be traced to the German writer Bernard Moncriff, author of The Philosophy of the Stomach: Or, An Exclusively Animal Diet in 1856, who spent a year living on only beef and milk.[6] In the 1870s, Italian physician Arnaldo Cantani prescribed his diabetic patients an exclusive animal-based diet.[7] [8] In the 1880s, James H. Salisbury advocated a meat diet consisting of 2 to 4 pounds of lean beef and 3 to 5 pints of hot water daily for 4 to 12 weeks. It became known as the meat and hot water diet, or Salisbury diet.

In 2018, the carnivore diet was promoted on social media by former orthopaedic surgeon Shawn Baker, who wrote the book The Carnivore Diet.[9] Jordan Peterson and his daughter Mikhaila Peterson were also vocal adherents of this diet.[2] [10] [11] Peterson and his daughter follow a strict type of carnivore diet termed the lion diet, in which only beef, salt, and water are consumed.[11] [12] [13] The 'lion diet', which became a viral fad on TikTok,[14] [15] is described by experts as "being potentially very unhealthy, is difficult to follow and unsustainable in the long term".[16]

In April 2023, skeptic and neurologist Steven Novella described the carnivore diet as the latest fad diet to have achieved popularity.[17] Because of its high cost Novella described the diet as one for "select elites", adding what he said was a further unsavory aspect to its harmful and pseudoscientific basis.[17] The carnivore diet advertised by meat influencers on social media platforms has been described as a fringe movement.[18]

Diet

People following a carnivore diet consume high-protein animal-based products, such as beef, pork, poultry, and seafood.[1] [2] [19] Some may eat dairy products and eggs.[19] All fruits, legumes, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds are strictly excluded.[19]

The carnivore diet is often confused with Inuit cuisine. Primary differences include a high proportion of organs in the Inuit diet, high seafood content, and consumption of raw meat, all of which are not typical for the fad carnivore diet.[20]

Health concerns

There is no clinical evidence that the carnivore diet provides any health benefits.[2] [12] [13] Dietitians dismiss the carnivore diet as an extreme fad diet,[2] [3] which has attracted criticism from dietitians and physicians as being potentially dangerous to health (see).[10] [13]

It also raises levels of LDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. While carnivore diets exclude fruits and vegetables which supply micronutrients, they are also low in dietary fiber, possibly causing constipation. A carnivore diet high in red meat increases the risks of colon cancer and gout.[5] [21] [22] The high protein intake of a carnivore diet can lead to impaired kidney function.[23]

Environmental impact

Criticism also derives from concerns about greenhouse gas emissions associated with large-scale livestock farming required to produce meats commercially, and the potential for such emissions to worsen climate change (see environmental impact of meat production).[10] [12] [13]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Kurutz . Steven . April 30, 2024 . Meet the Men Who Eat Meat (and Only Meat) . . May 6, 2024.
  2. Web site: Popular Diet Trends: Today's Fad Diets By Carrie Dennett, MPH, RDN, CD. Today’s Dietitian. 2020-02-04.
  3. News: New 'carnivore diet' condemned by health and nutrition experts. Rachel Hosie. 2018-08-13. The Independent. en. 2020-02-02.
  4. Web site: I'm a Registered Dietitian and I Really Don't Want You to Eat a Carnivore Diet. R.D. Abby Langer. SELF. 7 August 2018 . en. 2020-02-02.
  5. Web site: The Carnivore Diet: A Beefy Leap of Faith. Office for Science and Society, McGill University. Jonathan Jarry. Jonathan Jarry. 15 November 2018. 29 January 2023.
  6. McLaughlin, Terence. (1979). If You Like It, Don't Eat It: Dietary Fads and Fancies. New York: Universe Books. p. 62.
  7. L'Esperance, Francis A; James, William A. (1981). Diabetic Retinopathy: Clinical Evaluation and Management. Mosby. p. 118.
  8. Gentilcore, David; Smith, Matthew. (2018). Proteins, Pathologies and Politics Dietary Innovation and Disease from the Nineteenth Century. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 27.
  9. Web site: 2021-05-25 . What Is The Carnivore Diet? . 2023-04-18 . Forbes Health . en-US.
  10. News: Olivia Solon. They mock vegans and eat 4lb of steak a day: meet 'carnivore dieters'. The Guardian. 11 May 2018. 4 February 2020.
  11. News: My carnivore diet: what I learned from eating only beef, salt and water. The Guardian. Adam Gabbatt. 11 September 2018. 29 January 2023.
  12. News: The beefed-up diet 'changing lives' but health experts not so sure. Sutton. Malcolm. 2019-12-05. ABC News - Australia. en-AU. 2020-02-02.
  13. News: The Jordan Peterson All-Meat Diet. 28 August 2018. James Hamblin. The Atlantic. 2020-02-02. 1072-7825.
  14. Web site: Abdou . Anouare . What Is the Lion Diet and Is It Ever a Good Idea? . 2023-04-18 . AskMen . en-us.
  15. Web site: Trepany . Charles . Carnivore, lion diets called life-changing online. But is eating only meat really good for you? . 2023-04-18 . USA TODAY . en-US.
  16. News: Scanlan . Rebekah . 2022-12-20 . Experts slam controversial 'cure-all' TikTok trend, The Lion Diet . news.com.au .
  17. Web site: . Novella S . Skeptical of the Carnivore Diet . 19 April 2023 .
  18. Web site: Rowan. Claudia. 2023. ‘You feel better than you’ve ever felt’: the rise of the carnivore diet. The Telegraph. en-GB. March 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240317012517/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/weight-loss/the-rise-of-the-carnivore-diet/. live.
  19. Web site: What is the carnivore diet?. Emer Delaney. BBC Goodfood, Immediate Media Company Limited. 20 October 2020. 29 January 2023.
  20. News: Tegan Taylor . Carnivore diets can tick boxes when it comes to nutrients, but that doesn't mean they're optimal . ABC News . 21 October 2020.
  21. Farvid MS, Sidahmed E, Spence ND, Mante Angua K, Rosner BA, Barnett JB . 2021. Consumption of red meat and processed meat and cancer incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Eur J Epidemiol. 36. 9. 937–951. 10.1007/s10654-021-00741-9. 34455534. 237343954.
  22. Li R, Yu K, Li C . Dietary factors and risk of gout and hyperuricemia: a meta-analysis and systematic review . Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition . 27 . 6 . 1344–1356 . 2018 . 30485934 . 10.6133/apjcn.201811_27(6).0022 .
  23. Web site: LeWine. Howard E.. 2024. What is the carnivore diet?. Harvard Health Publishing. en-GB. May 12, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240512100937/https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/what-is-the-carnivore-diet. live.