Is the Carnivore Diet For Real — Or Just Another Fad?
If you’ve heard of an influencer lately on Instagram and TikTok nicknamed “The Liver King”, you’ve probably heard of the infamous “carnivore” diet — for all of the wrong reasons.
The Liver King, aka Brian Johnson, was recently slammed upon by purveyors of social media because he finally admitted that he was, in fact, using performance enhancing drugs to beef up his physique (catch the pun?). This was a big deal because for years he swore that he achieved his strength and physique naturally through heavy strength training and by following the carnivore diet. He’s posted many videos on his Instagram showing all the bull testicles and liver that he was eating (no, that’s not a joke) and essentially screamed out a message that vegetables are all bullshit, all while building a multi-million dollar supplement company in the process — what a shock!
Aside from the Liver King being an asshole, I find the carnivore diet to be a fascinating concept. Is there any truth or legitimacy behind it? Should you start eating more testicles and liver and shit in order to get swole (or just, like, get healthier)? Are vegetables bullshit? Let’s discuss.
What is the Carnivore Diet Anyways?
You’ve probably heard of a plant-based diet before. Well, the carnivore diet has kind of the opposite premise; it’s an animal-based diet. That does not mean you are eating only animal products like meat, organs, bone broth, etc, but it will be a significant portion of the foods you consume. Naturally, this results in a diet that allows for plenty of protein and fat to be consumed with relative ease, along with an abundance of readily bioavailable nutrients, such as iron and zinc. But, the carnivore diet also allows for the proper consumption of particular nutrients that are almost exclusively found in animal products that are vital for optimal human health, such as Vitamin B12, carnosine, and creatine.
So far, this diet sounds like it’s off to a good start! But, with seeing the word “carnivore”, you may be asking yourself, “Cooz, where are the carbs if it’s not plant-based?”
Carnivores Like Pretty Carbs
A core tenet of the carnivore diet is that your primary sources of carbohydrates come from fruit, honey, and raw dairy (lactose is a natural sugar found in dairy products) only. This means that strict followers of the carnivore diet do not eat vegetables, tubers, plant roots, leaves, stems, or seeds, nor do they eat grains or seed oils.
The idea behind this — as Dr. Paul Saladino — explains very well — is that vegetables and grains have created their own natural defense chemicals called “phytotoxins” as a result of being cultivated by humans over the last several thousand years, since they cannot run away or attack you in order to protect themselves like animals can. Most vegetable leaves are green in color in order to blend in better with their environment (as well as to absorb energy from the sun during photosynthesis), along with their roots (and sometimes the vegetable itself) being underground in order to be better protected from predators and continue to survive. These phytotoxins are, well, toxic, and can result in possible inflammation, gut issues, & other health issues when being consumed by humans in significant amounts, particularly because of the design of our digestive system (as compared to herbivores, such as cows). Thus, it is best to eliminate them from the human diet entirely in order to optimize human health, according to the carnivore diet.
However, as I mentioned early, the major exception to this is fruit. Why? They come from plants too, right?
Yes, but the key difference with fruits as compared to vegetables is that:
- They are typically bright in color and catch the attention of predators (which is you).
- Fruit contains the plant’s seeds. In order for the seeds to be spread, and for the species to survive, the fruit has to be opened — or eaten — , and the seeds will be dispersed back into the ground either naturally or through waste. This allows the plant species to continue to survive and multiply. From the carnivore diet perspective, this is why fruits are often bright and colorful, as well as typically being much sweeter than vegetables because the fruit wants to be eaten. If they’re not eaten, and the seeds are unable to be dispersed, than the longevity of the plant species is compromised.
And as far as honey goes, since they are manufactured by bees, they are technically an animal-based product — falling in line with the core beliefs of the diet.
So, this then begs the question…
IN MY OPINION (plz make note that opinion is the key word there), is the carnivore diet legit or just another bullshit fad?
I believe that the carnivore diet is actually legit for a number of reasons.
Proteins go WAY BEYOND Your Muscles
I like a lot of what the carnivore diet has to offer. People generally need to consume more protein and consume better sources of carbohydrates & fats, and this type of diet allows for those things to happen. For some odd reason, when people hear “eat enough protein”, the only thing that seems to come to mind is that it helps build and maintain muscle mass. And while this is very important for everybody, and not just fitness people such as myself, consuming enough protein — particularly from animal sources — is crucially important for maintaining healthy bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, hair, nails, skin, and hormone health because proteins are utilized for all of these things. So whether you’re into fitness or not, why the hell wouldn’t you make the effort to eat enough protein for all of the reasons aside from maintaining or building your muscle mass?
Seed Oils and Trans Fats are Creating Fat, Unhealthy People — Not Saturated Fat
The overall sources of fat being consumed — butter, ghee, tallow, olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil, most notably— are exponentially healthier for you because seed oils and trans fats are virtually eliminated from the diet.
“But Cooz, I’ve heard that meat and saturated fat causes cancer and other diseases/illnesses. Isn’t eating too much of those things bad for me??”
Like most aspects of human nutrition, the answer to that is a complicated yes and no.
The answer is yes simply because eating too much of anything and neglecting the concept of balance between protein, fat, and carbs in your diet is bound to lead to some sort of health issue(s). From a meat/saturated fat standpoint, the link to negative health outcomes is specifically most strongly linked to consuming processed meats in large amounts, not meat in general.
The answer is also no, because saturated fat, when consumed within regulation, is important and good for you. The stronger links in increasing things like inflammation, gut issues, obesity, and complications as a result of obesity are trans fats and a substance called linoleic acid, which are present in much higher amounts in seed-based oils, not saturated fats. Vegetable oil generally, as well as other more specific seed oils, are by far the most common choices for deep frying your chicken nuggets, wings and french fries. Wanna know what are the top 5 oils in terms of percentage of linoleic acid?
- Safflower oil (78%)
- Grapeseed oil (73%)
- Poppyseed oil (70%)
- Sunflower oil (68%)
- Hemp oil (60%)
All of these oils listed above are seed oils. By comparison, coconut oil and butter only contain 2% linoleic acid, and olive oil is only 10%.
And the biggest sources of trans fats? Foods fried in vegetable oil — the most common oil used for frying foods by restaurants because it’s very, very cheap — and processed foods, including processed meats like bacon, breakfast sausage, and hamburgers (which are commonly prepared with — you guessed it!—processed seed oils). This is why the Standard American Diet is one of the unhealthiest diets in the world, and as a result, the United States now has an obesity rate of 42%. 42 fucking percent!!
When we consider how much processed and fried foods are consumed by the average American, critically ask yourself the following question — if those burgers and nuggets were replaced with whole food proteins from chicken, beef, pork, and fish, and the french fries & onion rings were replaced with fruit and honey, do you think the obesity rate would be as high as it is? Is it the ribeyes and pork chops that are causing a skyrocketing obesity rate, or is it all the deep-fried food filling your body with more fat from processed seed oils?
Lastly, the idea that you’ll start all of a sudden consuming significantly more saturated fats is moot. The only way that would really happen is if you start cooking everything in excessive amounts of butter, rarely consume fruit-based oils, and/or are eating nothing but fatty meats (prime rib, pork ribs, lamb chops, etc.) all the time — which isn’t what is meant to be done and is definitely unhealthy. This emphasizes the point from earlier that too much of one thing is bound to lead to problems. If you have a fatty meat 1 or 2 times/week, and the rest of your proteins are lean, your saturated fat consumption will likely not dramatically increase, or perhaps even decrease. You’ll also likely be consuming far less fat in general as compared to if you were to follow the Standard American Diet from a macronutrient percentages standpoint because you’re minimizing or eliminating deep-fried foods and seed oils.
So, as mentioned earlier, although there is a chance for an increase in the consumption of saturated fat, your consumption of trans fats, linoleic acid, and processed foods/meats will be substantially decreased or possibly even eliminated, resulting in a substantial decrease in the risk factors affiliated with negative morbidity and mortality outcomes. And, if you have a mix of olive/avocado oil, actual avocados, and fatty fish like salmon regularly, your body will be getting the healthy Omega-3 fatty acids it needs that are critical for good heart health.
Food Quality Matters
The carnivore diet also places a huge emphasis on the quality of the food you’re consuming, which I really like. It doesn’t want you eating bacon and sausage everyday — nor should you. Grass-fed-grass-finished (ideally) bison, beef, and steaks; sustainably raised pork; pasture raised eggs and chickens; wild-caught/sustainably farmed fish; organic fruit and honey; organic raw dairy (or low temp pasteurized dairy if raw is hard to come by); these are all excellent whole foods that should be comprising the majority of your diet anyways. We as humans have been eating whole food sources like this for centuries, and it wasn’t until World War II that processed foods entered the mainstream of the American diet and started fucking with everyone’s health.
Micronutrient Abundance
Another facet of the carnivore diet I really enjoy is there is virtually no way to not get all of the vitamins and minerals you need for optimal health on a daily basis, especially if you take a whole food-based multivitamin daily. Eating a variety of fruit will load your body up with plenty of different bioavailable vitamins and minerals. Organ meat — especially liver — is a powerhouse of nutrients that is not talked about nearly enough. And the muscle tissue that is consumed from animals, especially leaner sources, allow for plenty of protein to be consumed that is going to directly strengthen and maintain your muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons, while allowing for fat consumption to remain moderate or low. And, if you eat fatty fish like salmon and toss your fruit in some avocado or olive oil, you’ll be getting those healthy Omega-3’s that are vital for proper heart, hormone, and brain health.
Restriction in Foods DOES NOT MEAN Restriction in Macronutrients
But, more than anything else, my favorite aspect of the carnivore diet is that there is no elimination of any of the three macronutrients — protein, fat, or carbohydrates. Other fad diets like the ketogenic diet (virtually eliminates carbohydrates) or the vegan diet (eliminates all bioavailable, complete proteins except for soy — and soy has its own set of issues) are not sustainable or healthy and can lead to long-term malnutrition issues because of the eradication of one of the macronutrients. Despite the removal of vegetables and grains, the allowance of fruit, honey, and even 100% maple syrup can make the carbohydrate requirements for the majority of people — whether in a fitness regimen or not — realistically attainable. Since meat is a staple, adequate protein consumption is certain if you’re eating enough of it. Fat will be consumed through the animal based sources listed earlier, as well as from fruit and fruit-based oils like avocados/avocado oil, olives/olive oil, and coconut oil. Although there is a restriction in food choices, there is no restriction on macronutrient or micronutrient availability.
For the sake of optimizing human health, that previous sentence is what matters more than anything else.
Now, with all of the great positives listed above, there a couple of things that bother me about the carnivore diet:
This Shit Ain’t Cheap
The carnivore diet is an expensive diet because high-quality meat, organs, fruit, honey and raw dairy can get very pricey, very quickly. Not to mention that finding raw milk and organ meat can be a significant challenge here in the United States, unless you’re able to get it directly from a farm or butcher. From a socioeconomic standpoint, if you live in an area that is considered to be a food desert, being able to get the groceries you need affordably can be a significant challenge that may not be able to be resolved, especially if your number one priority is to just get your bills paid and feed your family. Like most “diets”, there is a degree of privilege that comes with implementing them into your lifestyle. You get to do carnivore; you get to be vegan; you get to do keto. Not everybody is fortunate enough to be able to experiment with different styles of dieting. Don’t bankrupt yourself for a lifestyle you can’t sustain long-term.
If You’re In These Populations, Be Careful
- Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and this is not medical advice. This is solely my opinion from my background as a fitness coach. If you have any questions about this and you have a medical issue, please consult with your doctor.
There are a handful of populations that should be wary of implementing the carnivore diet. The first population would be for those who may have a pre-existing or current heart condition and/or high blood pressure. To be clear, I firmly believe that if you make smart choices about which proteins you’re consuming, the risk of increased saturated fat consumption can be minimized. However, if you have a heart condition, participating in anything that can possibly increase the risk of worsening the heart condition isn’t worth it — including trying this diet.
I would also be wary of starting the carnivore diet if you have a diagnosed gastrointestinal or digestive issue. Typically, this diet will result in an increase in protein consumption, and although the theory that eating excessive amounts of protein resulting in damaged kidneys or livers has been largely debunked, there may be an acclimation process to the increased amounts of protein being consumed, especially in the beginning of the transition. This could simply just add more stress to the GI system due to protein’s higher thermic effect of food, which just may not be worth putting your body through if you have some sort of issue with your digestive system or gut health. If your condition is curable, I believe it would be best to start once your gut is fully healthy and after having a discussion with your doctor.
Conclusion
There are so many things I like about the carnivore diet. I started a 10-week transformation challenge on February 20th, and I’m going carnivore for the duration of it to see how my body responds and see what physical changes happen. I like that this diet has a little bit of flexibility to it too — for example, I am also including white rice in my diet to ensure I’m consuming enough carbohydrates to supplement my strength training. Even though it’s a grain, having the bran and germ removed lowers the potential phytotoxins found within it.
At the end of the day, if you are healthy, happy, thriving, and found this entire article completely useless, that is totally okay — I still appreciate the read! This diet isn’t going to be a magic pill that’s going to transform your life and turn you into Superman. If your training, sleep, stress management, and water consumption are all still shit, you will still not get the results you’re looking for in the gym or in your health, no matter how perfect you may follow the carnivore diet.
There are plenty of anecdotal experiences of people who felt noticeable changes in their life by following this diet. From fat loss, to increased energy, to reduced inflammation, who knows what kind of positive outcomes you may get to experience. If you are looking just to try something new and feel like this may be something that can work for you, you have my support to go for it! If not, keep searching, keep learning, and keep trying!
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