Is the Carnivore Diet Really a Good Idea?

If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve probably seen someone claiming the carnivore diet is the ultimate hack for fat loss, gut health, and vitality.

But is eating only meat really a good idea?Let’s break it down properly, based on actual evidence, not internet hype.

🥩 What Is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is exactly what it sounds like:

A diet that restricts all plant foods and includes only meat, fish, and animal products like eggs and dairy.

No vegetables. No fruit. No grains. No legumes. Not even herbs or spices.

It’s as extreme as it gets, a zero-carb, all-animal approach.

🦴 The Claims: Ancestral Consistency and Plant “Toxins”

Carnivore proponents argue that:

• It’s “ancestrally consistent”, meaning it’s how humans are supposedly designed to eat.

• Plant foods contain “toxins” like lectins, oxalates, and phytates that harm our health.

In theory, cutting out plants would eliminate these compounds and lead to better digestion, clearer skin, fat loss, and even improved mental health.

Sounds compelling... but does it hold up?

🔍 The Reality: What Our Ancestors Really Ate

Here’s the thing:

There’s no credible evidence that early humans ate only meat.

Archaeological and anthropological studies consistently show that:

• Early humans were omnivores, eating a mix of animal and plant foods.

• Fossilised teeth, gut remains, and food residues all point to diets rich in tubers, fruits, seeds, and grains, not just mammoth steaks.

Bottom line: humans evolved to be flexible eaters, not strict carnivores. Variety was the key to survival — and still is.

🥦 The Importance of Plant Foods for Health

A huge body of research supports that plant foods, rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, are essential for long-term health.

Regular consumption of plant foods is linked to:

• Better gut health: fibre feeds beneficial gut bacteria

• Stronger immune function: plant compounds help regulate inflammation

• Improved hormonal health: fibre assists in hormone regulation

• Better mental health: diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are correlated with lower rates of depression

In contrast, zero-fibre diets, like carnivore, may lead to digestive issues, microbiome imbalance, and nutrient deficiencies over time.

🫀 High-Fibre Diets and Disease Prevention

If you care about longevity, this one’s critical:

High-fibre diets consistently correlate with a lower risk of:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Type II diabetes

• High cholesterol

• Certain cancers

• All-cause mortality

In short, people who eat more plants and more fibre tend to live longer and healthier lives.

⚖️ Carnivore and Fat Loss: Any Magic?

Some people report losing weight on the carnivore diet — but here’s why:

• It's incredibly restrictive — cutting out most calorie-dense foods (and joy).

• It often leads to unintentional calorie reduction — you get bored of eating steak 3x a day.

But there’s nothing magical about it for fat loss.The mechanism is the same as any diet: calorie deficit.

And let’s be honest — you don’t need to ban broccoli to create a calorie deficit.

⚠️ The Risks: Restrictive and Potentially Harmful

At best, the carnivore diet is overly restrictive. At worst, it could lead to:

• Nutrient deficiencies (vitamin C, fibre, phytonutrients)

• Gut dysbiosis (imbalanced gut bacteria)

• Increased risk of long-term health issues

• 
  

For most people, it’s not necessary and it’s certainly not sustainable.

🧭 Final Verdict: Is the Carnivore Diet a Good Idea?

In short: No, not really.

• Humans are designed to eat a diverse diet, not just animal products.

• Plants aren’t toxic, they’re crucial for gut health, immune support, and longevity.

• There’s no advantage for fat loss that you can’t get from less extreme (and more enjoyable) diets.

If you’re looking to lose weight, improve your health, or simply feel better, there are smarter, safer, and far more sustainable ways to do it.

Want a nutrition plan built on real evidence, not internet fads?

I help busy professionals in Camden achieve results without extremes.