Here is the full playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttgJtY-SPpI&list=PLabGT_eoaDQim1TD868KyUDpIbSLxYQO6

Our large brain, long life span and high fertility are key elements of human evolutionary success and are often thought to have evolved in interplay with tool use, carnivory and hunting. However, the specific impact of carnivory on human evolution, life history and development remains controversial. Here we show in quantitative terms that dietary profile is a key factor influencing time to weaning across a wide taxonomic range of mammals, including humans. In a model encompassing a total of 67 species and genera from 12 mammalian orders, adult brain mass and two dichotomous variables reflecting species differences regarding limb biomechanics and dietary profile, accounted for 75.5%, 10.3% and 3.4% of variance in time to weaning, respectively, together capturing 89.2% of total variance. Crucially, carnivory predicted the time point of early weaning in humans with remarkable precision, yielding a prediction error of less than 5% with a sample of forty-six human natural fertility societies as reference. Hence, carnivory appears to provide both a necessary and sufficient explanation as to why humans wean so much earlier than the great apes. While early weaning is regarded as essentially differentiating the genus Homo from the great apes, its timing seems to be determined by the same limited set of factors in humans as in mammals in general, despite some 90 million years of evolution. Our analysis emphasizes the high degree of similarity of relative time scales in mammalian development and life history across 67 genera from 12 mammalian orders and shows that the impact of carnivory on time to weaning in humans is quantifiable, and critical. Since early weaning yields shorter interbirth intervals and higher rates of reproduction, with profound effects on population dynamics, our findings highlight the emergence of carnivory as a process fundamentally determining human evolution.

Full Paper https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0032452

Buckle up! This is a 400 page book published in 1888 discussing the benefits of a ASF diet

It's sad how much we "knew", but didn't use in the last 150 years, how many lives could have been improved?

In this book Salisbury putting people on Red Meat and water (indian diet), he found he could reverse rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, gout. He specifically was interested in how the Red Meat diet improved Tuberculosis, and how those already on a red meat diet were far less susceptible to Tuberculosis

The fact this book is old does NOT INVALIDATE IT. This doctor was able to visit and live amongst people who ate "carnivore" diets, and compare their health vs people eating lots of PBF. That is a unique perspective we don't have access to anymore. This is a time capsule that should be the basis of more modern research.

https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/catalog/nlm:nlmuid-62210780R-bk

https://archive.org/details/b2150796x/page/n7/mode/2up

A bit on James Salisbury - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Salisbury

He did, in fact, invent the Salisbury steak.

his advocacy of a meat-centered diet to promote health, and the term Salisbury steak for a ground beef patty served as the main course has been used in the United States since 1897.

Salisbury recommended this recipe (somewhat different from modern Salisbury steak recipes) for the treatment of alimentation (digestive disorders):

Heat the muscle pulp of lean beef made into cakes and broiled. This pulp should be as free as possible from connective or glue tissue, fat and cartilage. [...]

Previous to chopping, the fat, bones, tendons and fasciae should all be cut away, and the lean muscle cut up in pieces an inch or two square. Steaks cut through the centre of the round are the richest and best for this purpose. Beef should be procured from well fatted animals that are from four to six years old.

The pulp should not be pressed too firmly together before broiling, or it will taste livery. Simply press it sufficiently to hold it together. Make the cakes from half an inch to an inch thick. Broil slowly and moderately well over a fire free from blaze and smoke. When cooked, put it on a hot plate and season to taste with butter, pepper, salt; also use either Worcestershire or Halford sauce, mustard, horseradish or lemon juice on the meat if desired. Celery may be moderately used as a relish.[5]

Look at that, no carbs in Salisbury's version of the Salisbury steak.

This is a interesting study of two geographically near tribes of people eating a plant based diet vs a animal based diet.

This type of reporting is rare, since the western diet has changed every group of humans it has contacted.

https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1931.02730200061030

Full text: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924003510108

This is a contribution to knowledge concerning the relation of diet to physique and to health. The two tribes selected for this investigation were chosen because of the fact that, although their territories were adjoining, their dietary customs were different, "the Akikuyu being almost exclusively vegetarian and the Masai chiefly carnivorous." The field work in this investigation covered such categories as chemical analysis of all foods in common use, articles of diet in the raw state, cooked foods, edible earths, physical examination of both adults and children, and clinical observations. Additional features of this study pertain to laboratory and hospital work dealing with the adequacy of hospital and prison diets, the effect of additions to the diet of various seemingly desirable supplements, feeding tests with prescribed diets on four groups each of forty boys, and blood studies dealing particularly with calcium and phosphorus content, sugar tolerance, ph and alkali reserve,

We reviewed data on the American diet from 1800 to 2019. Methods: We examined food availability and estimated consumption data from 1800 to 2019 using historical sources from the federal government and additional public data sources. Results: Processed and ultra-processed foods increased from <5 to >60% of foods. Large increases occurred for sugar, white and whole wheat flour, rice, poultry, eggs, vegetable oils, dairy products, and fresh vegetables. Saturated fats from animal sources declined while polyunsaturated fats from vegetable oils rose. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) rose over the twentieth century in parallel with increased consumption of processed foods, including sugar, refined flour and rice, and vegetable oils. Saturated fats from animal sources were inversely correlated with the prevalence of NCDs. Conclusions: As observed from the food availability data, processed and ultra-processed foods dramatically increased over the past two centuries, especially sugar, white flour, white rice, vegetable oils, and ready-to-eat meals. These changes paralleled the rising incidence of NCDs, while animal fat consumption was inversely correlated.

Annual total caloric and macronutrient availability per capita from 1909 to 2010 (Source: USDA ERS).

Full Paper - http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.748847

TLDR : Weak Science, Low Relationship, Healthy User Confounders - Nothing burger.

Results: The dementia analysis included 133,771 participants (65.4% female) with a mean baseline age of 48.9 years, the objective cognitive function analysis included 17,458 female participants with a mean baseline age of 74.3 years, and SCD analysis included 43,966 participants (77.1% female) with a mean baseline age of 77.9 years. Participants with processed red meat intake ≥0.25 serving per day, compared with <0.10 serving per day, had a 13% higher risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.13; 95% CI 1.08-1.19; plinearity < 0.001) and a 14% higher risk of SCD (relative risk [RR] 1.14; 95% CI 1.04-1.25; plinearity = 0.004). Higher processed red meat intake was associated with accelerated aging in global cognition (1.61 years per 1 serving per day increment [95% CI 0.20-3.03]) and in verbal memory (1.69 years per 1 serving per day increment [95% CI 0.13-3.25], both plinearity = 0.03). Unprocessed red meat intake of ≥1.00 serving per day, compared with <0.50 serving per day, was associated with a 16% higher risk of SCD (RR 1.16; 95% CI 1.03-1.30; plinearity = 0.04). Replacing 1 serving per day of nuts and legumes for processed red meat was associated with a 19% lower risk of dementia (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.75-0.86), 1.37 fewer years of cognitive aging (95% CI -2.49 to -0.25), and a 21% lower risk of SCD (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68-0.92).

Discussion: Higher intake of red meat, particularly processed red meat, was associated with a higher risk of developing dementia and worse cognition. Reducing red meat consumption could be included in dietary guidelines to promote cognitive health. Further research is needed to assess the generalizability of these findings to populations with diverse ethnic backgrounds.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39813632/ https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000210286

Sounds really bad! But, Association is not causation, "could" also means "cloud not"

(I can't find the full paper, if you know a link please share it, I want to read the full paper)

Prospective cohort study, epidemiology, another slice of the Nurses Health Study, and the HPFS. Observational Research, cannot prove causation. The Hazard ratio is 1.13, that's nothing. You have to be at least 2 to even justify further research (unless there is an agenda). As a reference the hazard ratio for smoking was 30!

As always in observational studies, healthy patient confounders need to be considered. The person ignoring current advice eating pizza, fast food, etc is considered a "meat eater", but the person following the guidelines is more or less vegetarian (no processed meat, no red meat at least, not smoking, not drinking) at this point. The big difference between these groups? SUGAR AND CARBS.

Even with this massive confounder the Hazard Ratio was only 1.13 (1.0 means NO Correlation at all)

From this tiny data point, the news is flooded with "Red Meat Causes Dementia"

The research director at Harvard has a well established PBF bias, as well as funding from industry. This paper is just one is a series (there will be another for the next news cycle with the same hazard ratios, saying the same thing). At BEST this type of low probability correlation should be used to setup a real study, a RCT... not to set policy or demonize red meat.

Recall our previous discussion of how you slice the data looking for relationships is just as important as the results with a large body of observational data https://lemmy.dubvee.org/post/2623649

A great, great, great, in depth book going over how to do carnivore, how to use it as a tool to find a problem food, and how to go back to a standard diet after (or stay on carnivore). This is a very complete resource.

Available at

• https://www.amazon.com/Carnivore-Cure-Ultimate-Elimination-Optimal/dp/1735581003
• https://carnivorecure.com/
• 🦜🏴‍☠️

The gut microbiome of the carnivore was dominated by the phylum Firmicutes and the genera Faecalibacterium, Blautia, unspecific Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroides, and Roseburia—bacteria known for fiber degradation. Furthermore, neither alpha- nor beta-diversity, nor the functional capacity of the gut microbiome, showed differences when compared to the control groups. Additionally, the gut microbiome of the carnivore showed the least similarities with the microbiome of the cohort consuming meat on a daily basis.

In our study, we showcase the compositional and functional characteristics of the gut microbiome in an individual on a carnivorous diet, finding no differences in comparison to a control cohort. Further research is needed to investigate the short- and long-term impacts of a carnivorous diet on gut health through cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Full Paper - https://doi.org/10.1530/MAH-24-0006

Meat intake has been linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and mortality. However, diet composition may affect the risks. We aimed to estimate associations between red and processed meat and poultry intake and risk of CRC and all-cause mortality and if they are modified by dietary quality using Cox regression analyses. Baseline dietary data were obtained from three survey rounds of the Danish National Survey on Diet and Physical Activity. Data on CRC and all-cause mortality were extracted from national registers. The cohort was followed from date of survey interview—or for CRC, from age 50 years, whichever came last, until 31 December 2017. Meat intake was analysed categorically and continuously, and stratified by dietary quality for 15–75-year-old Danes at baseline, n 6282 for CRC and n 9848 for mortality analyses. We found no significant association between red and processed meat intake and CRC risk. For poultry, increased CRC risk for high versus low intake (HR 1.62; 95%CI 1.13–2.31) was found, but not when examining risk change per 100 g increased intake. We showed no association between meat intake and all-cause mortality. The association between meat intake and CRC or mortality risk was not modified by dietary quality.

Full Paper - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010032

TLDR: Eggs are good for you, in a study of 9000 70+ adults in AU over a 6 year follow-up study on egg consumption we see a benefit in all cause mortality. 30% less CV risk, 20% less all cause mortality.

Background/Objectives: Egg consumption in adults has been linked with a modestly increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality. However, evidence on adults aged 65 y+ is limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between egg intake and mortality in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 8756 adults aged 70+ years, participants in the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) Longitudinal Study of Older Persons, self-reported the frequency of their total egg intake: never/infrequently (rarely/never, 1–2 times/month), weekly (1–6 times/week), and daily (daily/several times per day). All-cause and cause-specific (cardiovascular disease [CVD] and cancer) mortality was established from at least two sources: medical records, death notices, next of kin, or death registry linkage. The association between egg intake and mortality was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, adjusted for socio-demographic, health-related, and clinical factors and overall dietary quality. Results: Over the median 5.9-year follow-up period, a total of 1034 all-cause deaths (11.8%) were documented. A 29% lower risk of CVD mortality (HR (95% CI): 0.71 [0.54–0.92]) and a 17% (HR (95% CI): 0.83 [0.71–0.96]) lower risk of all-cause mortality were observed among those who consumed eggs weekly, compared to those who consumed eggs never/infrequently; no statistically significant association was observed for weekly consumption and cancer mortality. In contrast, compared to those that never or infrequently consumed eggs, daily consumption had slightly higher odds of mortality, though these results did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: The consumption of eggs 1–6 times per week was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and CVD mortality in community-dwelling adults aged 70 years and over. These findings may be important to inform the development of evidence-based guidelines for egg consumption.

Full Paper https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020323

TLDR - Contrary to common expectations, adults consuming a carnivore diet experienced few adverse effects and instead reported health benefits and high satisfaction. Cardiovascular disease risk factors were variably affected. The generalizability of these findings and the long-term effects of this dietary pattern require further study.

Background: The “carnivore diet,” based on animal foods and excluding most or all plant foods, has attracted recent popular attention. However, little is known about the health effects and tolerability of this diet, and concerns for nutrient deficiencies and cardiovascular disease risk have been raised.

Objectives: We obtained descriptive data on the nutritional practices and health status of a large group of carnivore diet consumers.

Methods: A social media survey was conducted 30 March–24 June, 2020 among adults self-identifying as consuming a carnivore diet for ≥6 mo. Survey questions interrogated motivation, dietary intake patterns, symptoms suggestive of nutritional deficiencies or other adverse effects, satisfaction, prior and current health conditions, anthropometrics, and laboratory data.

Results: A total of 2029 respondents (median age: 44 y, 67% male) reported consuming a carnivore diet for 14 mo (IQR: 9–20 mo), motivated primarily by health reasons (93%). Red meat consumption was reported as daily or more often by 85%. Under 10% reported consuming vegetables, fruits, or grains more often than monthly, and 37% denied vitamin supplement use. Prevalence of adverse symptoms was low (<1% to 5.5%). Symptoms included gastrointestinal (3.1%–5.5%), muscular (0.3%–4.0%), and dermatologic (0.1%–1.9%). Participants reported high levels of satisfaction and improvements in overall health (95%), well-being (66%–91%), various medical conditions (48%–98%), and median [IQR] BMI (in kg/m 2 ) (from 27.2 [23.5–31.9] to 24.3 [22.1–27.0]). Among a subset reporting current lipids, LDL-cholesterol was markedly elevated (172 mg/dL), whereas HDL-cholesterol (68 mg/dL) and triglycerides (68 mg/dL) were optimal. Participants with diabetes reported benefits including reductions in median [IQR] BMI (4.3 [1.4–7.2]), glycated hemoglobin (0.4% [0%–1.7%]), and diabetes medication use (84%–100%)

From the journal of Current Developments in Nutrition.

• Full text at above link

https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzab133

https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/137.4.1119

A randomized, controlled school feeding study was conducted in rural Embu District, Kenya to test for a causal link between animal-source food intake and changes in micronutrient nutrition and growth, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes. Twelve primary schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups. Children in Standard I classes received the local plant-based dish githeri as a midmorning school snack supplemented with meat, milk, or fat added to equalize energy content in all feedings. The Control children received no feedings but participated in data collection. Main outcome measures assessed at baseline and longitudinally were 24-h food intake recall, anthropometry, cognitive function, physical activity, and behaviors during school free play. For cognitive function, the Meat group showed the steepest rate of increase on Raven's Progressive Matrices scores and in zone-wide school end-term total and arithmetic test scores. The Plain githeri and Meat groups performed better over time than the Milk and Control groups (P < 0.02-0.03) on arithmetic tests. The Meat group showed the greatest increase in percentage time in high levels of physical activity and in initiative and leadership behaviors compared with all other groups. For growth, in the Milk group only younger and stunted children showed a greater rate of gain in height. The Meat group showed near doubling of upper midarm muscle area, and the Milk group a smaller degree of increase. This is the first randomized, controlled feeding study to examine the effect of meat- vs. milk- vs. plant-based snacks on functional outcomes in children.

Full paper at the above link

A compendium of ancestral wisdom, Weston Price's Nutrition and Physical Degeneration is considered a masterpiece by many nutrition researchers who followed in his footsteps.Weston Price, a dentist with interest in nutrition and health, travelled extensively, and observed the dietary habits of diverse cultures, including the Lötschental in Switzerland, Native Americans, Polynesians, Pygmies, and Australian Aboriginals, among many others. His extensive research materials include some 15,000 photographs, 4,000 slides, and many filmstrips. He observed that various diseases endemic to Western cultures of the 1920s and 1930s were rarely present in non-Western cultures, and that as non-Western groups abandoned indigenous diets and adopted Western patterns of living, they showed increases in typical Western diseases. He concluded that Western methods of commercially preparing and storing foods stripped away vitamins and minerals necessary to prevent these diseases.Initially, the medical and scientific communities vigorously rejected this controversial work as lacking scientific precision, nevertheless, as time went on, research has confirmed his observations and modern medical orthodoxy is slowly accepting that lifestyle and diet are a major factor, perhaps the major factor, in the degenerative diseases that plague the developed world. Many have credited this book with greatly improving their health.

Full Book https://healthwyze.org/archive/nutrition_and_physical_degeneration_doctor_weston_a_price.pdf

Written by Weston Price: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weston_A._Price

a Canadian dentist known primarily for his theories on the relationship between nutrition, dental health, and physical health. He founded the research institute National Dental Association, which became the research section of the American Dental Association, and was the NDA's chairman from 1914 to 1928.

Background/Objectives: The rise in chronic metabolic diseases has led to the exploration of alternative diets. The carnivore diet, consisting exclusively of animal products, has gained attention, anecdotally, for imparting benefit for inflammatory conditions beyond that possible by other restrictive dietary approaches. The aim was to assess the micronutrient adequacy of four versions of the carnivore diet against national nutrient reference values (NRVs). Methods: This study assessed the nutrient adequacy of the carnivore diet against national NRVs from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and New Zealand Ministry of Health. Four meal plans for hypothetical average Australian adults were developed and analysed using Foodworks.online (Version 1, Xyris Pty Ltd., Brisbane, Australia, 2024), dietary software. Two female and two male plans were included; one set including dairy products and the other set including offal. Results: The carnivore diet met several NRV thresholds for nutrients such as riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, zinc, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, selenium, and Vitamin A, and exceeded the sodium threshold. However, it fell short in thiamin, magnesium, calcium, and Vitamin C, and in iron, folate, iodine and potassium in some cases. Fibre intake was significantly below recommended levels. Conclusion: The carnivore diet may offer benefits for managing certain chronic conditions. Whether the metabolic contexts from consuming such a diet facilitates a lower requirement of certain nutrients, or whether it poses risks of micronutrient inadequacies remains to be determined. Tailored nutritional guidance and supplementation strategies are recommended to ensure careful consideration of micronutrient intake to prevent deficiencies.

Full paper at above link https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17010140

TLDR - There is far from consensus in the vilification of red meat in dietary guidelines. This article dives into the details of the ongoing schism.

Mainstream dietary recommendations now commonly advise people to minimize the intake of red meat for health and environmental reasons. Most recently, a major report issued by the EAT-Lancet Commission recommended a planetary reference diet mostly based on plants and with no or very low (14 g/d) consumption of red meat. We argue that claims about the health dangers of red meat are not only improbable in the light of our evolutionary history, they are far from being supported by robust scientific evidence.

Full paper at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31486336/

The human body fixes itself, Carnivore just gets out of the way.

Why people doing Carnivore can get better

• Zero carbohydrates

This means no blood sugar spikes, and insulin levels stay normal. This by itself is the most important benefit! There are a billion people with type 2 diabetes, this is a direct result of overconsumption of carbohydrates.

• Complete nutrition

This means the body isn't missing anything it needs to heal.

• Very low inflammation

Eating food is inflammatory, by avoiding all plant toxins and anti-nutrients the consumed food is very easy on the body. Some people can tolerate some plants, but not all people can tolerate all plants.

Most of medicine is getting the body into a position where it can heal itself - Just think about stitches, just hold the skin close together so the body mends and closes the wound. Carnivore gets out of the way.

Most of the modern epidemics of chronic non-communicable diseases are rooted in poor nutrition - that is to say food that stops the body from being able to heal itself.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38354868/

TLDR - Meat has been unfairly blamed by bad (possibly biased) statistical analysis.

some investigators may test many alternative analytic specifications and selectively report results for the analysis that yields the most interesting findings.

when investigators analyze data from observational studies, there are often hundreds of equally justifiable ways of analyzing the data, each of which may produce results that vary in direction, magnitude, and statistical significance

Evidence shows that investigators’ prior beliefs and expectations influence their results [5]. In the presence of strong opinions, investigators’ beliefs and expectations may shape the literature to the detriment of empirical evidence

Basically given a all the possible variable permutations they took a very large sampling of inputs to outcomes and looked at the resultant hazard ratio, demonstrating that you can cherry pick to get the results you want (good or bad). This is the core weakness of observational studies.

Curve analysis demonstrates itself as a valuable too in iterating through many of the combinations of observational data to show stronger trends.

The left/blue side of the graph are outcomes that show meat decreased all cause mortality, the right/red side of the graph are outcomes that show meat increases all cause mortality. If you were a hungry researcher, you could publish unending papers indicating either way from this same observational data pool! - Hence the constant news cycle driven by dietary agendas - not based on hard science RCTs.

TLDR: Nothing burger junk science paper we see pumped out every 3 months from the same observational food frequency questionnaires.

Findings In this cohort study of 221 054 adults from 3 large cohorts, higher butter intake was associated with increased total and cancer mortality, while higher intake of plant-based oils was associated with lower total, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality.

Meaning Substituting butter with plant-based oils, particularly olive, soybean, and canola oils, may confer substantial benefits for preventing premature deaths.

Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, higher intake of butter was associated with increased mortality, while higher plant-based oils intake was associated with lower mortality. Substituting butter with plant-based oils may confer substantial benefits for preventing premature deaths.

Full paper: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.0205

We use the methodology of anthropometric history to investigate the nutritional status of equestrian nomads who lived on the Great Plains during the middle of the nineteenth century, a group for whom traditional measures of economic performance are unavailable. Historians have frequently portrayed Native Americans as merely unfortunate victims of European disease and aggression, with lives in disarray following the arrival of Columbus and other explorers, conquerors, and settlers. While much decimation occurred (Russell Thornton, 1987, 1997), the data we analyze show that some Native Americans were remarkably ingenious, adaptive, and successful in the face of exceptional demographic stress. Using height data originally collected by Franz Boas, we show that the Plains nomads were tallest in the world during the mid-nineteenth century, a result confirmed in travelers’ accounts and by the skeletal record. The analysis provides a useful mirror for understanding determinants of health in general.

https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.91.1.287

Full Paper on SciHub (better formatting) / https://web.archive.org/web/20081216230811id_/http://eh.net/XIIICongress/cd/papers/70PrinceSteckel378.pdf

Background: Animal-based, or so-called carnivore, diets largely exclude all plant-based foods and are gaining increasing popularity, mainly among individuals suffering from chronic diseases. This study aimed to explore subjective experiences and blood parameter changes of German followers of a carnivore diet.

Methodology: We conducted a statistical survey using a self-designed questionnaire and requesting blood panels. Inclusion criteria were: (i) following a carnivore-type diet for at least one month; (ii) completing the self-designed study questionnaire; and (iii) providing two sets of metabolic blood parameters from the period before and after adopting the carnivore diet. The survey was complemented by qualitative interviews with four subjects on a carnivore diet.

Results: Twenty-four individuals participated in the survey. Fifteen participants (62.5%) were male, and the median age was 46 (range 26-62) years. The majority (n = 16, 67%) reported at least one clinical diagnosis, and the main reason for switching to a carnivore diet was accordingly health-related. Improved health was also the major motivation to maintain the diet. Before the carnivore diet, participants consumed a variety of other diets, of which a ketogenic (n = 8) and standard diet (n = 7) were most frequently reported. There were no significant differences between on-diet and pre-diet blood parameters except for total (pre-diet median: 224 mg/dL; on-diet: 305 mg/dL; P < 0.0001) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (pre-diet: 157 mg/dL; on-diet: 256 mg/dL; P = 0.00024) concentrations. However, two participants who initially had pre-diabetic HbA1c values and six participants with initially high (>130 mg/dL) triglyceride levels all experienced a reduction of these blood parameters during the carnivore diet.

Conclusions: Individuals adopting a carnivore diet do this mainly for health-related reasons and commonly experience subjective health improvements. Most blood parameters on the carnivore diet were within the reference ranges, and initially high HbA1c and triglyceride levels were reduced. However, the significant elevation of total and LDL cholesterol concentration is striking and warrants further investigation into potential adverse effects.

Full Paper https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.82521 - https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/354775/20250418-428965-m7dvqf.pdf

TLDR: 24 people doing carnivore for at least one month, pre and post diet blood panels.

This is just a survey, its suggestive but not a strong signal to take any conclusions away from. the fact that the on-diet blood panels were of various lengths of carnivore makes the data very messy (1 month to 5 years)

Characterizing the potential health effects of exposure to risk factors such as red meat consumption is essential to inform health policy and practice. Previous meta-analyses evaluating the effects of red meat intake have generated mixed findings and do not formally assess evidence strength. Here, we conducted a systematic review and implemented a meta-regression— relaxing conventional log-linearity assumptions and incorporating between-study heterogeneity—to evaluate the relation-ships between unprocessed red meat consumption and six potential health outcomes. We found weak evidence of association between unprocessed red meat consumption and colorectal cancer, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease. Moreover, we found no evidence of an association between unprocessed red meat and ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke. We also found that while risk for the six outcomes in our analysis combined was minimized at 0 g unprocessed red meat intake per day, the 95% uncertainty interval that incorporated between-study heterogeneity was very wide: from 0–200 g d−1. While there is some evidence that eating unprocessed red meat is associated with increased risk of disease incidence and mortality, it is weak and insufficient to make stronger or more conclusive recommendations. More rigorous, well-powered research is needed to better understand and quantify the relationship between consumption of unprocessed red meat and chronic disease.

Full Paper - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-01968-z

Originally published in 1930 - The journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

https://archive.org/details/sim_journal-of-the-academy-of-nutrition-and-dietetics_1930-12_6_3/page/216/mode/2up (It's so old, I don't have a direct doi link)

Based on Vilhjalmur Stefansson's reporting of Inuit diets (the wiki is a great read) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilhjalmur_Stefansson ; People were incredulous (much like today actually) - So Vilhjalmur and his partner agreed to be kept for a YEAR in medical supervision in a hospital on staten island. This is the study/publication of the results.

TLDR - The pure meat diet worked for a year, under total medical supervision, without any issues, including vitamin levels. Just like it worked for the native Inuit people.

This is a seminal paper, it's about 85 pages, so it's going to take a minute to read. I'll post notes as I get through it.

https://doi.org/10.1097/med.0000000000000576

A survey of literature and review of the knowledge on nutritional adequacy of the "carnivore" diet.

Purpose of review: The aim of this study was to summarize current contributions affecting knowledge and predictions about the nutritional adequacy of plant-free diets, contextualized by historical accounts.

Recent findings: As demonstrated in recent experiments, nutrient interactions and metabolic effects of ketogenic diets can impact nutritional needs, sometimes resulting in nutrient-sparing effects. Other studies highlight conflicting hypotheses about the expected effect on metabolic acidosis, and therefore mineral status, of adding alkaline mineral-rich vegetables.

Summary: A carnivore diet is a newly popular, but as yet sparsely studied form of ketogenic diet in which plant foods are eliminated such that all, or almost all, nutrition derives from animal sourced foods. Ketogenic diets are already nutritionally controversial due to their near-complete absence of carbohydrate and high dietary fat content, but most ketogenic diet advocates emphasize the inclusion of plant foods. In this review, we discuss the implications of relying solely on animal sourced foods in terms of essential nutrient status.

Key Points

• All essential nutrients can be found in animal sourced foods.
• Some such nutrients are not commonly eaten in high enough amounts to meet recommended intakes.
• Studies on individuals eating only meat did not reveal nutrient deficiencies.
• Carnivore diet nutrient profiles and effects on metabolism may reduce or increase the needs for some nutrients.
• More study is warranted to understand long term implications of plant-free diets

CONCLUSION Every essential nutrient can be found in ASFs, but not always in high levels in commonly eaten ones. Some nutrients are rarer than others and may require planning if the goal is to guarantee meeting established recommended daily allowances. Because of systematic differences in metabolism and food matrix contexts, requirements on a carnivore diet may likewise differ systematically. Historical and clinical data suggest that all acute micronutrient needs can be met without plants, but long-term consequences are unknown. Calcium levels in particular may be compromised over time, and merit further study, especially in order to disentangle effects of acidity, bone growth stimulation and interacting nutrients

Full PDF Here