this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2025
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Carnivore

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Carnivore - The ultimate elimination diet

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Paper - Can a carnivore diet provide all essential nutrients? - 2020 (doi.org)
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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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

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Notes -

Because ASFs are largely devoid of carbohydrate and relatively high in fat, carnivore diets are typically ketogenic as a side effect.

We argue here that although plants can certainly be used as sources essential nutrients, and can help with compliance by providing variety and pleasure, a well formulated ketogenic diet need not contain them to be nutritionally adequate.

animals are made up of the components they require, and humans are similar enough to the animals we eat that there is no major divergence between needs and composition.

most required nutrients are more available and more bioavailable from ASF sources than from plant sources. Two notable exceptions we will consider in depth below are calcium and vitamin C. Whether it is possible to obtain adequate levels of all nutrients without extraordinary measures is contentious even within online communities promoting carnivore diets, in part because nutrient requirements are context dependent.

Guidelines in the form of daily intake references are designed probabilistically...As such, they are necessarily overestimates for the average consumer.

However, if the population receiving the recommendation differs systematically from the population on which the recommendations were derived, these recommendations may be significantly in error in a predictable way. Plant-free diets may thus entail some different rates of use for some nutrients due to nutrient interactions and metabolic effects

Makes sense, different metabolic contexts may have different requirements

For example, ingestion of fibre can negatively affect the absorption of many vitamins and minerals, which could lower requirements of those nutrients for those not consuming fibre.

Mineral absorption is also impaired in the presence of phytates. Zinc absorption is particularly affected

In a plant free context the animal based foods may be even more bioavailable.

Similarly, blood levels of the omega 3 fatty acid DHA are elevated on ketogenic diets. This is thought to be due to reduced conversion to inflammatory eicosanoids. Such preservation could impact essential fatty acid requirements.

Folate levels are increased significantly by ketogenic diets, and even by the intermittent fasting of Ramadan [18]. ... this is due to increased intestinal microbial production, not intake.

Vitamin C is interesting - low levels in meat/ASF, but it has been documented since 1882 in the Lancet that a plant free diet prevents scurvy. Many scurvy symptoms are due to lack of carnitine (which can be derived from vitamin c), but also can be absorbed directly from meat which is a excellent source of carnitine.

What little evidence exists for the sustainability of plant-free diets comes in three forms: reports on Arctic or nomadic societies, such as the Inuit or Mongolians or mountain herders as mentioned in the Lancet above, clinical case studies and anecdotes

given that calcium balance was negative in the Bellevue study, and that calcium intake from meat alone is low, it may be a nutrient of concern, particularly in variations of the diet with no dairy intake, and no consumable bones for example from fish.

A full carnivore diet can be designed to include dairy, small boney fish, bone broth, or egg shells. The evidence is scant, but suggestive that non-ASF calcium intake is a necessity (going back to nomads and intuit examples).

Organ consumption for nutritional adequacy is emphasized

!!!! Need to eat the whole animal, including the organs, NOT just the meat.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

On the whole its a good opinion piece, a survey that includes the literature up to 2020, and covers the ongoing debate and nutrients of concern.

I've never read a paper that didn't merit further study, but in this case I think its uniquely urgent.

I think the current state of science is - Carnivore diets work in individuals and historic populations, but it goes against modern nutritional doctrine, and isn't explained by current nutritional theories. i.e. merit's further study (lol)

They reference two papers that look very interesting, where carnivore was applied in clinical settings with already sick patients and did well, I'll put these onto my reading agenda.

  1. To´ th C, Clemens Z. A child with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) successfully treated with the paleolithic ketogenic diet: a 19-month insulin-freedom. Int J Case Rep Images 2015; 6:752–757.

  2. To´ th C, Dabo´ czi A, Howard M, et al. Crohn’s disease successfully treated with the paleolithic ketogenic diet. Int J Case Rep Images 2016;7:570–578.