Health claims of the carnivore diet
“There isn’t any scientific study on this particular diet,” Gannon says. That hasn’t stopped some proponents from touting its health perks in books and online testimonials. Here’s a closer look at some of the carnivore diet’s biggest claims.
Claim 1: It alleviates depression
“Science doesn’t support cutting out carbohydrates for depression,” Gannon says. If anything, she notes, the complex carbs found in foods such as sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and whole-grain breads may support positive mood by delivering tryptophan, an amino acid the body uses to produce the hormone serotonin. It bears noting that certain animal products—including eggs, meat, and fish—are also rich in tryptophan, which may be how the claim about the carnivore diet and depression originated.
Claim 2: It aids weight loss
Given that the carnivore diet takes a number of major food groups off the table, it could lead to weight loss—temporarily, that is.
For starters, having fewer foods to choose from means you’d probably consume fewer calories than normal. “Following any restrictive meal plan usually makes you eat less,” Gannon says. And just like on any other diet, when you cut calories, you lose weight.
As part of its restrictions, the carnivore diet essentially eliminates carbohydrates. When the body is deprived of carbs for fuel, it goes through a short period of burning stored sugar known as glycogen. This process releases water—and water weight. (Once glycogen runs out, the body switches to deriving energy from fat, a process known as ketosis.) The body’s glycogen stores and water weight return if carbs are reintroduced.
Bottom line: “A key for weight loss is sustainability,” says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a clinical registered dietitian at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. “And it’s hard to stay on a strict plan like this one long-term.”
Claim 3: It stabilizes blood sugar
The body breaks down carbohydrates from food into glucose for energy. As part of that process, blood glucose (sugar) naturally rises after you eat. So, sure—eliminating all carbs would theoretically keep blood sugar levels “stable,” Gannon says. Here’s the thing, though: Wild spikes in blood sugar are neither a reality nor a concern for most healthy adults to begin with.
Even if you need to control blood sugar to help manage a medical condition such as type 2 diabetes, the carnivore diet is probably not ideal, Gannon says. She notes that many health experts recommend the Mediterranean or DASH eating plan, both of which encourage eating from a variety of food groups.
