Men on TikTok are going viral for eyebrow-raising carnivore diets.
Health and fitness influencers — who often don’t have degrees in nutrition or medicine — are praising lifestyles that consist of eating entirely animal products, sometimes only meat.
Licensed health professionals have some problems with meal planning, for a variety of reasons.
First, “restrictive dieting is really unnecessary and usually backfires for most people,” registered dietitian Jamie Nadeau tells USA TODAY. “Not only do most people put the weight back on after dieting becomes unsustainable, but many end up with disordered behaviors around food… It often leaves you feeling like something is wrong with you or that you lack willpower, when really it’s diet. setting you up to fail.”
Here’s what else health experts want you to know about the carnivore diet.
What is the diet of carnivores?
The carnivore diet is an animal-based diet that allows for meat, fish and small amounts of dairy, Nadeau says. Harvard Health adds that this means cutting out “all vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts.
Many proponents of the diet say it helped with weight loss, similar to keto and other low-carb diets. But experts and their research argue that not only is this not realistic in the long run, but it brings a host of new health issues along with it.
“It’s extremely restrictive and excludes many, many nutritious foods that have been proven by research to be health-promoting,” Nadeau says, mostly adding that “the carnivore diet is not evidence-based, meaning there is no research on proven claims.”
What are the dangers of a carnivore diet?
Not only are the touted benefits not widely proven, but experts say there are also many risks associated with eating a purely animal-based diet.
In fact, you will find many anecdotal reports of side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, constipation, hair loss, headaches and more.
Like these, the fats consumed in a carnivore diet are mostly saturated fats, which can negatively affect cholesterol. According to Harvard Health, diets high in saturated fat are linked to heart disease, and a carnivorous diet in particular also poses risks including kidney stones and kidney damage, gout and osteoporosis.
“It’s also a bad idea for long-term heart health since almost the entire diet consists of foods high in saturated fat,” says Nadeau. “There is strong evidence that a balanced diet full of plant-based foods is health-promoting, and none that proves there are benefits to a carnivore diet.”
The carnivore diet was called life-changing.But is it really good to eat only meat?
If you’re looking to make a change to improve your health, Nadeau instead recommends focusing on small habit changes: adding more physical activity to your daily schedule, eating more fruits, vegetables, and fiber-rich foods. fiber and protein and drink more water.
“New diets always sound exciting, and it’s easy to get carried away thinking they’re the magic diet you’ve been looking for,” says Nadeau. “However, the truth is that restrictive diets don’t work long-term. If it’s not something you can envision yourself doing forever, it won’t work. Changes to your diet should be things you can adapt to forever in your life. you can maintain your health and results forever.”
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