BENEFITS OF THE CARNIVORE DIET


The carnivore diet has been helping hundreds of thousands of people cure or improve the symptoms of many health issues. You can too! Check out some of the carnivore diet benefits.

Reduce Acid Reflux

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid rises into the esophagus, causing irritation which can lead to complaints such as heartburn. This is a surprisingly common health complaint in the U.S., and many of us live under the assumption that we can’t do anything to improve it. Luckily, that’s not true.

While no food-type has yet been proven to cure this condition altogether, your dietary choices can help a great deal to reduce or even remove symptoms. That makes a fair amount of sense given that this condition starts in your stomach!

The carnivore diet has had some positive feedback from people suffering from acid reflux and it's probably due to the low carbohydrate content.

THE RESEARCH

Improved Acne

Acne, characterized by the appearance of spots on the face, shoulders and neck and is often a symptom of an hormonal imbalance somewhere in the body which causes inflammation. It can be both physically and mentally unpleasant, and it’s totally avoidable dependent on your diet.

There are a range of reasons why a carnivore diet helps to keep spots at bay. The main theory links carbohydrate consumption and acne.

Inflammation is also a principal cause of acne. Incidentally, inflammation is found in those who consume too many carbohydrates.

Meat also contains essential nutrients, including zinc and omega 3s, both of which have been proven to have some impact on breakouts. Many meat alternatives such as dairy can also exacerbate acne no end. If you want clear skin, a carnivore diet could provide a solution.

THE RESEARCH

Manage ADD/ADHD

ADD and ADHD are hyperactivity disorders which affect children, teens, and even adults. Either condition can lead to hyperactivity, poor impulse control, and difficulty paying attention.

It’s no secret that diet plays a significant role in issues like these. While there's still a lot of research needed on the effects of diet and ADHD, the wrong foods certainly seem to exacerbate problematic symptoms.

The carnivore diet benefits have been shown to improve symptoms. Probably because of the association between plant foods and the gut microbiome.

THE RESEARCH

Prevent Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder that destroys memory, thinking skills, and knowledge of even simple tasks like brushing teeth. It has a catastrophic impact on the lives of sufferers and their loved ones, and often results in long-term hospitalization or care.

The good news is that there’s evidence to suggest diet, namely a carnivore diet free of plant foods can help.
While there’s not yet any way to reverse the impact of Alzheimer’s, altering diet like this could at least reduce symptoms. Studies suggest that eating a diet lower in plant foods throughout your life can also reduce the risks of Alzheimer’s by up to 44%!

The main reason plant foods are cause for concern is the assocaition between the lectins found in plants and Alzheimer’s. As such, sufferers who consume large amounts of plant foods may worsen symptoms and leave themselves at risk. By comparison, healthy fats like those found in beef can keep symptoms at bay and slow the progress of Alzheimer’s as a result.

THE RESEARCH

Improve Blood pressure

Blood pressure relates to the pressure of circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels. Regulating blood pressure with lifestyle and diet is vital for ongoing health and avoidance of progressive health complications such as heart disease.

Though meat often gets a bad reputation where blood pressure is concerned, it isn’t altogether deserved.
Reducing carbohydrate consumption and eating red meats and skinless chicken, turkey, or fish have all shown positive impact when it comes to controlling blood pressure.

According to studies, this is mostly to do with the high protein levels found in animal foods. There is also some evidence to suggest that healthy intake of vitamin D and omega-3 can help to keep blood pressure rates on an even keel. Luckily, these are easy enough to come by with a well-done carnivore diet.

THE RESEARCH

Reduce Cancer Risk

Cancer, characterized by the uncontrolled division of abnormal cells, is a diagnosis that no one wants to receive. Despite medical advancements and improved recovery rates, it’s one of the most severe diseases we face without a cure today.

Lifestyle can impact our risks of developing cancer. For example, smoking increases the likelihood of abnormal cells. What fewer people realize is that there are also strong links between cancer and what we eat. While studies are ongoing into exactly what impact food can have, then, a healthy diet is essential for keeping this issue at bay.

Namely, studies have found that diets low in carbohydrate and high in healthy proteins can help to keep the body fighting fit and resistant to the development of cancer. Red meats and poultry can provide a great deal of protein to any diet, while also helping to keep gut bacteria as healthy as possible for cancer-fighting capabilities.

THE RESEARCH

Celiac disease control

Celiac disease is a genetically predisposed autoimmune disease. The ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine and it's estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. Not including those who have celiac disease and are not diagnosed.

When people with celiac disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley), their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body.

THE RESEARCH

Improved Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced from near enough every cell in our bodies, and it helps with everything from cell integrity to hormone synthesis. Healthy cholesterol levels are essential for bodily functioning, and a carnivore diet plays a massive part in that.

Because we only produce 75% of our cholesterol naturally, we rely on namely meat products to provide us with the remaining 25%.
In fact, animal products (including dairy) are the only food source of cholesterol and contrary to popular mainstream science, it's not only not bad for us but the more the better.

THE RESEARCH

Constipation Relief

Constipation refers to infrequent bowel movements that are difficult to pass. Unsurprisingly for a condition of this nature, what we eat can play a big part in the development of symptoms. And, you can bet you’ll regret those poor food choices when you spend all night on the toilet.

By comparison, turning our attention to constipation-friendly meals can help to keep our bowels frequent and flowing. That, in turn, can keep the C-word at bay for our whole lives long if we put the effort in.

A carnivore diet is often beneficial here as it provides tasty, low fiber meals that guarantee to get things moving for you. There are currently no studies that back up the claim that high fiber foods are better for digestive health and in some research, zero fiber diets showed the best improvements.

Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435786/

Fiber and colorectal diseases: Separating fact from fiction
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4250613/

Diabetes Control

Diabetes is a lifelong condition that impacts the body’s ability to control sugar intake. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system destroys the cells that produce insulin.

Type 2 diabetes arises when the body does not produce enough insulin in the first place. As you’re probably aware, this condition primarily occurs in individuals with poor, high-sugar diets. In fact, some people with type 2 diabetes can turn things around by merely improving what they eat.

Diabetes control is a definite health benefit of carnivore diets, and that’s hardly surprising seeing as high-quality meat can help to reduce sugar intake. That’s because the high protein contents found in red meats can keep satiety levels higher for longer, all without leading to a spike in blood pressure. A carnivore diet is also zero carb which has been shown to be one of the best ways to manage blood glucose levels.

Epilepsy management

Epilepsy disrupts brain messaging systems and thus leads to frequent seizures. Some patients will only experience seizures during their childhood and teens, while others will continue to battle with epilepsy throughout their lives.

Reasons for epilepsy vary and can include head trauma and brain conditions. You may be surprised to find, though, that experts have found proven benefits for patients who focus on dietary changes, specifically low-carb diets like carnivore. Eating only meat can have such an impact that some patients are able to reduce or altogether remove medications and still experience less or no seizures.

High-fat meats such as bacon and hamburgers often seem to provide the best results in cases like these. While it is not necessarily known why these foods have such significant impact on seizures (up to 90% reduction!), the evidence certainly shows that consuming more fat and steering clear of carbohydrates can make a tremendous difference.

Improved Fertility

Fertility refers to the chances of both a male and female to conceive or create a child. A person’s fertility can be affected by various lifestyle choices, including their diet.

Studies suggest that what we eat impacts our chances of conception a great deal. Namely, low-carb and meat-heavy diets seem to work best. Women who struggle to conceive due to issues like polycystic ovaries are actively encouraged to eat diet plans based around the five main food groups, one of which is meat.

Following this advice can have such an impact that as many as 90% of women struggling to conceive can expect positive pregnancy tests within six months after making these changes.

The main benefits of meat for fertility come from the lack of carbohydrates and from the zinc and magnesium primarily found in red meats. These can help a great deal with both the gland and hormone production that can aid fertility. Zinc, in particular, has been proven to help egg production.

reduce Gallstones

Gallstones are a painful condition that forms in the gallbladder due to an imbalance in the chemical make up there. While often symptomless and not requiring treatment, gallstones can result in painful conditions such as biliary colic and cholecystitis. Causes vary, but gallstones are often prevalent in overweight individuals, and diet definitely seems to play a part in recovery.

A carnivore diet is a fantastic option, as it provides a high-fat diet that is proven to help in either reducing or removing gallstones altogether. Lowering carbohydrate intake has also shown positive impact where gallstones are concerned, and is again easy to do when you choose the carnivore diet instead.

Eliminate Gout

Gout is a sudden and painful condition that causes severe inflammation of joints, most often at their base. Areas regularly affected include toes, knees, heels, and fingers.

The condition, typically occurring at night and lasting between 3-10 days, happens when bodies struggle to remove excess uric acid. This often happens due to diets high in uric acid, and turning attention here can help to either avoid or ease gout outbreaks.

While care does need to be taken over organ and game meats, the carnivore diet can make a difference here. That’s because, though red meats do contain uric acid, this uric acid is excreted through urine, and thus has no negative impact on the body or the occurrence of gout.

Yet, eating a diet heavy in meat can help to a healthy balanced diet that allows individuals to steer clear of foods that do actively cause grout, such as carbs.

Reduce Headaches

Characterized by a pounding or throbbing, headaches are an issue we all deal with at some stage. They can occur for a variety of reasons, including stress or poor eyesight. Treatments typically include over-the-counter painkillers, but did you know that you could also benefit from considering your diet to overcome this?

Admittedly, what you eat while you have a headache will have little impact on the pain you experience. But, there are studies to suggest that dietary changes can reduce or altogether eliminate recurrent headaches, even migraines.

Meat is especially useful here as it contains Coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant that plays an essential role in energy metabolism and can significantly reduce headache frequency. While those who experience regular headaches are often advised to steer clear of processed meats, then, a high-quality carnivore diet could keep headaches at bay.

Improve Heart disease

In general terms, heart disease refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked vessels within the heart. When left unchecked, such issues can result in heart attacks, chest pain, or strokes. Lifestyle factors are a significant contributor to heart disease in general, and diet is perhaps the most prevalent of all.

Heart disease and a meat-based diet don’t always get along in the media but much of this is due to the high levels of insulin in the standard American diet.

To say that meat is bad in this regard would be simply incorrect. In reality, high carbohydrate foods consumed over extended periods of time are bad news for this condition. Fats found in meat can help to reduce the risks of heart failure or disease, mainly thanks to additions such as fatty acids.

To make sure meat is helping rather than hurting be sure to -
  • Choose quality cuts of meat
  • Trim fat before cooking
  • Limit meat portions to around 2-3 ounces
  • Use healthy cooking methods such as baking or roasting

Decrease Heartburn

Created by the acid reflux that we spoke about earlier; heartburn is a common problem that involves a burning sensation in the chest. This can be an incredibly uncomfortable sensation, and it’s not something anyone embraces with open arms. As we touched upon when discussing acid reflux, though, meat can help to ease and even reduce symptoms.

The idea of animal products for heartburn treatment is nothing new. Milk and dairy have long provided ‘cooling’ benefits for suffering individuals at the height of heartburn.

While high-fat foods have been known to worsen the occurrence of heartburn, studies show that  meats can eliminate heartburn issues in some cases. As we mentioned in our acid reflux section, egg whites are also proven to reduce symptoms here (though egg yolks can further problems). As such, binding meat burgers or meatballs with egg whites could work wonders.

Control Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is often a concern when dealing with any kind of diet plan. Usually because of the calorie restrictive nature of most modern diets.

But in most cases, the carnivore diet can benefit those with thyroid issues by helping to manage levels of thyroid hormone circulating the body and the tissues. That's because thyroid hormones are present in almost all cells of the human body.

There's also a lot of evidence to suggest that some people who lose a lot of weight on the carnivore diet end up being able to reduce their thyroid medications.

Reduce & cure IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition that affects the digestive system of more people than many of us realize. It most commonly displays as stomach cramps, diarrhea, and constipation, and can last for days, weeks, or even months.

While causes vary among individuals, diet often plays a significant part, with various foods (including legumes and some fruits,) causing symptoms. For the most part, individuals are advised to control this condition with dietary changes, namely those in keeping with a low FODMAP diet. Incidentally, low FODMAP diets generally recommend increased consumption of meat and poultry, much like the carnivore diet. And, both have seen pretty similar cases in the reduction or complete removal of IBS symptoms.

This is, in large part, thanks to the low-carb, high-fat benefits of meat that keep cropping up in the majority of these health pointers. Carbs and even some plant-based foods can wreak havoc where IBS is concerned. As such, you could soon enjoy the benefits of cutting them out and turning to lean, healthy meat instead.

Do interventions which reduce colonic bacterial fermentation improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15844715


Improved Mental health

Mental health is as vital for a happy and healthy life as physical health. Poor mental health can lead to a multitude of problems, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, and psychosis. This can have a tremendous impact on lifestyle and is something everyone should avoid at all costs.

While the link might not be apparent to everyone, the food we eat can have significant standing on our mental condition.

Namely, evidence suggests that a diet low in or eliminating plant-based foods can help us stay happier at all times.

In fact, diets high in meat can help to improve mood, energy, and concentration - all of which suffer when mental health deteriorates. Studies are ongoing as to why meat helps mental health, but evidence suggests it could be to do with nutrients, specifically B12. Whatever the reason; the more advocates that come forward with mental health improvements thanks to meat, the more the world is liable to sit up and take notice.

Multiple sclerosis management

Multiple sclerosis (or M.S.) is a life-altering condition that primarily affects the brain and spinal cord. It can cause a multitude of issues, including problems with vision, movement, balance, and coordination. It’s unknown why individuals develop M.S., and as yet there’s no cure. That said, plenty of individuals can manage and even reduce their symptoms with specific lifestyle changes.

One of those lifestyle changes does, of course, revolve around diet. Primarily, a healthy and balanced diet has been proven to make significant changes when paired with daily exercises. As you can probably guess by now, one such healthy balanced diet includes lean meats like high-quality beef cuts.

When eaten in moderation, there’s evidence to suggest a low-fat diet with foods like these can even halt progression in some patients. That’s a massive step in the right direction, and it’s a benefit that makes the carnivore diet a tempting option here indeed.

Reverse Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens the bones. It typically develops over several years and can result in multiple broken bones and fractures after even minuscule impacts. In some extreme cases, breaks can even occur from something as simple as a sneeze or cough.

Further complications of the condition include a prominently bent back. This condition is incredibly painful and is treated mainly with bone-strengthening medications, but food also plays a part.

This is because deficiencies can lead to or worsen weakened bones. Calcium gets the most attention from this respect and comes mainly from animal products like dairy. Fewer people realize that meat can also be hugely beneficial here.

Alongside calcium, protein, and magnesium are also incredibly crucial to ongoing bone health, and red meat is a reliable source of each. Simply make sure that you’re buying prime cuts that are low in sodium, and enjoy stronger bones moving forward.

PCOS Management

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects 10% of women. Caused by elevated male hormones known as androgens, it displays in a variety of symptoms including irregular or missing periods, excessive hair growth, and acne. It’s also a leading cause of infertility in women, with many sufferers struggling to conceive.

Many women with PCOS find that they’re able to manage their condition and even improve their fertility with the correct diet. Namely, this is because high-meat diets allow women to cut carbohydrate intake, and also balance blood sugars and hormone production. This is especially vital, considering that many PCOS sufferers have higher levels of insulin in their blood. As we discussed in the diabetes section of this post, meat can be a massive help in that respect.

Healthy fats and proteins, in general, have also proven especially beneficial for the treatment of PCOS symptoms, and those are easy to find in a red meat-heavy diet.

Decrease Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a painful skin condition that causes red, crusty patches of skin covered by silver scales. It’s caused when skin cells are replaced faster than usual and can appear anywhere and to any degree, though breakouts most commonly appear on the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back.

A variety of causes can be behind the condition, including hormone changes, stress, or even certain medications.

A look at the available research also reveals that experts suspect diet plays a significant role.

Evidence into this issue is ongoing, but studies so far suggest that low-calorie, anti-inflammatory foods could help to fight or avoid breakouts. And, guess what? Meat fits perfectly into that category. Beef especially seems to have significant positive effects for tackling the occurrence and severity of psoriasis, with many claiming that a carnivore diet has effectively worked as a cure for them. Observational studies have revealed that this may be due to meat intake and plasma concentrations of the inflammatory marker CRP.

Improve Thyroid problems

Thyroid problems come in a range of guises, and most often occur due to issues with the production of thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism is the overproduction of said hormones. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid fails to produce enough hormones. Problems like these can be incredibly problematic for sufferers, though they are entirely treatable with hormone replacements or, in many cases, diet.

Evidence suggests that eating a diet rich in particular nutrients can go a long way towards reducing or even preventing thyroid problems. When you look into what exactly those nutrients are, it’s plain to see that meat contains the majority of them.

Zinc especially can help to activate thyroid hormones in the case of hypothyroidism and is in no short supply from a beef-rich diet. In fact, all meats are recommended to those needing to boost thyroid hormone production.

 It’s also worth noting that losing weight on a low-carb diet has been proven to help reduce the production of unwanted thyroid hormones. That means increased meat intake can improve this situation all around.

Weight loss

While we’re on the subject of weight loss, this is yet another potential health benefit of carnivore diet. There are currently an estimated 160 million obese individuals in the U.S. alone.

This is a series issue considering that obesity in itself can lead to many of the problems we’ve discussed here, including diabetes, heart disease, and even thyroid problems.
Luckily, meat is one of the most weight-loss-friendly foods on the planet. That’s why the carnivore diet is so tempting to many.

Lean beef especially has proven beneficial here thanks to its high protein content. A quality steak can keep you fuller for longer, regulate blood sugar, and generally guarantee that you don’t need to snack. Protein is so good for this, in fact, that studies have shown increasing protein by 25% can reduce cravings by 60%. Even better, you needn’t compromise on taste to enjoy those all-important benefits.

READ MORE: WEIGHT LOSS ON THE CARNIVORE DIET

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