Vitamin C deficiency
Scurvy is not just for pirates! If you only ate meat for a month, then your vitamin C intake will be very low. This can lead to bad breath, rashes and gum disease due to the associated diseases. Along with this, you may feel tired, weak and irritable.
Your body will be lacking in fiber
Meat lacks fiber, which is a crucial nutritional component to a healthy diet. Fiber is a vital component of your diet as it helps to add bulk and keeps the digestive system intact. Without enough fibre you may become constipated, develop irritable bowel syndrome, or heart disease.
Zero carb intake
The carnivore diet means you consume no carbs at all. This can cause your body to breakdown fat into ketones for energy. There is no research into long term effects of zero-intake carbs, however it is known to cause headaches and fatigue – despite how popular the ‘keto’ diet has become in recent years.
Hunger is reduced
An all-meat diet means you will be full of high protein foods. This means you won’t be hungry between meals and your hunger levels will decrease. Along with this, you won’t need to buy snacks for between your meals, which is a cheaper option. Whilst a suppressed appetite may be handy for weight-loss, it’s likely you wont be consuming the nutrients you need.
Relief from ailments
There is no research behind an all-meat diet relieving ailments. However, fans of the lifestyle have stated that a diet consisting of beef, salt and water reliefs them of ailments such as depression, anxiety, gastric reflux and many more. It’s no guarantee – so take care if you want to try such extremes.
May enter into a state of ketosis
Ketosis is the state under which your body burns fat fuel rather than carbohydrates. This comes with many benefits such as weight loss, increased energy and has been alleged to treat illnesses. However, it is not guaranteed by just eating meat! As with the above points, nothing is certain in this extreme diet – and is not recommended without caution.
All the vitamins
If you ate beef on a daily basis then, in theory, you should be receiving all the essential vitamins that humans can get from food – right? Whilst you gain amino acids and protein for muscle growth and weight maintenance, it’s thought that the lack of variety would mean you miss out on many other essential components! Not to mention being sick of steak…
High salt intake
Easy access, highly processed meats like bacon and sausages often have excess salt and preservatives, making them not as ‘healthy’ and ‘natural’ as people promoting the carnivore diet may want you to believe. This excess sodium can result in increased blood pressure, which is a contributing factor to the development of heart disease.
Lots of saturated fat
Both processed and unprocessed red meats are high in saturated fat – it’s a fact! This can increase cholesterol levels by dangerous amounts, which can eventually result in heart disease. Instead, you should limit saturated fat intake to just 6% of your total daily calories through a varied and balanced diet.
Regain the weight
Many people use the carnivore diet as a way to lose weight. However, research has found that most actually regain any weight lost throughout the period, as it’s often viewed as a temporary change for a week or two. As there are significant health risks with pursuing it any longer, it is not considered an effective weight loss strategy in the long term.