The carnivore diet, an all-meat eating plan, has gained traction among fitness enthusiasts and influencers, with podcaster Joe Rogan being one of its most vocal supporters. Despite experiencing digestive issues during his first stint on the diet, Joe Rogan has returned to the regimen, touting its benefits for weight loss and cognitive performance. However, medical experts are raising serious concerns about its long-term health effects.
What Is Carnivore Diet
The diet consists solely of animal-based products, including meat, eggs, and dairy, while eliminating all plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. Experts claim that the high-protein, high-fat approach helps with weight loss, muscle gain, and overall health. Joe Rogan's diet primarily includes steak, bacon, and organ meats, with zero carbohydrates.
Carnivore Diet Side Effects
Joe Rogan has acknowledged the diet's downsides. In a 2020 Instagram post, he described experiencing severe diarrhoea. "I've come to accept that if I keep going with this diet it's just a matter of time before we lose a battle, and I fill my undies like a rainforest mudslide overtaking a mountain road," he joked.
In another extreme case, a Florida man who followed the diet for eight months developed yellowish nodules leaking fluid from his hands, elbows, and feet. Doctors diagnosed him with xanthelasma, a condition linked to high cholesterol and excessive fat levels in the blood.
Medical Concerns
Doctors from the Indiana University School of Medicine have warned that the carnivore diet may raise the risk of kidney stones. A case study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition highlighted a 68-year-old man who lost over 10 kg after following the diet but later developed severe kidney stone complications. Tests showed he was at high risk for calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, and uric acid stones - conditions that only improved after quitting the diet.
Cardiologists warn that eating too much red meat, butter, and cheese can raise bad cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. While avoiding refined carbs can help, experts say cutting out fibre-rich fruits and vegetables may harm health in the long run.
Is Carnivore Diet Beneficial?
Despite these warnings, some experts believe the carnivore diet can be beneficial in specific cases. Dr Georgia Ede, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist specialising in nutritional psychiatry, argued that the diet could help identify food sensitivities, curb binge-eating, and relieve digestive issues.
"It's not possible to say with scientific certainty whether this dietary pattern (or any dietary pattern, for that matter) is ideal for everyone, but my clinical and personal experience tells me that a well-formulated carnivore diet can be uniquely healing for some of us," she told Fox News.
