Diets
The carnivore diet explained
Carnivore is the strictest common elimination diet — animal products only, nothing else. That simplicity is also its biggest risk.
What it is
Carnivore means animal products exclusively — meat, fish, eggs, and sometimes dairy — with zero plant foods of any kind, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. Some short-term reports describe improved energy or digestive symptoms, plausibly from cutting processed food and added sugar entirely, similar to other elimination diets.
The real risks
Removing every plant food removes fiber, carotenoids, and polyphenols entirely — compounds linked to lower risk of chronic disease. Clinicians report deficiencies in vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and thiamin among long-term carnivore dieters, and caution the diet should be avoided by anyone with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or cardiovascular disease.[1] Short-term experimentation is one thing; long-term adherence without medical supervision carries real, documented risk.