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Carnivore Diet Guide

An honest look at eating only animal foods: what the research actually shows (and doesn't), how to reduce the risks, what to eat, and 19 simple recipes with the nutrition worked out.

Carnivore is an extreme diet with very little research behind it. If you take medication for diabetes or blood pressure, or have kidney disease or gout, talk to your GP before starting. See Safety & kit.

What is the carnivore diet?

The carnivore diet means eating only animal foods: meat, fish, eggs and, for many people, some dairy. No vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes, nuts or seeds. Most people drink water and eat salt, and many keep coffee.

Because it contains almost no carbohydrate, carnivore is usually also ketogenic. So many of keto's effects, good and bad, apply here too. See our Keto Diet Guide.

People try it mostly for weight loss, blood sugar control, or as a strict elimination diet to see whether certain plant foods are behind gut or skin problems.

Fat ~65–70% Protein ~30%
Fat 60–75%Protein 25–40%Carbs ~0–2%
~0 gcarbs, and fibre is zero
0 RCTsrandomised trials published so far
9 studiesin the most recent research review (2026)

Typical share of daily energy. It depends heavily on which cuts you choose.

The three common versions

Strict ("lion diet")Ruminant meat (beef, lamb), salt and water only. The most restrictive, with the biggest nutrient gaps.
Standard carnivoreAll meats, organ meats, seafood and eggs, plus butter. Much better nutritionally, especially with seafood and liver.
Relaxed / animal-basedAdds dairy, coffee and sometimes a little fruit or honey. Easier to stick to and fills more gaps, but it's no longer strictly carnivore.

What does the research actually show?

This is where carnivore differs most from keto. There are no randomised controlled trials of the carnivore diet. What we have is one large online survey, a handful of case reports, a famous experiment from 1928, and indirect evidence from related research. Here it is, with the study type shown so you can judge how much to trust each one.

Anecdotal self-reported or single cases Indirect from related diets Historical old, very small studies Caution signals of possible harm
Lietz, Dapprich & Fischer, 2026 — Nutrients (scoping review)
Review of all human studies 2021–20259 studies found

The authors found five case studies, two social-media surveys, one exploratory study and one modelling study, with no randomised or controlled trials. Reported benefits included weight loss, fullness, better blood sugar and lower inflammation markers. Reported risks included low intakes of vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, iodine, folate, thiamin and fibre (often under 1 g a day), plus rising LDL cholesterol. They concluded that carnivore "may offer short-term health benefits" but "long-term adherence to a CD cannot be recommended".

Takeaway: any strong claims you hear, positive or negative, go well beyond what has actually been studied.
Lennerz et al., 2021 — Current Developments in Nutrition (Harvard / Boston Children's)
Online survey, no comparison groupn = 2,029 adultsMedian 14 months on the diet

People recruited through carnivore groups on social media overwhelmingly reported feeling better. 95% said their overall health improved, and median BMI fell from 27.2 to 24.3. Most people with diabetes reported reducing or stopping their diabetes medicines. Fewer than 6% reported side effects such as diarrhoea, cramps or constipation.

Their average blood tests showed low triglycerides and high HDL, but high LDL cholesterol (about 4.4 mmol/L on average).

Takeaway: encouraging stories, but very weak evidence. Everyone surveyed was a committed fan who'd stuck with it. People who felt unwell and quit wouldn't be in those groups, and all results were self-reported. The researchers themselves said this can't show cause and effect.
McClellan & Du Bois / Lieb, 1929–30 — Russell Sage Institute, Bellevue Hospital, New York
Supervised case studyn = 2 men12 months

Explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson, who had lived on meat with the Inuit, and his colleague Karsten Andersen ate only meat and fat for a year, with regular hospital checks. Both stayed well, with no signs of kidney damage and stable or improved blood pressure. The doctors concluded the diet had "left no physical or clinically proved stigmas".

Takeaway: a fascinating piece of history showing short-term all-meat eating isn't immediately harmful for healthy adults. But two people for one year, nearly a century ago, can't tell us about long-term risks like heart disease or cancer.

Every study that measured it found LDL cholesterol going up on carnivore. That includes the 2,029-person survey, where the average was around 4.4 mmol/L, well above the usual target of under 3.0 for most adults. Triglycerides and HDL generally look good.

Marmagkiolis et al., 2025 — JAMA Cardiology (case report, University of South Florida)
Single case reportMan in his 40s8 months on carnivore

After eating very large amounts of butter, cheese and hamburgers every day, his total cholesterol rose above 1,000 mg/dL (about 26 mmol/L), from 210–300 mg/dL before. Yellow cholesterol deposits appeared on his hands and elbows. He felt great, with more energy and weight loss, which is exactly why cholesterol needs a blood test and can't be judged by how you feel.

As on keto, LDL tends to rise most in lean, active people. Scientists still debate how much a diet-driven LDL rise matters in someone who is otherwise metabolically healthy, and it hasn't been settled by long-term studies.

Takeaway: get a cholesterol test before you start and 6–12 weeks in. If LDL climbs a lot, talk to your GP. Swapping some butter and fatty meat for fish, eggs and leaner cuts often helps.
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO), 2015
Expert review of 800+ studiesMostly large observational studies

Processed meat (bacon, ham, salami, most sausages) was classified as a known cause of cancer, and each 50 g eaten daily was linked to an 18% higher risk of bowel cancer. Red meat was classified as "probably" a cause of cancer.

These studies looked at people eating mixed diets, and observational studies can't fully separate meat from other lifestyle factors. Nobody has studied cancer rates in long-term carnivore eaters. Still, it's a sensible reason to build carnivore around fresh meat, fish and eggs rather than processed meats.

Takeaway: keep bacon, salami and sausages occasional. Keep up bowel cancer screening. In Australia, the free National Bowel Cancer Screening Program mails a kit every two years to people aged 50–74, and people aged 45–49 can request one.

Diet analyses in the 2026 review found people on carnivore often fell short on these. Here's where carnivore-friendly foods can help:

NutrientCarnivore-friendly sources
Vitamin COnly small amounts in fresh meat and liver. Talk to your GP about checking your levels or a supplement if you go long term.
CalciumCheese, sardines and tinned salmon with the soft bones, bone broth (small amounts). It's hard to get enough without dairy.
MagnesiumFish, mineral water. A supplement is commonly needed.
IodineIodised salt, fish, prawns, mussels, eggs, dairy.
Vitamin DOily fish (salmon, sardines), egg yolks, sunlight.
FolateLiver (especially chicken liver), eggs.
Thiamin (B1)Pork is the best meat source.
FibreNone on carnivore. Nobody knows the long-term effect on gut and bowel health.
Takeaway: "nose-to-tail" carnivore (with organ meats, seafood, eggs and dairy) covers far more than "steak only". Our Food list tags each food with its standout nutrients.

Because carnivore is almost carb-free, the much larger body of ketogenic diet research is the best guide we have. That research shows real short-term improvements in blood sugar and type 2 diabetes, weight loss that's similar to other diets over the long term, lower triglycerides and higher HDL, rising LDL (especially in lean people), and a small kidney stone risk.

Takeaway: read the full evidence summary in our Keto Diet Guide. Just remember that keto includes vegetables, nuts and berries, which carnivore removes, so keto's results may not transfer exactly.

The honest bottom line

  • Many people report feeling better on carnivore: less hunger, weight loss, better blood sugar, and relief from gut symptoms. But this comes from surveys and case reports, not controlled trials.
  • The clearest risks are rising LDL cholesterol, nutrient shortfalls (especially if you eat only muscle meat), zero fibre, and unknown long-term effects.
  • If you try it, treat it as a time-limited experiment (say 4–12 weeks) with blood tests before and after. Eat "nose-to-tail" with seafood and organ meats, and limit processed meat.
  • If carnivore helps your symptoms, consider slowly reintroducing plant foods one at a time to find what actually agrees with you. That's how elimination diets are meant to work.

References

  1. Lietz M, Dapprich M, Fischer M. Carnivore diet: a scoping review of the current evidence, potential benefits and risks. Nutrients 2026;18(2):348.
  2. Lennerz BS et al. Behavioral characteristics and self-reported health status among 2029 adults consuming a "carnivore diet". Curr Dev Nutr 2021;5(12):nzab133.
  3. Lieb CW. The effects on human beings of a twelve months' exclusive meat diet. JAMA 1929;93:20–22; and McClellan WS, Du Bois EF. Prolonged meat diets. J Biol Chem 1930;87:651–68.
  4. Marmagkiolis K et al. Cholesterol skin deposits in a man following a carnivore diet (xanthelasma). JAMA Cardiology, published online 22 January 2025.
  5. International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat. Press release no. 240, 26 October 2015.
  6. US National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin A — fact sheet for health professionals (upper limit 3,000 µg/day for adults).
  7. USDA FoodData Central. Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw (FDC 169451).

Frequently Asked Questions

Nobody knows for sure in the long term, because it hasn't been properly studied. There are no randomised trials. In the short term, healthy adults who do it carefully (enough fat and salt, organ meats and seafood, limited processed meat) often report feeling well. The known risks are rising LDL cholesterol, nutrient shortfalls and zero fibre. If you try it, get blood tests before and after, and involve your GP.

Most people eat to appetite, and many find they naturally settle into two meals a day. As a rough guide, many carnivore eaters aim for 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of healthy body weight a day (about 400–700 g of meat for many adults), with enough fat to feel satisfied. Our Protein Tracker can help.

Fresh meat and especially liver contain small amounts of vitamin C. The 1928 Bellevue experiment and many carnivore eaters report no scurvy. But diet analyses show carnivore intakes are usually well below recommended amounts, and nobody has measured long-term effects. If you stay on carnivore for months, ask your GP about checking your levels.

They overlap. Both are very low carb and usually put you into ketosis. But keto includes low-carb plants (vegetables, nuts, berries, avocado) and is usually lower in protein. Carnivore removes all plants and is usually higher in protein. Keto has far more research behind it.

Strictly speaking, coffee and tea are plants, so strict carnivore excludes them. In practice, most people keep their coffee, black or with a little cream, and it's a reasonable choice. If you're using carnivore as an elimination diet for gut symptoms, it's worth cutting coffee for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference.

Slowly. Add one plant food every 3–4 days, starting with easy-to-digest foods like well-cooked vegetables, avocado or berries, and note how you feel. If you used carnivore for gut symptoms, this is how you work out which foods were actually the problem. Expect some temporary bloating as your gut adjusts to fibre again.

iPhone: open this page in Safari, tap Share, then "Add to Home Screen". Android: open it in Chrome, tap ⋮, then "Add to Home screen". It gets its own icon, and your ticked foods and shopping list are remembered on that phone.

Related Tools

Keto Diet Guide Protein Tracker GKI Calculator Fat Loss Evidence Guide Checkup Reminder Tracker
Disclaimer: This guide is general information based on published research. It is not medical advice and doesn't replace advice from your GP, specialist or an Accredited Practising Dietitian. The carnivore diet is highly restrictive and has not been tested in controlled trials. Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication or have any of the conditions listed in the Safety section. Nutrition values are estimates.