A doctor has cautioned people about the potential dangers of following a carnivore diet, as the trend continues to gain traction.
While many opt for vegetarian or vegan lifestyles, some people go to the other extreme—cutting out plant foods entirely and relying almost exclusively on meat.
Now, Doctor Emeka Okorocha has shared his thoughts on what this approach could mean for long-term health.
Dr Emeka is an NHS doctor and the author of Your Health in Your Hands, which is available on Amazon.
The idea behind the carnivore diet is straightforward: focus heavily on protein while avoiding foods such as sugar and carbohydrates.
However, despite the growing interest around it, Dr Emeka has urged caution and outlined a number of health concerns linked to the diet.
As the name implies, the carnivore diet generally involves eating meat as the main—often only—source of food.
Dr Emeka said: “The carnivore diet, which many people are discussing, consists of meat, fish, eggs, and sometimes dairy, whilst excluding fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts and plant foods.”
That leaves very little variety, with followers removing virtually all plant-based foods from their meals.
When discussing any positives people associate with the diet, Dr Emeka stressed the limited evidence behind it, stating: “It’s one of the most restricted diets and there is very little scientific evidence supporting long-term health benefits.”
He added: “Some individuals have reported improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome, certain inflammatory symptoms and food sensitivity.”
Even so, he noted that while some potential upsides have been suggested, they are not yet firmly supported by research.
“Some of the plausible benefits which are yet to be completely proven by scientific evidence could be weight loss as protein is highly filling, and the food choices become become limited which may reduce calorific intake and carbohydrates and ultra processed foods,” he said.
“It could also lead to blood sugar control for people with type two diabetes resulted in lower blood glucose levels and reduced insulin requirements.”
Dr Emeka also underscored that the drawbacks of an all-meat diet can be significant.
“The major downsides and potential risks are nutritional deficiencies,” he explained. “You may see deficiencies in vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, and various other nutrients as although fresh meat contains small amounts of nutrients, long-term adequacy remains a concern.”
And it’s not only vitamin and mineral intake that could be affected—removing plant foods can also cause digestive problems for some people.
“You may see an increased in LDL, basically the bad cholesterol and a lack of dietary fibre can lead to constipation and changes in the gut biome,” he said.
“Also high intake of animal proteins can increase a risk of kidney stones, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular uncertainty.”
Ultimately, his message is simple: a more balanced approach—including vegetables—may be a safer option for most people.