What is the carnivore diet Webmd?

October 24, 2025 •

2 min read

According to WebMD, the carnivore diet is a highly restrictive eating plan that eliminates all plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and grains, focusing exclusively on meat and other animal products. The premise is that eliminating carbohydrates can lead to weight loss and other health benefits, though experts raise significant concerns about its long-term health implications.

Quick Summary

This article explores the carnivore diet, defining its all-animal-product focus and discussing its mechanisms for weight loss, such as ketosis. It examines potential benefits, common side effects, and significant health risks, emphasizing medical professional perspectives, as highlighted in WebMD's health coverage.

Key Points

Strict Restriction: The carnivore diet eliminates all plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, focusing solely on animal products like meat, fish, and eggs.
Ketosis for Weight Loss: By removing carbohydrates, the diet forces the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns stored fat for energy, leading to potential weight loss.
High in Saturated Fat: The diet's reliance on animal products, particularly fatty meats, means a high intake of saturated fat, which can increase LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk.
Lacks Key Nutrients: Excluding plant foods leads to a significant lack of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants, raising concerns about digestive health and nutrient deficiencies.
Potential for Side Effects: Common side effects, especially during the initial phase, can include constipation or diarrhea, headaches, and muscle cramps.
Medical Caution Advised: Due to limited scientific research and significant health risks, medical professionals, including WebMD, typically advise against long-term adherence to this diet without supervision.

WebMD's Perspective on the Carnivore Diet

WebMD and other health organizations often categorize the carnivore diet as an extreme, restrictive eating plan. Proponents claim it can improve various health markers, while health experts caution against its potential risks and lack of scientific evidence. The diet strictly excludes all plant-based foods, including vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts, favoring meat, fish, eggs, and certain dairy products. This rigidity is one of the main points of concern among nutrition professionals. Because the diet allows for no plant foods, it completely removes dietary fiber, which is crucial for digestive health and is linked to lower risks of heart disease and colon cancer.

How the Carnivore Diet Works

Like the ketogenic diet, the carnivore diet is a very-low-carbohydrate, high-protein, and high-fat diet. By cutting out all carbohydrates, the body is forced to enter a metabolic state known as ketosis, where it begins burning fat for fuel instead of glucose. This process is central to the diet's appeal for weight loss, as fat is consumed for energy. Proponents suggest that this metabolic shift, along with the satiating nature of high protein and fat, helps reduce overall calorie intake and control hunger.

Foods Allowed vs. Restricted on the Carnivore Diet

{Link: WebMD https://www.webmd.com/diet/carnivore-diet} provides an overview of the foods permitted and restricted on the carnivore diet. The diet strictly limits intake to animal products, while completely excluding all plant-based foods.

Potential Benefits and Side Effects

Advocates report anecdotal benefits like short-term weight loss and improved blood sugar, but WebMD emphasizes caution due to the diet's extreme nature and potential drawbacks. Risks include nutrient deficiencies (fiber, Vitamin C) and concerns for heart health due to high saturated fat. Initial side effects can include digestive issues or the "keto flu".

Carnivore vs. Other Low-Carb Diets

Comparing the carnivore diet to other low-carb plans highlights its strictness. It eliminates all carbohydrates and plant foods, unlike Keto or Paleo diets which allow some non-animal sources. This makes the risk of nutrient deficiencies higher on the carnivore diet.

Is the Carnivore Diet Sustainable or Safe Long-Term?

Medical experts, including WebMD, raise concerns about the carnivore diet's long-term safety and sustainability. Its restrictive nature can make adherence challenging, and the potential for nutrient deficiencies is significant. High saturated fat intake could pose cardiovascular risks. Given the lack of extensive long-term studies, consulting a healthcare provider is essential before starting this diet.

Conclusion

WebMD characterizes the carnivore diet as a highly restrictive plan focused solely on animal products. While it may offer short-term weight loss via ketosis, it carries notable health risks, primarily due to the absence of fiber and essential plant nutrients. Medical professionals often advise against its long-term use, citing concerns about heart health, kidney function, and nutrient intake. It is crucial to consult a doctor or dietitian before considering this diet.

Optional Outbound Link: Learn more about heart-healthy eating from the American Heart Association.

Frequently Asked Questions

According to WebMD, the carnivore diet is an eating plan that exclusively includes meat and other animal products like beef, chicken, pork, fish, and eggs, while eliminating all carbohydrates found in plant-based foods.

No, WebMD and many health experts express significant caution and do not generally recommend the carnivore diet for long-term health. They cite concerns about nutrient deficiencies, high saturated fat intake, and a lack of scientific evidence to support its claims.

Common side effects include headaches, fatigue, and digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea, especially when first starting. Some individuals may also experience bad breath and muscle cramps.

Yes, many followers report weight loss, particularly in the short term. This is often due to the diet's low-carb, high-protein nature, which promotes satiety and can lead to a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body burns fat for energy.

No, while similar in being low-carb, the carnivore diet is more extreme. The ketogenic diet allows for some plant-based foods, such as certain vegetables and nuts, while the carnivore diet restricts all plant matter entirely.

Long-term risks include potential nutrient deficiencies (lack of fiber, vitamin C), increased risk of heart disease due to high saturated fat and cholesterol intake, and increased strain on the kidneys. There is limited long-term research on the diet's effects.

All plant-based foods are restricted, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Processed foods, sugar, and most beverages other than water and bone broth are also excluded.