People who choose a carnivore diet are “playing with fire,” a leading dietician warns.
Social media sites like TikTok are teeming with accounts promoting the diet, with proponents surviving on animal products like steak, eggs and butter, claiming the diet has weight loss benefits.
But NHS GP Dr Rupy Aujla says people who choose a carnivore lifestyle could be exposing themselves to potentially serious health risks, including the risk of memory loss.
“That’s something that concerns me, that people are putting themselves at risk for cardiovascular disease and even dementia,” he said.
Dr. Aujla shared on his podcast The Doctor’s Kitchen that there are a number of dangers people should be aware of.
According to NHS GP Rupy Aujla, people who choose a carnivore lifestyle could be exposing themselves to potentially serious health risks, including the risk of memory loss.
“I think this is playing with fire because we don’t have long-term studies of people following these types of diets in modern settings,” he said.
‘You run a high risk of cardiovascular disease and dementia, and everything that comes with it.’
He said the supposed benefits of the carnivore diet are largely due to its lack of carbohydrates, such as pasta and bread, which could help some people lose weight under specific circumstances.
“As a short-term diet, it can actually provide therapeutic benefits for people in specific circumstances, such as people with true intolerances,” he said.
However, Dr. Aujla cited studies on both humans and mice and said scientists had found that the carnivore diet can have serious health consequences.
He said of the mouse study: ‘It showed that long-term adherence to a keto or carnivore diet can be pro-inflammatory and pro-aging.
‘They actually observed changes in key organs like the heart and kidneys, where the accumulation of so-called senescent cells contributed to systemic inflammation and toxicity.’
‘Senescent cells are a type of old cell that like to hang around and cause a lot of inflammation, and they don’t get cleared out by the immune system.
“These are the cells that you don’t want to have in abundance and they can contribute to overall systemic inflammation.”
Dr. Aujla highlighted in his human research that there is an increased risk of impaired heart muscle function and that this has an impact on cellular health, which can worsen chronic inflammation.
But he added that the most worrying aspect of the animal diet is elevated cholesterol levels, which have been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and dementia.
According to the NHS, meat is a good source of protein, which the body needs to maintain and build muscle. It can also be a good source of vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and B vitamins.
According to the NHS, meat is a good source of protein, which the body needs to maintain and build muscle, and it can also be a good source of vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and B vitamins.
However, it advises Britons to choose lean meats and limit their intake of red and processed meat to maximise the health benefits and minimise the downsides, such as a high saturated fat content that can increase the risk of high cholesterol.
The NHS emphasises that eggs and oily fish, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, are particularly healthy animal proteins.
According to advice from the health service, Britons who eat 90g of red or processed meat a day should try to reduce this to 70g.
For comparison, 70 grams is equivalent to about three slices of ham or one quarter pound of hamburger.
The NHS recommends this because eating too much processed meat and red meat has been linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer.
It comes just weeks after an analysis of 2 million people showed thatEating red and processed meat may lead to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Analysis found that regularly eating 50 grams of processed meat per day (the equivalent of two slices of ham) was linked to a 15 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next 10 years.
Meanwhile, eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat per day – equivalent to a small steak – was linked to a 10 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
Eating 100 grams of poultry per day – such as a small chicken breast – was also associated with an 8 percent higher risk of the condition.