Myth or fact: the carnivore diet is the healthiest diet

• The largest carnivore diet study is a self-reported survey of followers, not a clinical trial.
• Participants had markedly elevated average LDL cholesterol.
• Processed meat is an IARC group 1 carcinogen; red meat is a probable carcinogen.
• Without plants there is no fiber, which lowers the risk of colorectal cancer and heart disease.

Myth: humans only need meat and plants are harmful

“Carnivore” influencers eat only meat, fish, eggs and animal fat, claiming that plants contain “antinutrients” and that meat cures everything.

Fact: there is no evidence, and the risks are known

A survey of followers. The largest study surveyed more than 2,000 adults following a carnivore diet. Participants reported satisfaction and better well-being, but they had markedly elevated LDL cholesterol. The authors stressed that the design (self-selection, self-report, no control group) does not allow conclusions about benefit or safety (Lennerz et al., 2021).

Meat and cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meat as a group 1 carcinogen and red meat as group 2A, mainly because of colorectal cancer (Bouvard et al., 2015).

Plants and longevity. The EAT–Lancet Commission recommends a diet built on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes and nuts, with small amounts of red meat (Willett et al., 2019).