Does the Carnivore Diet help with IBS? Here’s what to know about this meaty topic.

The carnivore diet is a highly restrictive eating plan that relies on animal products only.  People following this diet eat beef, poultry, pork, lamb, organ meats, game, shellfish, fish, and eggs, along with limited amounts of dairy products. Food is cooked in butter, ghee, or tallow. No vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, seeds, or grains are allowed. The carnivore diet was first popularized in the 2019 book of the same name by former orthopedic surgeon Shawn Baker, MD (whose medical license was revoked, although he claims he voluntarily gave it up). In essence, the carnivore eating plan is a ketogenic-type diet but puts more emphasis on high protein intake, while a keto diet is skewed more toward high fat intake. Both are very low in carbohydrates, but overall, the carnivore diet is more extreme since carb intake is virtually zero. 

Where’s The Evidence on the Carnivore Diet? 

Well-designed, controlled scientific research on the carnivore diet is sorely lacking. On the other hand, glowing anecdotal reports and surveys of people following the diet are easily found on social media and websites run by carnivore diet advocates. Still, this type of plan appeals to some folks.  

What are the Potential Benefits of the Carnivore Diet?

Without a body of scientific evidence to examine, it’s difficult to discuss the plan's benefits with any real authority. Proponents of the diet usually present two main benefits and then a slew of others—all propped up only by anecdotal reports.

May help with weight loss: Both protein and fat are highly satiating, which can lead to decreased food intake due to a lack of appetite. But the other major factor in this equation is the nearly complete lack of carbohydrates in this diet. Cutting out carbs has a diuretic effect, so at least initially, much of the weight loss is from water loss. This also happens on a keto diet or any other low-carb eating plan. 

May help with “bulking.” The Carnivore Diet has a history of use among weight lifters and bodybuilders. It’s typically claimed that eating a diet of meat only (or animal protein only) can be useful for the “bulking” phase of bodybuilding—a process for which 4+ pounds of meat per day is recommended on some bodybuilding websites and carnivore diet blogs.

Beyond those two main applications, a sprinkling of other benefits is often touted by fans and bloggers (again, with little to no scientific evidence to back them as attributable only to the carnivore eating plan), including:

• healing gut issues, including IBS
• alleviating arthritis
• stopping “grain brain”
• improving auto-immune diseases
• correcting stuttering
• decreasing anxiety and mental health disorders
• fixing fatigue
• lowering chronic inflammation
• taming thyroid disease
• curing diabetes and getting off diabetes medications

If this abbreviated list sounds too good to be true, it’s not surprising. A product or plan that claims to reverse, heal, or treat such a wide variety of issues is a common red flag for health fraud. 

Criticisms of The Carnivore Diet

Given the highly restrictive and unbalanced nature of the carnivore eating plan, it’s easy to see that it’s at odds with the scientific consensus on the basics of a healthy diet. Eating foods from a variety of food groups is the basis of a general healthy eating plan and is a foundational theme of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Other criticisms of the plan include:

• it’s high in saturated fat and cholesterol
• it can lead to higher LDL blood cholesterol
• it relies on red meat, which raises body inflammation 
• it doesn’t contain any fiber
• it’s very high in protein, so it isn’t appropriate for people with chronic kidney disease
• it doesn’t provide enough nutrients for children or pregnant/breastfeeding individuals
• it can be high in sodium, depending on the meat choices

Bottom line: Unlike the data and large amounts of scientific evidence that support the health impacts of eating a more balanced diet that includes plenty of plant foods (such as lower risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes), there is no long-term evidence that the carnivore diet provides any long-term health benefits. 

IBS and Dietary Restrictions 

IBS Symptoms and Triggers

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that affects the function of bowel muscles and is more common in females than males. There are four general types of IBS, with varying symptoms for each. Despite these variations and some differences attributed to gender (such as the impact of hormones), there are some typical symptoms of IBS. If you notice any of the following, it’s a good idea to consult your physician: 

• changes in consistency or appearance of your bowel movements
• change in frequency of bowel movements
• pain with bowel movements
• frequent bloating, cramping 

Common Dietary Approaches for IBS

Dietary management of IBS is commonly recommended and often starts with a Low FODMAP diet. This is an eating plan focused on reducing problematic sugars that may be difficult for people with digestive conditions to absorb. A FODMAP elimination phase is usually the first step in this approach, and it helps to pinpoint the problem foods. After a few weeks, some FODMAP-containing foods are reintroduced into the diet, and any symptoms are noted. 

Avoiding FODMAPs can help alleviate symptoms in some people with IBS, but not everyone responds to it. Other dietary approaches, including probiotic supplementation and fiber supplements, can also be employed. 

Getting help from a Registered Dietitian makes dealing with the Low-FODMAP diet easier, provides a personalized plan and support, and increases the likelihood of your success with this aspect of IBS management. 

Carnivore Diet and IBS: A Potential Match? 

As with general scientific evidence on the Carnivore Diet, there is no real research on the diet’s impact on IBS (hence the reason anecdotal reports are so prevalent). However, looking at aspects of this meat-heavy eating approach, we can identify some evidence-backed drawbacks as well as a few potential benefits for people with IBS. 

Potential Risks and Benefits for IBS

The carnivore diet approach is both less suitable and potentially beneficial for IBS because it completely eliminates plant foods from the eating plan. 

Let’s start with some of the potential risks of the carnivore diet for people with IBS: 

• Lack of fiber. Not only is fiber intake important for general good health, but if you have IBS-C, it’s especially important to get enough fiber to keep things moving along. Moreover, research is increasingly focused on the importance of the gut microbiome as being key to developing and managing IBS. The gut microbiome needs fiber to sustain healthy populations of helpful species of bacteria.
• Lack of certain plant-derived nutrients. Scientists are still trying to uncover the many roles and potential benefits conferred by plant-based compounds called phytonutrients to those who eat them. But certainly, no plant foods mean no phytonutrients, so any possible health perks from eating plants are gone.
• All-meat diets tend to be low in certain vitamins and minerals. Despite claims that an exclusively-meat diet “provides all essential nutrients,” that doesn’t mean it provides them at adequate levels. Two of the “nutrients of concern” that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans say many of us are falling short on are calcium and vitamin D, which can be lacking in the Carnivore Diet. Moreover, people with IBS may have difficulty absorbing vitamin D. Granted, the carnivore diet allows for seafood and certain low-lactose dairy products, which can help get around these issues. 
• Large amounts of meat can be hard to digest. Proteins take longer to digest than carbohydrates and fattier meats can take longer than lean meats. Coupled with compromised gut function, eating large amounts of meat may not feel good to you.  
• It’s a very restrictive eating style. Not everyone can follow a carnivore diet long-term. For some, it’s simply a short-term way to help remove potential trigger foods from the diet. 

Some of the potential benefits of a meat-heavy eating style for people with IBS include:

• Elimination of FODMAPs. With no plant foods allowed, FODMAPs are eliminated, 
• There are few eating “rules.” Not only does the Carnivore Diet not specify portion sizes (it’s more of an eat as much as feels good to you approach), but the only rule is basically this: eat animal protein foods—nothing else. Its simplistic nature can appeal to some who are tired of thinking about what to eat or what they can’t eat.
• It’s a gluten-free eating style. No grains are allowed, so no gluten is in sight. A low-FODMAP diet is not inherently gluten-free, but some people seem to benefit most from eliminating both gluten and FODMAPS from their diets.
• If you like meat (a lot), the Carnivore Diet may be enjoyable. Surveys of people who follow it indicate that many people enjoy their food on it. If following this diet is a means to an end, not a lifelong approach, this may work for you.  

Considerations For The Carnivore Approach

If you have IBS and you’re considering the Carnivore Diet as a way to try to alleviate your symptoms, consider the following:

• No book or website can give you the level of personal assistance and care you can get from professionals who know you and your medical history.
• Consult a Registered Dietitian who has experience in working with IBS clients. 
• Discuss this dietary change with your physician.
• Consider your goal in following this approach. Much of the appeal of the Carnivore Diet is focused on weight loss, and there are lots of ways to lose weight. 
• Until there is actual science behind the claims you see about the Carnivore Diet, don’t automatically accept any of the claims about this eating style. “Personal testimonials” are personal stories, not evidence.

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