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No vegetables, just meat, dairy and eggs. Followers of the carnivore diet are convinced that they get all the nutrients the body needs from meat and other animal products. Specialists see it differently.
For lunch, Simon Corchia has 300 grams of minced meat with raclette cheese, raw heart and liver, yogurt, a glass of raw milk and a few apple slices. Since he has been eating mostly meat, he says he feels fit and full of energy.
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«I have a clear head. After eating, I no longer have to lie down and take a nap,” says Simon about the Carnivore diet.
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He has been eating a “carnivore” diet for around nine months. Strict adherents of the diet eat almost exclusively animal products. Simon allows himself fruit. But he never has vegetables. “Plants don’t want to be eaten,” says Simon, explaining the decision. Therefore, vegetables would produce antinutrients that would not be good for the body.
Inspired by social media
He is not alone with this theory. Well-known influencers from the “carnivore community” also hold the view that vegetables are toxic to the body. A statement that cannot be scientifically verified.
Simon gets his information about this eating style from influencers with several 100,000 followers such as the Americans Paul Saladino or Shawn Baker. The latter wrote a book about the carnivore diet and popularized it as of 2018.
The hashtag #carnivorediet now has over 53 million posts on Tiktok. Some in this community represent a clear image of masculinity. Her message: This is how you become a real man, a muscular, potent alpha male.
Meat consumption as a political act?
Various English-language media outlets have also reported connections between some diet supporters and conservative or alt-right communities. They would see their high meat consumption as a political act against leftists and liberals who, among other things, eat a vegetarian diet and campaign against climate change.
In Carnivore groups on Facebook, people report that they have lost weight and are feeling better physically and mentally. “Isolated cases are always dangerous,” says Philipp Schütz, chief physician for internal medicine and endocrinology at the Aarau Cantonal Hospital.
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Chief physician for internal medicine and endocrinology Philipp Schütz recommends a balanced diet and moderate meat consumption.
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He knows some success stories from fans of extreme diets. The mere fact that you get involved in such a topic and that there is a community of people who encourage you makes a difference. “All of this generates positive emotions that have an influence on your feeling of health,” he explains.
The body is deprived of important vitamins and nutrients.
Simon lets the head doctor take a look at his blood values. According to Schütz, these are fine. Except for the cholesterol levels, these are elevated and could be due to high meat consumption. “This increases the risk of cardiovascular disease or a stroke occurring in 20 to 30 years,” says Schütz. He further criticizes a purely carnivorous diet as being too one-sided: “The body is deprived of important vitamins and nutrients.”
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Simon says he eats between 500 and 1000 grams of meat per day.
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Even after the doctor’s visit, it is clear to Simon that meat will remain his main ingredient: “So far I can say that this diet is good for me. Ultimately, everyone has to look for themselves.”
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