Trendy ‘carnivore diet’ can cause scurvy, heart disease and even a form of CANCER, nurse warns

Experts warn that the ultra-popular carnivore diet could lead to heart disease, scurvy, an ancient seafaring disease, and even colorectal cancer.

With nearly 100 million videos shared, the controversial diet has exploded in popularity on TikTok.

This involves eating only meat, fish and animal products like butter and eggs, cutting out other food groups like fruits, vegetables and seeds.

Jane Clarke, a UK-based gut nurse specialist, warned that a diet limited to meat products strips away essential nutrients like vitamin C and fiber, while filling up on harmful cholesterol.

Recent studies have shown that a lack of fiber could be responsible for the increase in cases of colorectal cancer among young people, because the nutrient found in carbohydrates prevents bad toxins from festering in the digestive tract.

“Meat, eggs and butter all contain a multitude of essential vitamins, it’s true,” Ms Clarke said. “However, these meat influencers forget everything your body needs that this restrictive diet doesn’t contain.”

Unlike other extreme diets like keto, which are low in carbs, the carnivore diet aims to eliminate carbs completely.

This theory is based on the belief that our ancestors, thousands of years ago, lived only on meat. Its supporters claim that foods high in carbohydrates and sugar, including certain fruits like apples and bananas, are responsible for high rates of chronic disease.

Carbohydrates get a bad rap because some refined versions like white bread don’t keep us full for long.

However, they constitute the body’s main source of energy.

The digestive system breaks down the sugars in carbohydrates and turns them into glucose, also called blood sugar.

The body releases insulin, which sends glucose to cells for energy.

Not consuming enough carbohydrates can lead to sluggishness and lack of energy due to chronic low blood sugar, also called hypoglycemia.

Additionally, whole-grain carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, oats, and whole-grain bread, are the primary source of fiber in the American diet.

Ms Clarke warns that a carnivore diet also cuts out fiber, which is necessary to maintain healthy digestion and regular bowel movements.

“A low-fiber diet will eventually lead to fiber deficiency, most often characterized by severe constipation,” she said.

“In the long term, this can increase your risk of colorectal cancer, not to mention be extremely uncomfortable.”

Increasing rates of colorectal cancer, particularly among young people, have recently been linked to diets high in red meat and sugar, as well as diets low in fiber.

“You want to look to minimize that risk with your diet, not increase it,” Ms Clarke said.

And while a carnivorous diet could contribute to alarming new health trends, it could also increase the risk of contracting nearly extinct diseases.

Ms Clarke highlighted scurvy, which is caused by a severe vitamin C deficiency.

The disease has roots dating back to 16th-century pirates who rarely had a steady supply of fruits and vegetables at sea, as well as the Irish potato famine.

Vitamin C helps form collagen, an important component of connective tissues, which support the structure of blood vessels.

Symptoms include bleeding sores, tooth loss, anemia, swelling, bone pain and shortness of breath.

Modern cases are rare in developed countries like the United States, although cutting out vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits may increase the risk.

“Removing crucial sources of vitamin C is likely to leave a serious dent in your immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds and other viruses,” Ms Clarke said.

“Vitamin C is essential for both collagen synthesis and immune function.”

“A lack of vitamin C in the diet can lead to scurvy. Scurvy will leave you too exhausted to go to the gym and could cause you to lose your teeth.

Additionally, she noted that a carnivorous diet can lead to excessive protein consumption or protein poisoning. This is an excessive intake of protein, without carbohydrates or fats, to balance nutrients.

In these cases, the kidneys cannot properly filter all the proteins and struggle to keep up. Ms Clarke said that over time this “can lead to kidney damage, particularly in people with pre-existing kidney conditions”.

Red meat and animal products like cheese and butter are also high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, making it harder for the organs to pump.

“When your diet is just plate after plate of saturated fat and cholesterol, you’re putting a strain on your heart,” Ms Clarke said.

“Eating a carnivorous diet long-term will increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.”

Perhaps one of the most famous proponents of the carnivore diet is the Liver King, a social media influencer who has over eight million followers on TikTok and Instagram.

The ‘King’, real name Brian Johnson, is known for his love of raw meat and primal lifestyle, insisting the ‘ancestral’ diet is responsible for his massively muscular physique.

However, he was criticized for using steroids, leaving critics to blame performance-enhancing drugs rather than the influencer’s bizarre diet.

Searches for the carnivore exploded 79% in the last year alone, peaking at nearly 200,000 between December 2023 and January 2024, according to Google search data.

And diet videos have garnered more than a billion views on TikTok.