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

Experts have warned that the hugely popular meat-eating diet could cause heart disease, scurvy – an ancient sailor’s disease – and even colon cancer.

With nearly 100 million videos shared, the controversial diet has become hugely popular on TikTok.

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

UK-based bowel nurse specialist Jane Clarke warned that a diet consisting entirely of meat products robs people of important nutrients such as vitamin C and fibre and contributes to the build-up of harmful cholesterol.

Recent studies have shown that a lack of fiber may be contributing to the rise in colon cancer among young people, as the nutrients in carbohydrates prevent harmful toxins from multiplying in the digestive tract.

“It’s true that meat, eggs, and butter are packed with essential vitamins,” Clark says, “but what meat influencers are leaving out are all the other things your body needs that aren’t on this restrictive diet.”

Unlike other extreme diets, such as the low-carb keto diet, the carnivore diet aims to eliminate carbohydrates completely.

It is based on the belief that our ancestors thousands of years ago subsisted solely on meat, and proponents claim that foods high in carbohydrates and sugar, including certain fruits such as apples and bananas, are responsible for higher rates of chronic disease.

Carbohydrates get a bad rap because refined carbs like white bread don’t keep you feeling full for long.

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

Your digestive system breaks down the sugars in carbohydrates and converts them into glucose, also known as blood sugar.

Your body secretes insulin, which sends glucose to your cells for energy.

If you don’t eat enough carbohydrates, you may feel sluggish and lack energy due to chronic low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia.

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

Clark warns that a carnivore diet also cuts out fibre, which is needed to maintain healthy digestion and regular bowel movements.

“Such a fibre-poor diet ultimately leads to fibre deficiency, which in most cases is characterised by severe constipation,” she said.

“In the long term, not only can it be very uncomfortable, but it can also increase your risk of colon cancer.”

Recently, rising rates of colon cancer, especially among young people, have been linked to diets high in red meat and sugar and low in dietary fiber.

“We want our diet to minimize this risk, not increase it,” Clark said.

While eating meat could contribute to worrying new health trends, it could also increase the risk of contracting endangered diseases.

Clark pointed to scurvy, a disease caused by severe vitamin C deficiency.

The condition’s origins date back to 16th century pirates, who rarely had a steady supply of fruits and vegetables at sea, and the Irish Potato Famine.

Vitamin C aids in the formation of collagen, a key component of connective tissue that supports the structure of blood vessels.

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

Today, cases are rare in developed countries like the United States, but not consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, may increase your risk.

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“Cutting off an important source of vitamin C can seriously damage your immune system and make you more susceptible to colds and other viruses,” Clark said.

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

“A lack of vitamin C in your diet can lead to scurvy, which can make you too tired to go to the gym and can even cause your teeth to fall out.”

Additionally, she noted, a carnivore diet can lead to protein overdose, or protein addiction, which is when you eat too much protein without consuming enough carbohydrates and fats to balance the nutrients.

In these cases, the kidneys can’t filter proteins properly and struggle to maintain their filtering capacity, which over time, Clark said, “can lead to kidney damage, especially in people with existing kidney disease.”

Red meat and other animal-based foods, such as cheese and butter, are also high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can lead to plaque buildup in your arteries and reduce your organs’ pumping ability.

“A diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol puts a lot of strain on the heart,” Clark says.

“Eating meat over the long term increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.”

Perhaps one of the most well-known advocates of the carnivore diet is Liver King, a social media influencer with more than 8 million followers across TikTok and Instagram.

“The King”, whose real name is Brian Johnson, is known for his love of raw meat and a primitive lifestyle, and claims that his muscular physique is the result of an “ancestral” diet.

But he has been accused of using steroids, with critics blaming performance-enhancing drugs rather than the influencer’s strange eating habits.

Searches for the carnivore surged 79 percent last year alone, according to Google search data, and are expected to hit nearly 200,000 between December 2023 and January 2024.

And the diet video has garnered more than 1 billion views on TikTok.