Carnivore diet: Actually beneficial or just another social media obsession?

After Keto, Mediterranean, gluten-free, plant-based, and Atkins diets, ladies and gentlemen, we have a new member joining an ever-growing list of, as Matt Fitzgerald puts it, ‘Cult diets’. Food is personal and a huge part of our identity; thus, more often than not, the ‘trending’ diets are not some new revolutionary way of making us healthy; rather, they enforce belief systems or ideologies.


Say hello to Carnivore diet also called the 'Lion diet'
If plant-based diets have gone one way by excluding meat, why not take the ‘binary opposition’ to its extreme—cut out plants entirely? Enter the Carnivore diet: a way of eating that consists solely of meat, fish, eggs, and select dairy, with no room for grains, vegetables, or even the occasional sweet treat.


The script has been flipped overnight and influencers are playing catch up. However, people who were quick to read the winds, jumped fast enough to claim to their followers that this diet is the next big health revolution, and recount the innumerable changes they have seen in their overall health since adopting the ‘lion’s way of eating’.

Clip after clip we see the same template—plates of meticulously arranged, meat-based meals that look more like displays than actual food. In each video, Instagram influencers share their dramatic transformation stories, claiming to have gone from struggling with various health issues to becoming sculpted specimens worthy of Michelangelo.


More than just a claim?

While the online world is buzzing with discussions about the carnivore diet, there is a notable lack of rigorous research to determine its actual health benefits. One study, Behavioral Characteristics and Self-Reported Health Status among 2,029 Adults Consuming a “Carnivore Diet”, is frequently cited by dieticians, who advocate for this eating pattern. The study reported that participants experienced high levels of satisfaction and perceived improvements in overall health, though more scientific investigation is needed to validate these claims.


As per the paper, a social media survey was conducted in 2020, where the questions included- “motivation, dietary intake patterns, symptoms suggestive of nutritional deficiencies or other adverse effects, satisfaction, prior and current health conditions, anthropometrics, and laboratory data.”

The study mentioned that about 95% of participants reported improved health, increased well-being, and relief from various medical conditions, after starting this diet.


However, the study itself has been questioned, and health medical professionals have asked readers to approach it with caution. They cited reasons ranging from a reporting bias to a lack of ‘validated instruments to assess food frequency’.


The ‘Diet coaches’ of the internet know it all!
But before criticizing any kind of diet let us look at what the ‘Carnivore Diet coaches’ have to say about the diet. Going with the username, ‘@carnivore.fitness’, Rachael Ashby claims to be a ‘Carnivore diet coach’ in her Instagram bio. She has a huge following of 28.7K followers, where she has recounted her journey of eating meat and no plant in about 5 years. In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, Rachael, a mother of four, said that she hasn’t bought a vegetable in four years — not even for her children, aged nine to 21.



She further asserts that ever since adopting the ‘Carnivore diet’ she has dropped from a size 18 to a size 10, and is now more ‘in tune’ with her body’s hunger signals. She cements her arguments by recounting that she has tried all kinds of diets, but none worked for her and she was left feeling lethargic and bloated. She recounts how her life turned around after she came across a video of Dr. Shawn Baker in 2019, one of the forerunners of this diet. Mr Baker claims in his book, Carnivore Diet, and on his website that he has reversed chronic, autoimmune, and mental illnesses through the carnivore diet.


Interestingly, in 2017, Baker’s medical license was revoked by the New Mexico Medical Board due to concerns about his competency. However, it was reinstated in 2019 with the condition that he practice under direct supervision.


Another ex-vegan dietician going by @steakandbuttergal, has a following of 435k on Instagram and claims to have been following the ‘carnivore diet’ for 6 years now. Her Instagram profile is perfect, with everything carnivore- from carnivore pizza to carnivore pancakes to even carnivore ice cream- whatever that is. Bella shares her journey on THE DESI EM PROJECT podcast, “I especially related to female turned carnivore stories. I was sold immediately. I was, like, I am already at the stage where I feel terrible. I don't even have a cycle. Might as well just give it a shot. And I am so glad I gave it a try. I jumped right in and it changed my life. Five years later, I am still a high-fat carnivore.”




However, in one of the videos, we see her reading Dr. Shawn Baker’s book- ‘Carnivore Diet’, and then enters the man himself. In the captions, they announce that they are starting a video series where they will teach people how to do a carnivore diet. This is not the only time Shawn Bakers features in her videos, her feed is full of people she collaborates with who are also on the ‘carnivore diet’ for years now.


Meat-meet ups and more!
The ‘Carnivore diet’ has the potential to gain the same popularity as the Keto diet did. It has all the factors working in its favor- certified doctors recommending it, a shock factor, a community of dieticians who swore by this diet, and testimonials from ‘normal’ people who are all too eager to share their success stories.



But as netizens, we often fail to recognize that most online trends are not purely organic or spontaneous. These trends are often driven by marketing campaigns, influencers with vested interests, or hidden algorithms that push certain narratives. In this case, it is the mix of all three. There seems to be a growing network of influencers who are working to promote this diet while simultaneously creating a brand of themselves on social media.



One of the examples of this growing network is Dr. Lisa Wiedeman, who claims to have been on the Carnivore diet for 15 years. She recently organized a five-day "Carnivore Cruise," attended by 150 like-minded individuals. These events are not just a way of community building, but they're business opportunities. Even if not all 150 attendees, at least 100 of them post about the event on their social media. Each post—whether it’s a recap, a testimonial, or just a picture of a perfectly seared steak—creates a ripple effect.



Algorithms prioritize engagement, so the more these posts are liked, shared, and commented on within the community, the more they spread beyond it. And BOOM! Suddenly everyone is talking about it- making it a trending topic.



“Man Eating 6–9 Pounds of Butter and Cheese a Day Develops ‘Cholesterol Hands’ While on Carnivore Diet.” (Headline: Fox 13)
According to JAMA Cardiology, a medical journal, a man in his early 40s developed a rare condition called xanthelasma, which affects about 1% of patients with high cholesterol.


The man informed the doctors that, inspired by the internet, he got on the ‘Carnivore diet’ and started consuming 6–9 pounds of butter, cheese, and hamburgers a day. He also cut off carbohydrates from his diet completely. At first, he felt great—experiencing weight loss, increased energy, and improved mental clarity. However, after about eight months, yellow lesions began forming on his eyelids. Within a month, they had spread on the palms of his hands, the soles of his feet, and his elbows.

While our social media is filled with reels of happy and healthy individuals showcasing their progress on the carnivore diet, we often overlook stories like this—ones that are just as important to consider. Before jumping into any diet, it’s crucial, thus, to do your own research—rather than simply eating whatever your feed feeds you.