Last update: 22 August 2021
I’m often asked about the benefits of a fully carnivorous diet – what it does for me? This is a tough question to answer, mostly because I was not a wreck of a man when I adopted it. Some people see dramatic and extreme improvements, particularly if they have autoimmune conditions and advanced metabolic illness, neither of which applied to me at the time. Hence the relatively muted results, and some difficulty explaining why I continue to do this. Here is a list of changes and relevant health issues I’ve noted.
Area | Effect |
Body composition | Slimmer than normal, but mass set-point unchanged. |
Insulin sensitivity | No baseline to compare. Good on animal foods only. See here. |
Skin condition | Better, acne greatly reduced. |
Lipids | TC up, HDL up, TG down, LDL up. See also here. |
Vitamin D status | No longer frankly deficient. |
Dental health | Teeth stopped rotting, see here. |
B-vitamin status | No longer deficient. |
Iron marker status | No longer deficient, ferritin still high. |
Liver panel | No baseline to compare. AST and ALT often mildly elevated. Otherwise good. |
Strength | Substantially improved, absent exercise. |
Mood | Largely the same. Maybe more stable. |
Intestinal health | Evacuation frequency decreased. |
Immune function | Improved. Rarely sick. |
Omega-3 status | No baseline to compare. Depends entirely on recent wild fish consumption. |
Blood pressure | Unchanged. High normal. |
Questions about effects | Greatly increased amount. |