Jul 24

Jul 24 How the Carnivore Diet Can Heal Your Gut & Brain

“The true method of knowledge is experiment.” —William Blake

Meat-Based Trends

When Joe Rogan interviewed Dr. Shawn Baker back in 2017 about only eating meat for two years straight, increasing numbers of people began chatting about—and trying—the now somewhat trendy “carnivore diet.”

Since then, a cult-like following has developed on Instagram and Facebook as they share miraculous stories turning around medical conditions deemed unsolvable by traditional western approaches (#meatheals #carnivorediet).

People of all shapes, ages, and journeys seem to be finding significant improvements in their health and quality of life consuming solely meat and animal-based foods. Some swear by beef, salt, and water: nothing else.

Former vegans, those struggling with extra weight, autoimmune disease, brain fog, fatigue, depression, joint pain, insomnia, and severe gut dysbiosis have eagerly jumped on the beef bandwagon. In the research and medical realm, scientists and PhDs like Amber O’Hearn, Zsofia Clemens, and doctors such as Paul Saladino are finding exceptional results with plant-free diets and their profound ability to reverse issues related to gut dysfunction, autoimmunity and complex, inflammatory diseases.

Uncertainty

As tends to be the case with most things extreme, many nutritionists and doctors advise against a diet of purely meat:

“We have no evidence that this is a good idea,”

said John Ioannidis, a clinical epidemiologist and professor of health research and policy at the Stanford School of Medicine. “We have mostly indirect evidence that this is a bad idea.”

However, the fact that people are reversing (or at least stabilizing) complex diseases such as Lyme, depression, arthritis and even feeling fabulous and thriving on a carnivorous diet demands further attention and potential investigation into the nuances of context-based and extreme nutritional interventions.

Doubt

I admit, I was skeptical, even disgusted, when I heard about this diet. Even as a self-identified BBQ queen and grill-master, I could not wrap my head around eating meal after meal of browned or raw piles of flesh and fat, especially in such oppressive summer heat. I adored my veggies and tropical fruits and in full honesty, craved all varieties of plants in (often times) massive amounts.

I never planned to give them up, either, until my gut completely shut down.

However, after a 90-day trial of carnivore to sort out some extremely debilitating, infection-based gut paralysis, I can confidently say that a short-term carnivore diet allowed my previously disastrous gut health to stabilize when I felt too close to death and therefore, saved my life; it showed me that healing was possible when I had too early given up hope for my body.

Benefits of Nutrient Density and Endotoxin Reduction

Carnivore-enthusiasts speculate that profound healing occurs due to the bioavailability of necessary nutrients (like choline, Vitamin A, D, K, B12, glycine, glutamine, etc) found in bountiful quantities in meat, bone broth, and animal fats, without the anti-nutrients and gut-disruptors so rich in plant and Paleo-based diets.

Others posit that healing the gut and complex disease is more about the removal of triggering foods such as gluten, gums, thickeners, preservatives, and even certain plant toxins that cause systemic inflammation in a highly reactive or already leaky gut.

Most conversations about carnivore agree that success is due to the synergy of removing known offenders and maximizing absorption of desirable micronutrients and therefore, maximizing healing potential. The cells eagerly absorb vital nutrients they had previously been starved of due to gut inflammation and the lack of nutrition in certain diets: a huge toxicity burden is lifted off of the liver when plants are removed from a system with delayed motility or is hypothyroid. (I can attest to this: I went from feeling as if I were dying in my bed eating a plant-based Paleo diet when I lost gut function/motility to going on a hike on Day 2 of the Carnivore Diet: I couldn’t believe the rapid shift.)

By removing fermentable carbohydrates and unnecessary roughage, the production of gut toxins and endotoxin (LPS) lower tremendously. By removing carbs and shifting to burning fat as a fuel, ketone and cortisol levels begin to rise, which might explain some of the anti-inflammatory benefits observed on a low-carb diet or following a short-term fast (1).

While investigation continues to sort out the details of how long this diet can be a sustained (as some see their blood glucose levels starting to rise with time or end up experiencing hypothalamic amenorrhea), we cannot dismiss the fact that people are improving with this highly radical, seemingly blasphemous way of eating, especially when used as a short term recalibration. (I should add that even die-hard Carnivore’s like Paul Saladino have softened their criticism of fructose and now recognize that PUFA has always been the problem, not sugar).

GUT FUNCTION & Leakage

Investigation links the benefits of this diet with its influence on the gut, specifically in terms of improving function of the gut-barrier and decreasing inflammation, again likely due to lowering endotoxin production.

At a high-level, leaky gut—or intestinal permeability—happens when the normally tight junctions comprising the gut start to loosen as a response to chronic stress, antibiotics, infections, and even allergenic foods, estrogen, birth control, and high intensity exercise. This loosening allows undigested food particles, pathogens, and toxic by-products (endotoxins) to leak into the bloodstream.

In our bodies innocent—if not valiant and loving—attempt to protect us from these foreign invaders, it sets off an inflammatory response, which long-term, can lead to full blown autoimmune disorders and symptoms such as fatigue, chronic pain, depression, allergies, thyroid disease, idiopathic constipation, and everything else you don’t want to deal with when a system feels under attack and then slows down functioning to conserve resources.

To complicate matters, a leaky gut struggles to produce the necessary enzymes, stomach acid, and neurotransmitters for digestion and optimal brain function, therefore leading to further malabsorption of necessary nutrients and an inability to properly balance everything from moods, energy levels, concentration, appetite, libido, and sleep.

In a state of depletion and constant physiological stress, the resulting systemic decline is—unfortunately—inevitable.

Yikes is right.

Fiber is Fickle, especially with SIBO

It is generally assumed that if you suffer from slow gut-motility or struggle with chronic constipation, increasing fiber will solve the problem. Gastroenterologists still enjoy preaching this now outdated gospel.

We also hear how resistant starch in unripe bananas, extra greens, cold rice and chilled potatoes are “good for our guts,” as they feed the “good bugs” in the colon.

Unfortunately, for those with sensitive guts and a disrupted microbiome, fermentable fibers add more pine needles to the raging forest fire of bacteria within.

Certain fibers, sugars, and uncooked starches feed the so-called “good bugs” (lacto-strains), but also provide optimal fuel for the not so desirable critters and in fact, even the “good-bugs” create endotoxins, especially when residing in the small intestines if they have translocated from the colon.

The traffic analogy works well here, suggesting that with a crowded intersection, the solution is not to add more cars into the mix; The road will only clear when the cars are removed. Removing fermentable roughage proves helpful when gut dysfunction is severe. Studies suggest that it might even lower risks for colon cancer down the line (2).

Before switching to carnivore, still eating a predominantly paleo nutrient-dense diet, a meal with any fiber would literally send me back to bed with extreme abdominal bloating and debilitating fatigue. While carnivore was never intended to be long term, it helped to sort out of mess of my terrain and allow the fires to settle while I slowly pruned back the total microbial population.

Other carnivores share similar stories in regards to their response to fiber and worsening constipation. In my case, without the normal gut contractions known as peristalsis, fiber ended up sitting in my small intestines and provided bountiful nourishment for the bacteria that reside there. These dinner parties created copious amounts of trapped gas, like ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methane, and even alcohol. The gas bubbles then trapped the fermenting food and prevented further flow of matter through the intestines, culminating in a balloon-like belly after any meal or snack away as the bacteria and parasites feasted with wild abandon. (This wasn’t much fun.)

To make matters even more exciting, hard clumps of old stool acted as plugs in my intestines, preventing the necessary bowel movements to rid my body of the leftover fibrous waste, which then invited even more opportunistic infections to make themselves at home in my gut: hello tapeworms, welcome! Dinner is served all day, every day.

After meals, flu-like symptoms enveloped my body, given the build up hydrogen-sulfide, methane, bacterial die-off and other endotoxins trapped in the gut...all thanks to fiber, resistant starches, and especially so to foods containing FODMAPS (a unique form of fermentable plant fiber present in the most popular foods, like apples, onions, bananas, wheat, and garlic).

As much as I hated to admit it, plants were not appropriate for the terrain of my gut. When I removed plants and all fiber and just focused on meat and fat, the flu-like reactions to foods literally went away after 2 days of adapting to ketosis.

PLANT TOXINS

I never wanted to blame plants. I love plants and to this day see extreme beauty--even sensuality--in a well-crafted salad covered in herbs or a perfectly caramelized onion atop a pile of polenta. IT’S ROMANTIC. IT’S SEXY.

But, the idea is that plants do not love us and especially do not want to be eaten.

They cannot run away from predators and therefore have evolved chemicals to protect themselves from hungry critters. When consumed, these chemicals, or plant toxins, can severely irritate a sensitive gut. In an already compromised system, these compounds increase the toxic load and perpetuate further gut leakage, therefore activating an immune response every time we eat. By contrast, animals can run away from or even eat their predators, and thus lack these dangerous chemicals. By removing all plant foods from the diet, inflammation can settle and the gut can begin to repair itself.

Bone broth gut-healing leaky gut Carnivore diet

IMMUNE SYSTEM TRIGGERS

Historically, nutritionists and many of those in the realm of alternative health demonized the supposedly pro-inflammatory toxins found in wheat, soy, corn, and even dairy, but recent interest is growing surrounding:

Lectins: naturally occurring proteins common in grains, peanuts, lentils, potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants that poke holes in the gut
Phytates: common in beans, grains, and nuts, which bind to minerals like iron, zinc, and calcium and prevents their absorption
Saponins: commonly found in beans, peanuts, soy, seeds, and nightshades, like tomatoes and potatoes, known to damage the microvilli of the gut
Oxalates: concentrated in leafy greens, cocoa, and seeds, which bind to minerals like iron and calcium and can deplete glutathione production in the gut
Enzyme inhibitors: common in nuts, seeds, and grains, which bind to enzymes and therefore disrupt digestion
Pesticides: even plants that are certified organic have shown high levels of glyphosate, a known mutagen, carcinogen, and endocrine disruptor
PUFAs: or polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially rich in nut and seed oils, are highly unstable and therefore can lead to oxidation and inflammation
Mold: many grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and even the muscles of grain-fed animals, contain mycotoxins, which has an estrogenic and oxidative effect on the body, depleting glutathione as the body tries to detoxify.

I was shocked to find that even plant compounds we’ve celebrated, specifically curcumin in turmeric, sulforaphane in broccoli, and resveratrol in red wine, seem to have some unintended consequences.

While applauded for their anti-inflammatory potential witnessed under the microscope when studied in isolation, we have failed to look at their pro-inflammatory, systemic, hormetic effects, which have actually shown damaging effects at the cellular level. Take curcumin, for example. When examined more closely, the compound given accolades for its anti-inflammatory actions can actually cause DNA damage and inhibit cellular repair. Sulforaphane in broccoli can deplete our body’s master antioxidant, glutathione, as it binds to the sulforaphane to render it harmless and prevent any damage to our cells. A diminished level of available glutathione then leaves other cells vulnerable to further oxidative damage. With resveratrol, we celebrate its anti-cancer effects, while ignoring its estrogen mimicking activity and even the physiologically liver-toxic and depressant effects of consuming too much alcohol.

These stress-reactions are not functions we want to introduce into an already compromised system. These plant-induced phenomena shed light as to why a body that is already in an autoimmune state can react poorly to these supposedly helpful and assumedly healing plant compounds.

Context truly matters, so it seems.

Brain Function

In terms of the success stories, many of the carnivore meatheads I’ve read about or spoken with emphasize how their mental health struggles cleared up within days of switching to a meat diet.

Amber O’Hearn shared her story overcoming treatment resistant depression and how transitioning from vegetarianism and eventually removing plants made all the difference.
A friend from college overcame debilitating depression and suicidality, putting his Lyme disease into remission.
Another friend found her mood and sleep improve when she switched to a predominantly raw beef and lamb diet.
A friend that works as a nutritional therapy practitioner even shared how it felt like she was on happy pills when she tried it out carnivore-eating for a month. I joined the happy parade for 3 months, and—to my disbelief—was able to access a level of joy, happiness, stability, and gratitude that SSRIs, exercise, a plant-based diet, and meditation couldn’t pretend to promise.

By removing the triggers assaulting the gut, many of which are plant related, neurotransmitter production can resume and rebalance. We know that the microbes in our gut produce 95% of our bodies serotonin, (a neurotransmitter influencing our mood, memory, cognition, and gut motility, among other things), and other critical neurotransmitters that influence the majority of physiological processes in our bodies. This is not something we necessarily want to boost, as increased gut production of serotonin is linked with aggression, irritability, and even social isolation.

Gut Health Matters

It is not surprising that a happy healthy gut necessarily leads to a happy and healthy individual, or conversely, a disgruntled gut leading to a very sad individual.

The more we understand about the influence of our microbiome on our overall health, the more realize how an out of balance microbiome compromises our quality of health.

Researchers are still unsure of how a carnivorous diet changes one’s microbiome, since the majority of the microbes require fiber and resistant starch to survive. However, anecdotal evidence illustrating improvements in moods, anxiety, depression, sleep, and even an expanded capacity for joy hint to a favorable shift in microbiota, especially when a carnivore diet is used to prune back a colossal overgrowth in unfriendly bacteria.

Nutrients matter

In addition to removing the assaulting triggers and allowing the gut health to restore, many of the benefits related to mental well-being derive from the plentiful supply of brain-friendly nutrients on an animal-based diet. Specifically, the brain is mostly fatty-acids and thrives on saturated fats, which are abundant in animals. For proper function, the brain needs adequate levels of B12, choline, vitamin A, K2, D3, and cholesterol, and flourishes with optimal levels of zinc, magnesium, and calcium, to name a few. Even amino acids like glycine (present in gelatinous meats and broths) have shown to have calming effects on the brain and help produce glutathione to carry out necessary detoxification. When combined with the optimal slurry of neurotransmitters and fat-soluble vitamins, the brain, and therefore the human, feels better. Luckily, and to the direct benefit of a carnivore, the necessary brain-supporting nutrients are not only in ample supply in meat and fats, but present in their most bioavailable form without any plant-toxins to block absorption.

Meat forever?

Not for me. Research suggests that fructose has profoundly anti-stress effects and that burning glucose for fuel is more efficient, creating more anti-inflammatory CO2 in the process (3). Yet, using a carnivore diet as a healing tool can prove valuable. It’s highly individual and depends largely on the context.

As much as I enjoy being a tiger and shocking the butcher with my weekly meat consumption, I did not plan to just eat meat for the rest of my life, nor do I think that ketosis is a healthy state to be in long-term given basic stress physiology and the damaging effects of chronic cortisol activation and FFA circulation leading to tissue damage under the influence of adrenaline and cortisol.

Glucose is the preferred fuel source for cells and a shift towards fat burning is highly co-morbid with pathogenic states, like cancer, diabetes, and old-age in general.

Restriction is Stressful

The restriction aspect of the carnivore diet is stressful for many reasons: ignoring the body’s cravings for variety and glucose, demonizing highly digestible, nutrient-dense carbohydrates in the process, and feeling fearful that symptoms will return if carbohydrates are added back in to the diet (autoimmune disease, weight gain, gut dysfunction, etc.)

Transition TO Pro-Metabolic, Ray Peat-Inspired Eating

As I transitioned out of carnivore towards pro-metabolic, pro-thyroid eating, adding in nutrient dense carbohydrates and a few low-toxin plant foods with great success, I reflect on the profound healing effect of carnivory in terms of lowering inflammation and its ability to mitigate some of the stressors in an overgrown gut.

However, the more I splash around in nutritional research, specifically the work of Dr. Ray Peat, Georgi Dinkov, and Dr. Broda Barnes, the more I realize how context-based and biology-based nutrition is necessary and critical to cellular function and optimizing health. The roots keep directing us back to stress adaptations and it’s impact on the thyroid, hormones, gut-function, and inflammatory responses.

Finding balance involves trial and error, working with our unique microbial terrains, pruning back certain microbes, addressing our emotions, our traumas, current state of digestion and overall health, hormonal issues, genetic variabilities, environmental exposures, and of course, honoring the biology of stress and metabolism as the foundation of any change.

In the meantime, I plan to keep eating my pastured eggs and oxtail soup with a balanced supply of carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals from low-toxin sources. I am eager and open to further experimentation as it all unfolds, sharing what I learn along the way.