Nutrition Myth busters: TikTok’s carnivore diet – the booming trend’s hidden health risks

Claims of glowing skin and effortless weight
loss accompany the visual spectacle. For some, the diet’s simplicity is appealing; “just eat meat” is easy to follow. For others, returning to an imagined ancestral way of eating and rebelling against mainstream nutrition advice is a drawcard.

The carnivore diet is exactly what it sounds like: animal foods only. Meat, eggs, fish and sometimes dairy are in; fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are out. Some followers go further with the “lion diet,” limiting themselves to just beef, salt, and water. In short, it’s a diet that treats the entire plant kingdom as off-limits.

Proponents of the carnivore diet claim it builds muscle, promotes rapid weight loss, stabilises blood sugar, reduces inflammation and autoimmune symptoms, improves gut health, boosts energy and mental clarity, and provides all the nutrients the body needs without plants.

However, those nutrient claims may be ill-founded. A 2024 study found while the carnivore diet supplies high-quality protein, vitamin B12, haem iron, zinc, selenium and fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, and K2 (especially when organ meats are included), it also lacks several essential micronutrients.

The carnivore diet’s fibre content falls significantly below recommended levels and it lacks in vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, folate and plant-derived phytonutrients, which are essential for gut health, cardiovascular function and long-term disease prevention.

So, while the carnivore diet gives with one hand – rapid satiety and muscle growth – it takes with the other, risking long-term health. A 2025 systematic review explored this “protein paradox”: eating more protein can build muscle and strength in the short term, but over time, high-protein diets are linked with accelerated ageing and chronic disease.

Meat, especially red and processed varieties, is rich in amino acids that switch on growth pathways for muscle, yet these same pathways are implicated in accelerated ageing and age-related diseases. Plus, high-protein diets such as the carnivore diet are associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers, inflammation, and immune dysfunction.

Although meat provides valuable nutrients, it also carries risks, which is why limiting your red meat intake is recommended. As the 2025 review notes, compounds formed during cooking or digestion, such as advanced glycation end products (AGEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and TMAO, contribute to oxidative stress, arterial calcification and DNA damage.

Red meat also elevates biomarkers of chronic inflammation, which are linked to ageing, frailty and chronic disease. Additionally, the saturated fats and haem iron in meat can increase blood pressure and reduce arterial flexibility while cholesterol, saturated fats and inflammatory compounds promote plaque buildup in the arteries. Not to forget the lack of dietary fibre in the carnivore diet, which negatively impacts our gut and bowel system.

The overarching message is clear: the carnivore diet may offer immediate physical gains, but it comes at a significant long-term cost to health. While short-term testimonials flood TikTok, long-term evidence is thin—and what exists suggests caution. For starters, the overwhelming majority of weight-loss diets fail in the medium to long-term but dieters are not inclined to post testimonials about how they regained all their lost weight plus more after the diet fails.

What both the academic literature and common sense reminds us of is that human bodies are designed for variety. Our physiology thrives not only on protein and fat but also on the fibre, antioxidants and plant compounds that animal products simply don’t supply. So, while social media trends often thrive on extremes, health is not built on extremes. It’s built on balance. The real recipe for long-term wellbeing doesn’t require choosing between broccoli and beef. It lies in letting them share the plate.