The carnivore diet is not a sustainable solution and its initial benefits are explained by the effect of an elimination diet, making the total exclusion of plants sub-optimal in the long term.

noli's read

The idea that restrictive diets act as elimination diets is well supported in nutritional literature; by removing processed foods or potential allergens, a reduction in inflammation is often observed, regardless of the specific diet. Reviews published in journals such as 'Nutrients' underscore the importance of gut microbiota diversity, which relies heavily on a variety of plant fibers (type of evidence: scientific/observational consensus). Although some individuals report short-term benefits with the carnivore diet, there are currently no long-term clinical studies (RCT) validating the safety or superiority of a total absence of plants. The assertion that plants provide protective compounds (polyphenols, fibers) is solidly supported by numerous epidemiological studies and meta-analyses. It is therefore scientifically consistent to consider total exclusion as potentially risky for metabolic health and the microbiota over time, although the 'sustainable' nature is a behavioral observation rather than pure clinical data.

the sources

1. 1McDonald D et al. (American Gut Project) 2018
2. 2Reynolds A et al. 2019