Alarm clock and a plate with fork and knife. Time to eat, diet or Intermittent Fasting concept.
Liam McAuliffe

Time Restricted Eating vs. Intermittent Fasting: What’s the Difference?

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Time-restricted eating (TRE) and intermittent fasting are closely related strategies for cycling between periods of eating and not eating in order to improve numerous health factors. In simple terms, time-restricted eating is a specific type of intermittent fasting. 

There are a couple of key factors when differentiating time-restricted eating vs. intermittent fasting. These include

  • The time of day that you are restricting your eating
  • The length of time during which you are restricting your eating

In this article, we’ll look at how these factors distinguish time-restricted eating vs. intermittent fasting, along with their benefits and drawbacks. 

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Why Time Restricted Eating and Intermittent Fasting?

diagram comparing bodies of people who do and do not practice time restricted eating

Source: Emily N C Manoogian, Lisa S Chow, Pam R Taub, Blandine Laferrère, Satchidananda Panda, Time-restricted Eating for the Prevention and Management of Metabolic Diseases, Endocrine Reviews, Volume 43, Issue 2, April 2022

The Standard American diet calls for eating at least three meals a day with snacks in between–most of it high in inflammatory ingredients, including

For many people, this means eating from the moment they wake up until the moment they fall asleep. 

Research shows that the constant consumption of high-carb modern foods wreaks havoc on our metabolic health. Modern eating patterns result in

  • chronically elevated levels of insulin, dysregulate other important hormones, and trigger the body to store calories as fat  
  • chronically elevated leptin levels lead to leptin resistance. When you’re leptin resistant, your brain loses the ability to “hear” the chemical messages that tell your body to stop eating. Instead, your body is stuck in “starvation mode.” You crave fattening, high-carb foods, move less to conserve energy and keep eating.
  • chronic exposure to plant toxins and antinutrients that damage your intestinal barrier allowing pathogens into the bloodstream. From there, they circulate to every tissue in the body, causing chronic inflammation. 

The impact of this metabolic damage is reflected in the fact that worldwide, 3 out of 5 people die from modern, chronic inflammatory diseases, including

  • Stroke
  • cardiovascular disease
  • respiratory diseases
  • heart disorders
  • Cancer
  • Obesity
  • type 2 diabetes,
  • various autoimmune disorders. 

Because these diseases are virtually nonexistent in traditional hunter-gatherer societies, they are often called “diseases of civilization.”

Numerous studies on time-restricted eating and intermittent fasting have shown benefits that directly address the roots of these diseases, including

  • Restores insulin sensitivity
  • Restores leptin sensitivity
  • Reduces inflammation 
  • stimulates autophagy–a process of cellular repair and renewal
  • stimulates stem cell production, helps heal intestinal permeability
  • improves insulin sensitivity
  • increases BDNF–miracle grow for your brain
  • supports weight loss
  • reduced risk of cancer
  • supports mindful eating

Which is Better, Time Restricted Eating vs. Intermittent Fasting?

When exploring time-restricted eating vs. intermittent fasting, let’s define their similarities and differences. 

What is Intermittent Fasting? 

Intermittent fasting simply means cycling between specific periods of eating and not eating. The fasting time can be of nearly any length, and take place at any time during a 24-48 hour cycle. 

For instance, the largest intermittent fasting studies on humans have looked at the month-long Muslim religious practice of fasting between sunrise and dusk during Ramadan. 

At the same time, intermittent fasting refers to popular methods like

What Sets Time Restricted Eating Apart from Intermittent Fasting? 

Ttime-restricted eating is a type of intermittent fasting. 

The key difference between time-restricted eating vs. intermittent fasting is that TRE specifically calls for eating within a limited number of hours during daylight. 

In other words, time-restricted is aimed at aligning your eating with your circadian rhythm. While intermittent fasting includes all intentional fasting patterns and doesn’t distinguish between fasting during day or night. 4

This approach to eating in alignment with natural light and dark cycles is also called chrononutrition.6

Why Does the Time of Day You Eat Matter? 

Circadian rhythm vector illustration. Labeled educational day cycle scheme. Daily human body inner regulation schedule. Natural sleep-wake biological process explanation and chronobiology infographic.

For millions of years before electricity and even fire, our physiology evolved in relation to natural light an dark cycles that governed our physical behavior, eating habits, and metabolism. 

The result of evolving with the natural light and dark cycle is our internal biological clock, known as our circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm regulates many important bodily functions, including[1]

  • sleep
  • metabolism
  • digestion
  • hormone secretion
  • immunity
  • cognition
  • neurobehavior 

Accordingly, studies looking at the effects of eating in alignment with our circadian rhythm by taking our meals during daylight and abstaining from food after the sun goes down reveal numerous benefits, including

  • weight loss [13]
  • better sleep[14]
  • relief from digestive symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation. [16]
  • lower risk of intestinal dysbiosis (overgrowth of harmful bacteria)[17]
  • Better immune function[18]

A 2014 review of numerous studies on time-restricted eating found that TRE can result in similar benefits, including 4

  • decreased body weight
  • lower triglycerides
  • lower fasting glucose (blood sugar) levels
  • lower levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 
  • higher levels of “good”  high-density lipoprotein cholesterol

Time Restricted Eating vs. Intermittent Fasting for Autophagy

dials showing autophagy engaged

One of the most important features of time-restricted eating is that it supports autophagy. 

Autophagy means “self-devouring.” It refers to the process where your body breaks down old and damaged cells and cell components and recycles them into new parts and cells. 

Studies show that time-restricted eating patterns that restrict caloric intake for at least 16-18 hours overnight stimulate autophagy.[1] [2] 6 [3]

Autophagy supports numerous important pysioligical functions, including

  • Slows aging and promotes longevity
  • Supports teh health of every organ in the body
  • supports cardiovascular health 5
  • reduces inflammation 6
  • protects against infection from bacteria and viruses 6
  • protects against neurodegenerative diseases 
  • protects against cancer 6

Time Restricted Eating vs Intermittent Fasting: The Bottom Line

Time-restricted eating vs. Intermittent fasting is a bit of a false comparison. This is because time-restricted eating is a version of intermittent fasting. 

The differentiating feature between intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating is that the TRE eating window takes place during daylight hours. 

Eating during daylight hours and fasting during dark aligns eating with your circadian rhythm. Doing so improves sleep, supports healthy blood lipid levels, reduces insulin resistance, controls blood sugar, reduces blood pressure, and stimulates autophagy.

Cream Texture background close up, 3d render
Liam McAuliffe

Top 8 Carnivore Diet Condiments

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One of the keys to the health benefits of the carnivore diet is that it eliminates inflammatory vegetable oils, sugars, and plant foods. Most popular condiments, like ketchup, mustard, mayo, bbq sauce, and dressings, contain nearly all of these non-carnivore ingredients. 

However, you may be surprised to learn that there are at least a few delicious and nourishing carnivore diet condiments. Let’s dig in. 

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1 Salt

For most carnivore enthusiasts, a well-salted fatty cut of steak–looking at you, ribeye–is all you need to ignite your taste buds. 

But salt is the ultimate carnivore diet condiment for more reasons than flavor. Salt provides electrolytes and minerals, including sodium, potassium, and chloride.

This essential nutrient plays a vital role in various physiological processes, including

  • Maintain delicate fluid balances within and around cells
  • Maintain healthy blood pressure and proper pH
  • Essential for muscle contraction
  • Helps nerves send signals

On a low-carb high-fat diet, salt becomes even more important. Cutting carbs causes insulin levels to drop, causing the body to release glycogen stored in muscles. When this happens, the water that the glycogen was attached to leaves the body as urine, taking electrolytes with it.

Liberally salting your meat replaces these flushed nutrients, which goes a long way in avoiding various carnivore diet side effects. 

2 Butter 

Butter is not just allowed but highly encouraged on the carnivore diet. 

A few tablespoons of butter slathered over your favorite cut of meat or seafood is often the key to meeting your carnivore diet macro goals. 

Additionally, butter is loaded with nourishing fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin A, retinol, and vitamin D. 

Choose raw butter and give yourself the gift of a special anti-stiffness factor called the Wulzen-factor. It’s believed that this factor results from the synergistic effects of vitamin E, A, and vitamin K2. 

The fats, vitamins, and compounds in butter also support immune health, fat metabolism, a healthy microbiome, intestinal integrity, and protection against type 2 diabetes and obesity. 

Grass-fed-butter-benefits@2x-1536x1249

Ghee

If you’re dairy intolerant, you can still get the benefits of butter from Ghee. 

Ghee is a type of clarified butter. The diary solids have been separated out, leaving a toasty, nutty flavor.

In India, ghee is both a source of dietary fat and a medicine. Animal studies show that ghee can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

3 Carnivore Diet Mayonnaise 

Mayonnaise in round dish isolated on white background, top view

Though store-bought mayo is a big NO, due to toxic seed oils, homemade carnivore mayo is a carnivore dream. 

You can make this recipe truly carnivore by eliminating lemon juice, ACV, and mustard. Or you can add the non-carnivore ingredients and use them as a treat-day condiment. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup duck fat or bacon fat
  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions

  • Mix all ingredients except for the duck fat in a blender until smooth
  • With the blender on medium speed, VERY slowly add one drip at a time of the duck fat. It should take around 4 minutes
  • Blend for another 30 seconds until consistent–should look like mayo
  • Store in the fridge and enjoy!

4 Carnivore Cheese Sauce

Bowl with cheese sauce on white background

Carnivore diet cheese sauce is a velvety, salty, satiating condiment with major nutritional benefits. 

The vitamin K2 in cheese offers powerful cardioprotection. Soft cheeses like brie and camembert provide between 50 and 100 mcg of K2 per 100grams, and cheddar has 24 mcg.

For every 10 micrograms of k2 you consume daily, your risk of heart disease is reduced by 9%!

And cheese grass-fed dairy is a good source of the fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). 

CLA has been shown to significantly inhibit the growth of cancer and tumors in the liver, breast, stomach, and prostate.

Here’s an easy carnivore diet cheese sauce recipe to make at home. 

Ingredients

  • 3 oz. soft cheese like camembert or creamy blue cheese
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream, 
  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and gently heat
  2. Add the grated cheddar cheese and soft creamy cheese
  3. Stir until melted and bring to a simmer. 
  4. Remove from heat once it begins to bubble
  5. Mix until smooth and creamy. 
  6. For a thicker sauce, cook for 3-5 more minutes while stirring
  7. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water or cream

5 Bacon Sprinkles

Bacon sprinkles are a great addition to the cheese sauce above, or simply add them to any carnivore meal for extra flavor and crunch. They’re especially good over deviled eggs made with carnivore mayo. 

To make bacon sprinkles, simply dice up some bacon and fry as usual. 

6 Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is packed with umami flavor. It’s earthy, and savory, with hints of noncarnivore food flavors like mushrooms, soy, and roasted tomatoes, rounded by a briny, caramel sweetness. 

A little fish sauce can go a long way in satiating your non-carnivore flavor cravings. 

And the best part is that all this flavor is produced by simply fermenting black anchovies for a couple of months to a few years in salt.

Not only is fish sauce packed with flavor, it’s also a great source of electrolytes, especially magnesium which can be a challenge to come by. 

7 Meat Reduction Sauce

A meat reduction sauce is a thick, decadent, and flavorful condiment made from meat stock. 

It’s easy to make by simply simmering meat drippings or premade beef or chicken stock over low heat until thick. Add water, salt, butter, and/or cream, and even bone marrow for desired texture and flavor. 

Spoon over your meats and enjoy! 

8 Sour Cream 

Sour cream is equal parts fun and yum as a carnivore diet condiment. 

Make your own homemade sour cream with heavy cream and cultured buttermilk. 

Simply mix the two ingredients together in a jar, tightly screw on a lid, and store in the dark at room temperature for 24 hours. 

Carnivore Diet Condiments: The Bottom Line

For a way of eating known for promoting simplicity over variety, the carnivore diet still has a place for a few nutritious condiments. 

In addition to delectable textures and flavor zingers, these carnivore diet condiments supply your carnivore meals with electrolytes, healthy fats, and fat-soluble vitamins.

Intermittent Fasting concept. 16:8 is a particular time restricted eating protocol in which individuals abstain from any caloric intake for 16 hours, and then eat freely for 8 hours
Liam McAuliffe

Time Restricted Eating (TRE): Benefits and How to Do it

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Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a type of intermittent fasting. TRE aims to align your eating window with your body’s natural light and dark cycle, known as your circadian rhythm.  

Time-restricted eating is supported by studies showing that eating out of synch with our daily circadian rhythm interferes with the rhythmic processes of our organs, which can result in an increased risk of various chronic diseases.

To optimally align the time you eat with your circadian rhythm, TRE calls for limiting eating to a number of daylight hours each day–usually between 10 and 6 hours. 

In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of TRE, how to do it, and what to eat and drink to get the greatest benefits. 

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What’s the Difference Between Time Restricted Eating and Intermittent Fasting?

As a type of intermittent fasting, time-restricted eating calls for eating within a limited number of hours during daylight. 

Intermittent fasting is a term that includes shorter-term time-restricted eating techniques while also referring to more intensive fasting periods like OMAD “one meal a day’” and other IF fasting methods that last more than 24 hours. 

Put simply, time-restricted eating is explicitly about aligning your eating with your circadian rhythm, while intermittent fasting includes all intentional fasting patterns.

chart of circadian rhythm biological processes

Consuming food in rhythm with your circadian rhythms on TRE is a dietary approach known as chrononutrition.

Studies show that eating during daylight and abstaining from food after sundown results in benefits, including

  • Reduced body fat
  • Improved sleep
  • Improve digestive symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation
  • Reduced risk of intestinal dysbiosis (overgrowth of harmful bacteria)
  • Improved immune cell recovery

This means that if you finish your last meal at sundown, your next meal wouldn’t be until sunup the next day. 

How to Do Time-Restricted Eating? 

The most common approach to time-restricted eating is to eat all your food for the day within an 8-hour period of daylight. 

Eating between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. or 12 to 8 pm are common windows, depending on when the sun sets. The remaining 16 hours is a fasting period where you do not consume any calories from food or beverages. 

This fasting schedule is also referred to 16/8 fasting. The only difference is that TRE is explicit about keeping the 8-hour eating window within daylight hours. 

time restricted eating chart with 16-8-Intermittent-Fasting protocol

Benefits of Time Restricted Eating

Time-restricted eating has been shown to offer numerous powerful health benefits, including

  • Stimulates autophagy–a process of cellular repair and renewal
  • Stimulated stem cell production helps heal intestinal permeability
  • improves insulin sensitivity
  • reduces inflammation
  • increases BDNF–miracle grow for your brain
  • supports weight loss

Stimulates Autophagy (Cellular Repair and Renewal)

Studies show that time-restricted eating that eliminates caloric intake for at least 16-18 hours stimulates a process of cellular repair and renewal called autophagy.

However, not just any 16-18 hour period of abstaining from calories will trigger autophagy. It only turns on when fasting overnight.

If you haven’t heard of autophagy, here’s a rundown of what it is and its critical benefits. 6

  • Autophagy is a natural process of “cellular spring cleaning” where damaged cells and cell components like organelles and misfolded proteins are recycled into healthy, fully functional cells
  • Autophagy Is critical to the health of nearly every organ
  • slows with aging and is therefore associated with various anti-aging benefits
  • promotes longevity
  • supports heart health
  • reduces inflammation
  • protects against infection from bacteria and viruses
  • protects against neurodegenerative diseases 
  • protects against cancer

Increased Stem Cell Production and Intestinal Healing

3d rendering of Human cell or Embryonic stem cell microscope background.

Stem cells are the body’s raw building materials. They’re the foundation of all other cellular structures. 

Stem cells are the foundations of all the cellular structures in your body. Think of them as the raw building blocks for tissues and organs. 

Aging in the body is directly related to a reduction in our ability to produce stem cells.

When stem cell production slows down in our intestines it can be particularly detrimental to our systemic health. 

Our intestines are the most important barrier of defense against plant toxins, antigens, pesticides, molds, and other toxic substances that we ingest. 

Over time, these substances destroy our mucosal lining and create gaps in our intestinal walls. These gaps allow the passage of all these toxins into our bloodstream, where they get deposited throughout our bodies. 

This condition, known as intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut” is a root cause of chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases.

Leaky gut Syndrome concept. Comparison of healthy organ and inflamed tissue cells. Diseases of gastrointestinal tract. Toxins and viruses. Cartoon flat vector illustration isolated on white background

Studies show that time-restricted eating can stimulate stem cell formation, providing healing and protection in the gut.

Improves Insulin Sensitivity

In an extensive 2022 review of various intermittent fasting approaches, including time-restricted eating, researchers determined that IF is an effective treatment for many diseases associated with insulin resistance.

A 2019 study on time-restricted eating found that TRE reduced 24-hour average blood sugar levels and reduced insulin resistance.

A 2018 study on obese, prediabetic men found that time-restricted eating improved Insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and markers of inflammation even without weight loss.

Reducing and reversing insulin resistance offers various health benefits, including : 

  • Improves symptoms of diabetes
  • Reduces the risk of heart disease
  • Resolves PCOS
  • Improves cognition
  • Protects against neurological diseases
  • Better skin complexion
  • Less water-weight 

Reduces Inflammation 

Chronic inflammation is the root cause of the world’s most lethal diseases, killing 3 out of 5 people.

These diseases include

  • heart disease
  • Stroke
  • respiratory diseases
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes

The good news is that numerous studies have found that time-restricted eating is a powerful approach to reducing markers of inflammation, including oxidative stress and cortisol levels.

Intermittent fasting approaches similar to TRE have been used as therapy for inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s, and MS.  

Increases BDNF “Miracle Grow for Your Brain”

Time-restricted eating has been shown to stimulate the production of a hormone called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF-1).

BDFN plays a role in creating new brain cells, which compelled neuropsychiatrist John J. Ratey  to deem it “Miracle-Gro for the brain.” 

Researchers have associated BDNF with the formation of new neural pathways associated with better learning ability. While low BDNF levels are associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Studies on animals have found that BDNF increases induced by fasting correspond with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and neurodegeneration.

One human study found that fasting from dawn to sunset significantly increased BDFN levels. Meanwhile, other research shows that BDNF production naturally increases overnight.

Considering these findings, it is likely that practicing a time-restricted eating pattern that shifts the fasting period to nighttime would increase BDNF production over daytime fasting.

Weight Loss and Improved Body Composition

Numerous studies show that TRE is modestly effective for promoting weight loss.6 7 

Studies with both normal-weight and obese participants found that time-restricted eating patterns from 7–12 hours over 2–4 weeks found up to 5% weight loss.

But as we touched on above, weight loss is a relatively superficial health factor. In fact, it is common to have stored body fat and be metabolically healthy. At the same time, it is common to be normal weight and metabolically unhealthy. 

And time-restricted eating is a powerful tool for improving markers of metabolic health like reducing blood sugar, insulin resistance, and inflammation. 

That said, intermittent fasting has been shown to promote the oxidation of fatty acids and support people in consuming fewer calories. Both of these are factors in weight loss.   

Studies have shown that IF can increase your metabolic rate–the speed at which your body burns calories–by up to 14%. This rate increase occurs even when your body is at rest. Figures Save Share Reprints Request Time-Restricted Feeding without Reducing Caloric Intake Prevents Metabolic Diseases in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet”/]

Research on numerous variations of intermittent fasting has found it safe and effective for weight loss, with the potential to promote a 9.9% reduction in body weight.

Time-Restricted Eating Concerns? 

Time-restricted eating is one of the gentlest and most easily adopted intermittent fasting methods. 

It is safe for most people because it simply realigns our eating patterns with our natural internal biological clock. 

What About Eating Disorders? 

Time-restricted eating is not recommended for people with eating disorders. TRE can be used to conceal anorexia and increase the severity of bulimia. 

What to Eat During Time Restricted Eating?

Many people who practice time-restricted eating find that the best results come from consuming low-carb, nutrient-dense ancestral foods centered around fresh meats, supplemented with organ meats,  seafood, and full-fat dairy. 

 Nutrient-dense whole foods that support TRE, including

Fatty, whole foods provide saturated fats, cholesterol, and micronutrients nutrients that support the formation of healthy cell membranes and organelles. 

Approaches that allow some low-carb fruits and veggies include Mediterranean keto and pescatarian keto. At the same time, all-meat carnivore diet is a popular ancestrally-aligned approach. 

Combining low-carb high-fat eating with time-restricted eating mimics ancestral eating patterns that formed our physiology over millions of years of evolution.

What to Drink When Time Restricted Eating? 

During periods of not eating, mineral water is the best option. 

However, black coffee and tea are generally accepted. A cup of black coffee only contains 2-3 calories. This will not disrupt the fasting state and can enhance the process of autophagy.

Time Restricted Eating: The Bottom Line

Time-restricted eating is an approach to intermittent fasting that aligns the eating window with daylight hours.

Aligning eating with daylight and restricting calories during the night resets your body’s internal biological clock, improving sleep, reducing insulin resistance, controlling blood sugar, and reducing blood pressure. 

At the same time, restricting calories for 16 hours stimulates the production of stem cells, autophagy (cellular renewal), and BDNF–a hormone that improves learning.

Animal protein food at stone table. Meat, chicken, fish, egg, beans, milk.
Liam McAuliffe

Milk on the Carnivore Diet? Drawbacks and Alternatives

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The carnivore diet calls for consuming only animal products. And milk is an animal product. 

So, technically speaking, milk is allowed on the carnivore diet. But there’s a good reason why most carnivore dieters eliminate milk. 

In this article, we’ll explore the ins and outs of milk on the carnivore diet, and take a look at some delicious full-fat dairy alternatives. 

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Milk is High in Carbs

glass of milk with sugar molecules

Why do most people eliminate milk on carnivore? 

Because it’s high in carbs–specifically a type of dairy sugar called lactose. 

A single 12 oz glass of whole milk contains nearly 18 grams of sugar. This is the equivalent of about half a coke. 

The carnivore diet is a high-fat, low-to-no-carb, moderate-protein diet. This means that it’s essentially a keto-carnivore diet. 

The ketogenic aspect of the carnivore diet is not something someone made up–it’s based on the fact that when you cut carbs you need to get all of your calories from fat and protein. 

And since our bodies can only get around 35% of our calories from protein before hitting a threshold for protein poisoning, you need to get the rest (65%) from fat–this triggers ketosis, the process of turning dietary and body fat into powerful energy molecules called ketones. 5

The fact that humans have “protein constraint” highlights the fact that humans evolved as hyper-carnivorous apex predators who focused hunting and eating fatty meat for nearly 2 million years.

Eliminating the regular consumption of high-carb foods like milk, supports the metabolic process of fat metabolism. 

Milk Allergies

Woman with stomach pain holding a glass of milk. Dairy Intolerant person. Lactose intolerance, health care concept.

Many people adopt the carnivore diet to overcome chronic digestive issues and food allergies that may be linked to or exasperated by dairy. 

For this reason, it’s common to begin the carnivore diet by consuming only meat, salt, and water. This is known as the Lion Diet, and it eliminates all dairy, including milk. 

After 30-90 days of this elimination protocol, people often begin experimenting with some full-fat dairy. 

Milk allergies are immune reactions. They can be caused by milk proteins, including casein and whey.  

Common symptoms of milk allergies include 

  • Hives and skin rashes
  • Stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Runny nose and congestion
  • Itchy or watery eyes
  • Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
  • Difficulty breathing or wheezing
  • Anaphylaxis–a rare, but severe and potentially life-threatening reaction

A1 vs A2 Dairy on the Carnivore Diet

Two bottles and glass of milk different types.A1 and A2 milk var

The prevalence of allergies in milk are likely due to the presence of A1 casein proteins. 

10,000 years ago, before cows were domesticated, they produced only A2 beta-casein protein. 

Then around 8,000 years ago, a natural single-gene mutation in Norther European Holsteins, resulted in the production of A1 beta-casein protein.

The Holstein became the most common breed of dairy cow in North America, Europe, and Australia, the milk in these countries is primarily A1. 

In the body, A1 casein protein is broken down into beta-casomorphin-7. This peptide can have damaging effects on the pancreas and set off autoimmune responses throughout the body.

Some research shows that beta-casomorphin-7 may play a role in diseases including 

  • Type 1 diabetes, 
  • Cardiovascular diseases 
  • Autism (in people with immune deficiencies) 
  • Schizophrenia (in people with immune deficiencies) 
  • Sudden infant death syndrome 
  • Apnea 
  • Constipation 

However, its has been difficult to pin milk allergies on BCN-7.Studies on healthy adults who drink A1 cow’s milk have not found BCM-7 in the blood. While a few tests show BCM-7 present in infants.

It may be the case that milk allergies caused by BCM-7 coincide with intestinal permeability. BCM-7 may be one of numerous antigens along with plant toxins and antinutrients, pesticides, and toxic industrial substances in our foods.  Antigens are compounds that the body sees as a threat and reacts to with an inflammatory immune response. 

If you do consume milk on the carnivore diet, and/or dairy in general, choosing A2 milk may be a safer bet. 

A2 dairy comes from certified A2 dairy cows. All goats, sheep, and camel milk is naturally A2 dairy. 

What about Raw Milk on Carnivore? 

Kazakh sour-milk drink in a bucket

Raw milk has received a lot of hype, even from some carnivore diet thought leaders, but is this hype warranted? 

Raw milk does have a lot more going for it than pasteurized milk, but it’s still a high-carb food. 

The most carnivore-aligned approach to dairy is to get the benefits of raw dairy from higher-fat options like raw cream and creamy cheeses made with raw milk. 

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of raw dairy

Raw Dairy Reduces Allergies

Studies on children show that consuming raw dairy results in a 50% lower likelihood of developing allergies and a 41% lower likelihood of developing asthma compared to children who don’t consume raw dairy.

One large-scale 2011 study involving 8,000 children found that children who consumed raw dairy experienced “naturally immunizing” effects that reduced allergies and protected against illness.

More Nutrients

One of the main reasons why some carnivore dieters are turning to raw milk is that it contains relatively high levels of vitamin C, which can be hard to come by on the carnivore diet. 

Studies show that the vitamin C content (as ascorbic acid) in raw milk can range from 14.0 mg. to 22.5 mg per liter. 

After pasteurization in stainless steel equipment, vitamin C levels dropped to between  7.0 mg. and 19.1 mg per liter.

Contrary to popular knowledge,  you can get plenty of vitamin C from fresh meat. It’s also worth remembering that when you cut carbs, your body needs even less vitamin C than when you’re consuming a high-carb diet.

In addition to more vitamin C, raw milk also offers

  • 35% more vitamin A
  • 14% more vitamin E
  • 66% more iron
  • 70% more zinc
  • 38% more B vitamins
  • 21% more calcium
  • 100% more active enzymes
  • 100% more undamaged immunoglobulins
  • Non-degraded whey proteins

Alternatives to Milk on the Carnivore Diet

Cream pouring onto a wooden spoon isolated against white

If, like most people, you have no issues with dairy and want to include it in your carnivore diet meal plan, stick with raw heavy cream, butter, and creamy, raw milk cheeses. 

Heavy cream and butter contain Omega-3 fatty acids and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) both of which are cardioprotective and offer profound anti-inflammatory effects.

Creamy ripened cheeses like blue cheese and stilton are loaded with between 2900 and 4700 specific bioactive peptides created as enzymes break down dairy proteins.

One of these peptides, called spermidine, has powerful anti-aging properties and has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Blue cheese is one of the most spermidine-abundant foods, with 262 nmol per gram.

Milk on the Carnivore Diet: The Bottom Line

Milk is an animal product, which means that it’s technically permitted on the carnivore diet. 

However, unlike nearly all other animal products, milk is high in carbs. This makes it a poor fit for this low-carb ancestral eating plan. 

A1 dairy (most cows’ milk) also contains a dairy protein that can damage the pancreas and contribute to various disorders and autoimmune conditions. 

Carnivore-friendly alternatives to milk include whole cream, and raw whole cream. Other good dairy options include butter and creamy cheeses.

Glass with sugar cubes and measuring tape. Weight control diet concept
Liam McAuliffe

Will Cutting Sugar Help With Weight Loss? Yes! Here’s How

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The standard American diet is loaded with sugar, and studies show that consuming lots of sugar is a leading cause of obesity.4 In 2020, 41.9% of Americans were obese, up from 30% in 2000.5   In light of these alarming trends, let’s explore how sugar makes you gain weight, and how cutting sugar can be the key to weight loss. 

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What is Sugar? 

First, let’s get clear on what we mean by sugar. 

Candy, pastries, and other sweets are all obvious high-sugar foods. But many other less obvious foods are responsible for our high-carb diets, including grains, low-fat dairy, fruits, and even veggies like broccoli all contain sugar. 

In short, any calorie that is not fat or protein comes from carbohydrates. And all carbs are sugars that get broken down into glucose, AKA blood sugar. 

In fact, the average American consumes around three pounds of sugar each week. This total includes 17 teaspoons or 71.14 grams of added sugars per day.2 Over the course of a year, this comes out to 57 lbs of added sugars per person.

And most of the sugar you consume is hidden in low-fat and plant-based products. 

All this sugar is doing more than adding excessive calories to your diet. Sugar makes you fat by disrupting hormones that regulate how your body burns and stores calories. This is why cutting sugar is a key to weight loss.

How Does Sugar Make Us Fat? 

Consuming a high-carb (high-sugar) diet causes the pancreas to release the hormone insulin. Higher insulin levels trigger the body to store calories as fat.  

Yet, insulin is only one hormonal factor in how sugar causes excess weight gain. The hormone called leptin is even more instrumental. 

Recent research has led researchers to consider leptin resistance as the main biological factor driving obesity.

leptin-cycle

It’s no surprise, then, that the foods implicated in obesity are the same foods that drive leptin resistance. High-sugar foods like refined grains, fruit, and added sugars spike leptin levels while interfering with leptin receptors in your hypothalamus.

Grains and legumes also contain high levels of an antinutrient called lectin. Studies show that lectins interfere with leptin regulation by binding to leptin receptors in the brain.

When you’re leptin resistant, your brain can’t “hear” the messages that leptin sends to stop eating. Instead, your brain is stuck in a starvation state and releases other hormones that tell your body to

  • keep eating
  • crave fattening, high-carb foods
  • Conserve energy by moving less

For our ancestors, leptin resistance supported survival by encouraging overeating of the rare seasonal fruits that ancient hunter gatherers came across and turning these calories into stored fat. 

The modern epidemic of leptin resistance is rooted in consuming high-sugar post-agrarian foods, that did not exist for the vast majority of human evolution. These foods include 

For most of human evolution dietary animal fat has been our primary fuel source, and our bodies are primed to store and then break down stored fat between successful hunts of fatty animals. We are not metabolically evolved to consume chronically high levels of carbs.

Figure-1-Human-brain-Dr.-Miki-Ben-Dor-1536x689-2

Source:  Dr Miki Ben Dor

It’s no wonder then that by eliminating these high-sugar foods and replacing these calories with nutrient-dense animal products, we can reverse leptin resistance and support weight loss.

Kiltz's Take

Leptin resistance leads to a self-reinforcing cycle of craving and consuming high-carb foods, storing excess fat, and lacking the motivation to move your body. 

This chain reaction can contribute to diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. 

Studies on Cutting Sugar and Weight Loss

Most studies looking at cutting sugar and weight loss come from research on low-carb, high-fat diets compared to calorie-restricting and low-fat diets. 

From a metabolic perspective, a high-fat, low-carb diet is the only viable way to dramatically cut carbs/sugars. 

This is because our bodies can only get around 35% of our calories from protein before succumbing to protein poisoning.

The rest of our calories have to come from carbs or dietary fat. This “protein constraint” is another signpost pointing to how humans evolved on a diet of mostly fatty meat.

So what happens when modern humans eliminate sugar and eat an ancestrally aligned diet of mostly meat? 

Carnivore Approach to Cutting Sugar for Weight Loss

Though studies on the all-meat carnivore diet are still emerging, a 2021 report out of Harvard University found that  “Contrary to common expectations, adults consuming a carnivore diet experienced few adverse effects and instead reported health benefits and high satisfaction.”

Regarding weight loss, 93% of the 2,019 participants reported that they improved or resolved obesity and excess weight. 

You can see these dramatic results reflected in numerous carnivore diet before and after pics.

Keto Approach to Cutting Sugar for Weight Loss

High-quality randomized control trials comparing very low-carb ketogenic diets with low-fat, calorie-restricting diets have found that keto results in dramatically better health outcomes regarding weight loss and cardiovascular health.

low carb high fat vs low fat diets for weight loss

A 6-month trial compared a very-low-carbohydrate diet (VLCD) to a calorie-restricted low-fat (CRLF) diet to promote weight loss in healthy, obese women.

The VLCD group lost twice as much weight as the CRLF group. Remarkably, both groups ate the same number of calories (1650) per day. This outcome suggests that sugar/carbs are a key factor in weight gain and in inhibiting weight loss.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared three diets for weight loss: the Mediterranean diet, a low-fat diet, and a low-carbohydrate diet. The study followed participants for 2-years–an extraordinarily long time for diet studies. 

Again, the low-carb diet group lost the most weight, even though they were permitted to increase their intake from 20 grams per day at the start of the study to 120 grams at the end of the study.

A study with 79 obese adults found that cutting carbs/sugar intake to less than 30 grams per day resulted in an average loss of 8.8 pounds more than participants who restricted fat to less than 30% of daily calories over 6 months.

The results of these and numerous other studies clearly show that cutting sugar/carbs is an effective and, in most cases, superior approach to weight loss.

Metabolic Health is More Important than Being Skinny

It’s important to note that it is possible and surprisingly common to have higher than average body fat and be metabolically healthy. 

In fact, studies show that between 20-75% of people who meet the criteria for obesity have no negative health markers.

A more accurate way to access health than body fat is various markers of metabolic syndrome. These include high blood pressure, chronically elevated blood sugar, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Excess body fat is more accurately viewed as one symptom of metabolic disorder, not the cause. From this perspective, reversing metabolic syndrome should be the goal. Focusing on losing weight misses the mark. 

Not surprisingly, cutting carbs has been shown to resolve metabolic syndrome even for people who are clinically obese. 

One pilot study of the low-carb, high-fat Spanish Keto Mediterranean Diet (SKMD) looked at the effects of the diet for obese participants who had metabolic syndrome.

After 12 weeks, researchers found that 

  • The metabolic syndrome for all participants was resolved
  • Fasting blood sugar levels dropped 118 (pre-diabetic) to 91 (healthy)
  • Participants lost an average of 30 pounds
  • Waist circumference reduced by an average of 6 inches (16 centimeters)
  • Body mass index (BMI) dropped from 37 to 31.5: From class 2 obesity to the low end of class 1 
  • Increased HDL  “good” cholesterol from an average of 44 to 58
  • Decreased triglycerides from 224 to 109
  • All participants improved from “prehypertensive” to “normotensive”
  • Dramatically reduced markers of fatty liver disease, including liver enzymes and liver fat 

As noted, the participants were still on the low end of the obesity spectrum, yet their metabolic syndrome was resolved. 

Sugar and Weigh Loss: The Bottom Line

The standard American diet is loaded with sugar both from added sources and from high-carb foods, including grains, legumes, veggies, fruits and low-fat dairy. All carbohydrates, whether from a lollipop or from broccoli, get broken down into glucose (blood sugar)

High-carb (sugar) diets disrupt hormone signaling in ways that contribute to excess weight gain. Elevated insulin levels cause the body to store calories as fat. While leptin resistance inhibits the brain from receiving signals that tell the body it’s had enough food. When hunger doesn’t turn off we overeat high-sugar foods and have reduced motivation to move (use energy), and we store more fat. 

These hormonal adaptations evolved during a vast period of human evolution in which grains and cultivated vegetables didn’t exist, and wild fruits were rare. 

In the ancient world, the body learned to compel us to consume as much rare natural sugar as possible and store the calories as fat. In our modern sugar-saturated environment, these same adaptations that once helped us survive are killing us. 

Numerous studies show that cutting sugar and returning to an ancestrally aligned diet based on fatty, whole animal products is a powerful way to reverse metabolic disorders and lose weight.

bull
Liam McAuliffe

How Does the Carnivore Diet Affect Testosterone?

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Thousands of people have turned to the all-meat carnivore diet as a way to take control of their metabolic health. One of the keys to the health benefits of the carnivore diet is how it improves hormone synthesis and balance. This is especially true for testosterone, the most important hormone for men. 

In this article, we’ll look at the science and the foods behind how a carnivore diet can improve testosterone levels. 

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What is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet entails eating only animal products. 

This way of eating is a radical departure from the high-carb standard American diet based on inflammatory foods and compounds, including sugar, grains, vegetable oils, and plant toxins.

Carnivore dieters support this approach by pointing to both their personal experiences and to a large body of evidence strongly suggesting that humans evolved as hyper-carnivorous apex predators for nearly 2 million years.

From this historical perspective, the carnivore diet re-aligns our physiology with the ancestral foods our bodies are designed to thrive on. 

And for men having proper testosterone levels is a key to thriving. 

What is Testosterone? 

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a vital role in men’s health. Key functions of testosterone include :

  • Sexual development: testosterone is responsible for the development of male sexual characteristics, such as deep voice and facial hair, and it also regulates sex drive and function
  • Supports physical performance by helping to build muscle mass and increase strength
  • Bone density: testosterone helps maintain strong bones and prevent osteoporosis
  • Increases red blood cell count, which can improve oxygen delivery and athletic performance
  • Linked to increased energy, mood, and overall well-being
  • Plays a crucial role in sperm production and male fertility

Testosterone effects Infographic image isolated on a light blue background. Male sex hormone and it s role in human body. Scientific, educational and popular-scientific concept.

How Does the Carnivore Diet Affect Testosterone?

One of the most persistent claims by carnivore dieters is that it increases testosterone levels. 

The testosterone-boosting feature of the carnivore diet is especially important for older men, as testosterone levels decline with age. 

Though there haven’t been any studies specifically looking at the effects of the carnivore diet on testosterone, we can extrapolate from studies on the keto diet. 

More Animal Fat, More Testosterone

Like keto, the carnivore diet is high-fat, moderate protein, and extremely low carb. 

One study compared the effects of a keto diet with a standard Western diet. Researchers found that the keto diet dramatically increased testosterone to 118 ng/dl, compared to the -36 ng/dl decline in testosterone for the standard Western diet group.

Since humans can only get 35% of calories from protein, on a low-carb carnivore diet, the rest of your calories must come from fat. 

Studies show that more dietary fats increase testosterone.

A systematic review of numerous studies found that low-fat diets are associated with lower levels of testosterone compared to higher-fat diets.

In one study, researchers divided 43 participants aged 19-56  into two groups. The first group got 41% of their calories from fat, mostly saturated. The second group got only 19% of their calories from fat–mostly Partially Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) from vegetable oils. The total amount of calories and protein was the same for both groups. 

After ten weeks, the higher fat group had 13% higher testosterone levels.5  These results were consistent with an early study on men in Finland.

Getting 41% of your calories from fat is far less than the 70-80% required by a carnivore diet. It’s likely that on the higher fat diet, testosterone increases would be even more substantial–see the study reference above. 

Increases Sex Boosting Nutrients

A carnivore diet is loaded with proven testosterone-boosting nutrients like zinc, B vitamins, and vitamin D. 

Zinc

Zinc has been shown to increase testosterone levels and improve sperm quality naturally.  

Many staple carnivore diet foods are among the most abundant sources of zinc on earth. 

High levels of zinc are found in

Vitamin B12 

Low levels of B12 are associated with decreased testosterone, higher rates of sexual dysfunction, and premature ejaculation.

This is another area where carnivore diet foods provide an incredible abundance of vitamin B. Take these common carnivore foods as an example: 

  • Ribeye steak has well over 200% of your RDV of vitamin B 12 per serving
  • 100 grams of clams provides 4125% RDV of B12
  • 100 grams of beef liver provide 3458% RDV of B12

Vitamin D

Studies show that vitamin D increases testosterone levels in men. And though men with normal levels of testosterone may not see large increases due to vitamin D, it is critical for men with low T to achieve normal levels.

Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to erectile function, lower orgasmic function, and lower sexual desire.

On a carnivore diet, you get vitamin D from

Reverses Underlying Conditions Affecting Sex Drive

The carnivore diet also supports healthy testosterone levels by combating underlying health conditions that lower testosterone, including:

  • Obesity: excess fat can increase levels of aromatase, an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen
  • Type 2 diabetes: high blood sugar levels can decrease testosterone production
  • Chronic inflammation: 
  • Metabolic syndrome: Associated with decreased libido, hypogonadism, and erectile dysfunction.

The carnivore diet addresses these issues by eliminating highly inflammatory and metabolically hazardous foods, including vegetable oils, sugar, grains, irritating fiber, and plant toxins and antinutrients. 

A 2011 study on men with metabolic syndrome found that after just twelve weeks on a low-carb, high-fat diet, markers of metabolic syndrome had been resolved for all participants.

Testosterone Boosting Carnivore Diet Foods

Carnivore or keto diet concept. Raw ingredients for zero carb or low carb diet - rib eye, salmon steak, pork, egg on gray stone background. Top view or flat lay.

Some foods that have been shown to increase testosterone levels include:

  1. Oysters: rich in zinc, which helps increase testosterone production
  2. Eggs: contain cholesterol, a building block of testosterone
  3. Fatty fish: high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may increase testosterone levels
  4. Beef and other red meats: contain zinc, iron, and B vitamins, all of which can help increase testosterone levels

Carnivore Diet and Testosterone: The Bottom Line

The carnivore diet eliminates foods that reduce testosterone levels and increases the intake of nutrient-dense foods that support testosterone levels in men. 

To date, there haven’t been any studies looking directly at the links between the carnivore diet and testosterone. 

However, numerous anecdotal reports, along with research into low-fat, high-carb diets, suggest that the carnivore diet may have powerful beneficial effects on testosterone levels. 

The testosterone-boosting benefits of a carnivore diet are likely attributable to the following factors: 

  • Increasing fat intake–raises levels of testosterone
  • Increasing concentrations of vitamins crucial to testosterone production
  • Eliminating inflammatory foods like sugar, grains, vegetable oils, fiber, and plant toxins

If you’re looking for a way to dive right into an animal-based diet, try Dr. Kiltz’s BEBBIIS plan. It centers on fatty steak and includes a variety of nourishing animal products like duck liver, blue cheese, and homemade ice cream. 

Explore more carnivore diet menus, meal plans, and shopping lists here.

Yellow transparent Antibiotics capsule in glass bottle
Liam McAuliffe

Carnivore Diet Probiotics: The Facts

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By eliminating plant fiber and carbs, the carnivore diet helps you reset your gut microbiome. For this reason, many people wonder if consuming probiotics on the carnivore diet will help with this gut reset. 

The short answer is, no. 

Numerous studies have found no evidence to support any of the advertised benefits of probiotics. In fact, the only conclusive research links probiotics with various health risks. 

Let’s take a closer look at why carnivore diet probiotics are at best, a waste of money, and at worst, potentially harmful. 

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are living bacteria and yeasts. They’re often produced in the fermentation process of dairy products, added to various foods, and consumed in supplement form. 

Probiotics are marketed as “good” or “healthy” bacteria. Brands claim that they promote intestinal microbial balance that heals the gut, improves digestion, boosts immunity, and promotes skin health among other benefits.

Probiotic advertising has been remarkably effective, making the probiotic industry worth $28 billion dollars.

Research on the Effectiveness of Probiotics

Despite the marketing claims, a review of seven random control trials found that there was no evidence that probiotics benefit the intestinal microbiota of healthy people.

The researchers also point to a lack of quality studies or any standardization regarding the positive outcomes that studies on the effects of probiotics are looking for. 

Though probiotics don’t have measurable benefits, they do have measurable risks. 

Risks of Probiotics

Numerous studies warn of various and potentially serious risks of probiotic use. Here’s a brief rundown:

  • People with severe illnesses and compromised immune systems are at higher risk of various possible harmful effects of probiotic use.
  • Possible harmful effects of probiotics include infections, production of harmful substances by the probiotic microorganisms, and transmission of antibiotic resistance genes from probiotic microorganisms to other microorganisms in the digestive tract
  • Some probiotics contain microorganisms other than those listed on the label. There have been instances when these contaminants pose serious health risks
  • Probiotic-induced d-lactic acidosis causes fatigue, weakness, disorientation, and restlessness
  • Probiotic fermented carbs can lead to bacterial overgrowth, resulting in d-lactic acid production, increased gas, and bloating
  • Medical literature warns against using probiotics if you have congenital or acquired immune disease, heart anomalies, HIV, ulcerative colitis, or if you’ve had chemotherapy, an organ transplant, or a recent operation

It’s also worth noting that probiotics are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. This means that companies do not have to prove that the ingredients listed are actually in the bottle. 

microorganisms-07-00104-g001

Source: Lerner, A.; Shoenfeld, Y.; Matthias, T. Probiotics: If It Does Not Help It Does Not Do Any Harm. Really? Microorganisms 2019

The Carnivore Diet for Gut Health

Woman hands making a heart shape on her stomach, healthy bowel degestion, probiotics for gut health

The carnivore diet benefits gut health precisely because it removes fermentable fibers and carbohydrates. Additionally, the carnivore diet eliminates plant toxins. 

Removing these three harmful factors stops bacteria overgrowth, allows the gut lining to heal, and promotes the restoration of healthy bacteria. [19] [20] [21]

Many people go carnivore to overcome inflammatory autoimmune disorders. Probiotics are contraindicated for these conditions and are not shown to provide any measurable benefits. 

Keep in mind that animal products provide structure, while plant products provide stressors.

Plant products contain gut stressors like excess fiber, carbs, and naturally occurring antinutrients and toxins–all of which damage tissues and promote chronic inflammation in the gut–the roots of modern diseases.

Animal fats, muscle, and micronutrients, on the other hand, are the foundation of healthy cell structures in the gut.

Carnivore Diet Probiotics: The Bottom Line

The carnivore diet is an effective way to reset your intestinal microbiome and eliminate plant toxins, including lectins that contribute to leaky gut and associated system-wide inflammation.  

When considering that studies show no measurable benefits, and numerous potential risks of probiotic use, there’s no reason to waste your money on carnivore diet probiotics.

Picture of a glass flask with water.
William Kiltz

Top Carnivore Diet Beverages and Others To Avoid

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The Carnivore diet is an ancestral approach to eating that dramatically reduces inflammation, resolves autoimmune disorders, improves mental health, and boosts overall well-being. 

While what to eat on a Carnivore Diet, is pretty obvious–only animal products, what to drink on a carnivore diet can be a bit tricky, especially when considering that 62% of Americans rely on a cup of joe to jumpstart the day. 

In this article, we’ll explore what drinks will best support your carnivore diet goals, and the drawbacks of other beverages that are technically carnivore, but that aren’t the best option. 

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What Can You Drink On A Carnivore Diet?

What you can drink on a carnivore diet depends on how strictly you plan on adhering to cutting carbs and plant-derived foods. 

If you want to play it safe, stick with mineral water.  

If you count yourself among the 62% of Americans that rely on coffee to jump-start your day, whether or not you continue to drink it on a carnivore diet can be a more complicated decision.  

While milk is less straightforward on carnivore than one may think. And what about alcohol? 

Let’s take a look at each of these beverages and see how they do, can, or do not fit into a carnivore diet. 

Mineral Water

Mineral water is the most ancestrally aligned carnivore diet beverage. 

True mineral water comes from a mineral-rich natural spring. It contains mineral compounds, many of which act as electrolytes in the body. These are not found in distilled or tap water unless they are added. 

Electrolytes are charged particles essential to nervous system function, muscle contractions, hydration and pH levels [1].

Common minerals in spring water include 

  • Sodium
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Calcium
  • sulfur

Increasing your electrolytes can be especially important on the carnivore diet. When you cut carbs and boost fat your body flushes fuids that contain electrolytes. 

Hydrating with water that replenishes electrolytes water can reduce the duration and severity of most carnivore diet side effects. 

The concern of Toxins in Tap Water

Many carnivore dieters steer clear of tap water. 

In many parts of the country, tap water contains high levels of toxic chemicals, including chlorine and fluoride. 

Chlorine is a toxic chemical used to sterilize tap water. Numerous studies link chlorine-treated drinking water to increased risk of bladder and colon cancer.5 6

Fluoride in tap water has been linked to cancer, dental fluorosis, and bone disease. 

Additionally, tap water in many areas contains pesticides and pharmaceutical waste, among other dangerous contaminants.5

Sparkling Water

Sparkling water is either mineral or purified water that contains carbon dioxide gas.[3]

Though carbon dioxide gas isn’t explicitly prohibited on carnivore, it does raise the acidity of water, leading to some fears that it can harm tooth enamel. 

Studies on the risks of acidic sparkling water are mixed. One study found that it can cause a mild reduction in the “microhardness” of tooth enamel [4]. One way to reduce these effects is to drink sparkling water with a meal. [5]. 

On the other hand, sparkling mineral water with sodium may have health benefits.  

Studies on post-menopausal women have shown that drinking sodium-rich sparkling water can improve calcium retention when compared to plain mineral water [6].

Drinking sodium-rich carbonated water has also been shown to decrease inflammatory markers, LDL cholesterol, and blood sugar while increasing (good) HDL cholesterol. 

Impressively, participants who drank sodium-rich carbonated water had an estimated 35% lower risk of developing heart disease within ten years [7]. 

The takeaway–if you’re going to drink sparkling water, make sure it is mineral water or has added high-quality sodium. 

Milk on a Carnivore Diet

Milk is an animal product so it’s technically approved on a carnivore diet. 

However, in practice, most carnivore dieters eliminate it. 

That’s because milk is high in sugar (lactose) which can cause inflammation and weight gain while interfering with the ketogenic aspect of carnivore. 

A single 12 oz glass of whole milk contains nearly 18 grams of sugar, half as much as a coke! 

Studies also show that intake of pasteurized dairy products increases acne rates 6. And a significant percentage of people report digestive issues when drinking A1 milk. 

Raw Milk 

We hear a lot of hype about raw milk from certain carnivore experts. While raw milk can provide a great source of vitamins and minerals (including vitamin C), it’s best consumed sparingly if at all. 

Contrary to popular knowledge, fresh meat contains plenty of vitamin C. And when you cut carbs your body needs even less vitamin C than on a high-carb diet. 5

Beef Muscle Meet (1000 grams/2.2 lbs)Amount Vitamin C% sufficient to prevent scurvy
Grass-fed beef25.6 mcg256%
Grain-fed beef16 mcg160%

Bone Broth

Bone broth offers numerous benefits, including

  • Reduced inflammation
  • Digestive health
  • Better sleep
  • Anti-cancer effects
  • Antidepressant properties
  • Supports immune response
  • Health joints and skin
  • Weight loss and body composition

Bone broth is rich in, collagen, and gelatin and contributes some magnesium and potassium.  

Collagen supports skin health by reducing wrinkles while improving elasticity; it can also help with joint pain and muscle soreness. Amino acids like proline aid in building new tissue for healthy joints.

Additionally, bone broth is high in protein, with around 17 grams per cup. You may want to add butter to boost your fat intake–or don’t strain off the fat when you make it at home. 

Electrolyte Drinks

Some carnivore dieters find it helpful to replenish flushed electrolytes with specially formulated electrolyte drinks. 

Re-Lyte is an option that contains clean ingredients, including sodium chloride (salt), calcium chloride dihydrate, magnesium chloride hexahydrate, and potassium.

What About Coffee on Carnivore?

Coffee beans are the seed of a fruit. This means that coffee is basically fruit seed extract. It’s not an animal product, and therefore technically off-limits on carnivore. 

However, studies show that drinking coffee in moderation can provide numerous health benefits with few side effects. 

Here’s a sample of just a few science-backed benefits of coffee: 

  • Moderate coffee drinking was associated with a 31%  lower risk of all-cause mortality [22]
  • For women, the risk of depression has been shown to decrease relative to increased coffee consumption. Coffee drinking reduces the likelihood of suicide from depression [23]
  • Protective against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease [24]
  • May reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 65%
  • May reduce the risk of Parkinson’s by 32-60%
  • Protect the liver against fibrosis, cirrhosis, and cancer [25]
  • Reduces risk of liver disease by 84% 

One thing to look our for is that like other plant foods, consuming coffee can expose your body to plant toxins. 

In the case of coffee the toxins to be aware of are called mycotoxins. They are the products of toxic molds that form during processing and storage in humid environments.[5] 

And their health effects can be very serious long-term effects like chronic fatigue, ADHD, rashes, COPD, and depression.

You can avoid toxins in coffee by

  • looking for certified toxin-free coffee
  • choosing wet-processed beans
  • Choosing beans grown at high altitude

It’s also important to drink coffee moderately. High intake of caffeine from coffee can increase stress hormones, disrupt sleep, and spike anxiety.5

Additionally, consuming over 500 mg of caffeine per day can lead to increased fat storage around your waistline. One cup of coffee contains around 100mg–200mg, while a standard energy drink contains 300mg–500mg.

KILTZ’S TAKE
Though technically not a carnivore diet food, moderate coffee drinking for most people is a net health positive. It’s also worth considering that on the carnivore diet most people are giving up so many other familiar foods that allowing coffee may be a key

Though technically not a carnivore diet food, moderate coffee drinking for most people is a net health positive. It’s also worth considering that on the carnivore diet most people are giving up so many other familiar foods that allowing coffee may be a key to making carnivore sustainable, or at least getting through the transitional period. If you do choose to drink coffee on carnivore make sure you take steps to reduce your exposure to toxic coffee molds. 

Butter Coffee

The best way to drink coffee on carnivore is to butter it up! 

Grass-fed butter provides the fatty acid called CLA, which has powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic properties.6

Butter also helps boost brain function by providing essential fatty acids and antioxidants that keep blood flowing smoothly through capillaries in the brain.

What About Black, Green, and Herbal Teas on Carnivore?

Here’s another area where even though tea is technically not carnivore compliant, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. 

The best tea on carnivore is matcha–the pulverized leaves of green tea. 

Matcha has been shown to inhibit aging caused by glycation–the bonding of sugar to proteins while stimulating collagen creation. These dual qualities repair skin, bones, muscle tissue, ligaments, and teeth. [18]

Matcha also provides a compound called L-theanine that promotes relaxation and reduces stress and anxiety even when consumed alongside caffeine.[19] [20]. 

Matcha is high in epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) a compound with powerful anticancer properties.5

However, there is one thing about tea that you should be aware of: tannins.

Tannins are polyphenols found in many plants (and also some animals). They can bind to proteins and reduce their biological activity by making them harder for your body to digest and absorb. 

It’s also been shown that tannins can significantly lower protein absorption rates.5

What Drinks To Avoid On A Carnivore Diet

Alcohol

Alcohol in any form is a toxin and it’s distilled from grains and fruit. Both of these make alcohol a no go on carnivore. 

Alcohol is also a diuretic which means it causes dehydration, fatigue, and depression.

Beer and wine are also generally high in carbs. If you choose to consume a celebratory drink on a rare occasion (once or twice a year!), try spirits.  

Sugary Drinks

Sugary drinks are not permitted on carnivore. These include

  • Coffee with sugar or artificial sweetener
  • Tea with sugar
  • Any fruit Juice
  • Any soda or diet soda
  • Sports drinks, even no-sugar sports drinks
  • Kefir
  • Milk 
  • Flavored milk
  • Coconut milk
  • Coconut water

Carnivore Diet Drinks: Key Takeaways

The best carnivore diet drink is the one thing our ancestors have been drinking since the dawn of time–mineral water. 

Beyond mineral water, sparkling water can make can co-star on the carnivore diet, especially if it’s carbonated from mineral water or has added sodium. 

Coffee and tea aren’t technically carnivore diet approved–since they’re made from plants–but they may offer a net positive in terms of health benefits and sticking with carnivore. But the key is to consume them in moderation. Excess caffeine can cause sleep problems, stress, and anxiety. 

If you do continue to drink coffee or tea, fortify them with butter! If you need more guidance during your transition to carnivore take a look at the Bulletproof Carnivore approach to reclaiming your metabolic health.

White plate clock on a blue background with copy space. The hands point to 12 o'clock. Interval fasting or autophagy.
Liam McAuliffe

The 12 Hour Fast: Benefits and How To

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A 12-hour fast, AKA 12:12 intermittent fasting, is a method that involves abstaining from food for at least 12 hours, typically overnight. 

Intentionally depriving your body of calories for a specific period of time activates numerous biological processes that offer powerful health benefits, including  

  • Reduced inflammation and decreases in proinflammatory cytokines and immune cells 
  • improve circulating glucose 
  • Improve blood lipid (cholesterol/triglyceride) levels 
  • reduce blood pressure. 
  • regulate blood sugar
  • stimulate human growth hormones
  • activate cellular renewal
  • Promote mental clarity and cognition 
  • Protect against age-related cognitive decline 

Most of these call for fasting periods beyond 12 hours. However, the 12-hour fast can be an easily adopted gateway into longer, more effective intermittent fasting approaches. 

In this article, we’ll look at how to do a 12-hour fast, what to eat, and what benefits you can expect. 

[TOC]

What is the 12-hour Fast? 

A twelve-hour fast is one of the easiest intermittent fasting approaches to get into. 

Though 12:12 appears mild, when coming from a Standard American Diet, the positive results can be significant and felt within a couple of days. 

Most people are constantly eating and often consume food from the moment before going to bed to the moment they wake up. Most of this “food” is loaded with sugars, grains, and seed “vegetable” oils–all of which are among the most toxic, pesticide-ridden, and inflammatory foods on earth. 

The most effective approach to the 12-hour fast

12-Hour-Fast-Top-Title

Align Your 12-hour fast with Your Circadian Rhythms

Linking your fasting period with circadian rhythms takes advantage of innate metabolic processes in your body that are governed by natural light and dark cycles.

Your circadian rhythm is a 24-hour internal biological clock. 

It regulates many bodily functions, including sleep, hormone secretion metabolism, digestion, immune function, and cognition.

Nearly every cell in your body and 80% of your genes function relative to this light-dark cycle.

When you align your 12-hour fast with the natural light and dark cycle you take advantage of innate internal processes governed by your biological clock.

Studies show that eating during daylight and abstaining from food after sundown results in benefits, including

  • Lower body fat percentage
  • Better sleep
  • Improve digestive symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.
  • Reduced risk of intestinal dysbiosis (overgrowth of harmful bacteria)
  • Improved recovery of immune cells

This means that if you finish your last meal at sundown, your next meal wouldn’t be until sunup the next day. 

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What Happens To Your Metabolism on a 12-Hour Fast? 

When you restrict your calories for at least 12 hours your body begins to turn stored fat into energy molecules called ketones.

However, this process only starts at around 12 hours. To amplify fat-burning with fasting, extend it to a 16/8 protocol. 

What about Autophagy on 12:12? 

The 12-hour fast is too short to activate the process of cellular renewal known as “autophagy.” 

This process whereby your body breaks down old and damaged cells and recycles their components is one of the most potent and protective benefits of intermittent fasting. 

In order to activate autophagy, you need to fast for between 16-18 hours, minimum. 

It’s also important to note that intermittent fasting will only stimulate significant autophagy when you align your fasting period spans overnight.

Benefits of a 12-Hour Fast 

Let’s explore the various possible health benefits of a 12-hour fast, including: 

  • Improved body composition
  • Improved insulin sensitivity
  • Increased HGH production
  • Increased BDNF production
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Improved productivity

Weight Loss and Improved Body Composition

As we mentioned above, fasting promotes “fatty acid oxidation,” which is how body fat is turned into energy.

When carbs are absent during the fasting period, insulin drops and norephedrine increases–the recipe for rapid fat burning.  This process promotes weight loss and boosts muscle mass.

Studies have shown that IF can increase your metabolic rate–the speed at which your body burns calories–by up to 14%. This rate increase occurs even when your body is at rest.

Not surprisingly, researchers have found that IF is an effective approach to weight loss, yielding a 9.9% reduction in body weight.

Increased Stem Cell Production and Intestinal Healing

Stem cells are the body’s raw building materials. They’re the foundation of all other cellular structures. 

As we age, our ability to produce stem cells decreases. This can be a particularly detrimental issue in our intestines, where our modern diets subject our intestinal cells to chronic damage from plant toxins, abrasive fiber, and excess carbs. 

With chronic exposure to toxins and a diminished ability to heal and regenerate, our intestinal cells can break down, leaving gaps in our intestinal walls that allow pathogens into the bloodstream. This condition is called intestinal permeability or leaky gut

Once in the bloodstream, these toxic molecules spread throughout the body, contributing to chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders.

Fasting can stimulate the production of stem cells, providing healing and protection in the gut.   However, to significantly enhance stem cell production, you’ll likely need to fast for longer than 12 hours. 

Improved Insulin Sensitivity

In a wide-ranging 2022 review of many IF studies, researchers found that fasting can be used to treat various diseases linked to insulin resistance.

Using the 12-hour fast to reduce Insulin resistance can contribute to numerous benefits, including : 

  • Clearer skin
  • less water retention
  • Improvement of diabetic symptoms
  • Lower risk of heart disease
  • Resolution of PCOS
  • Improved cognition and neurological protection

Increased BDNF

Fasting for even short periods of time has been shown to increase an important hormone called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF-1). 

One study found that fasting from dawn to sunset significantly increased BDFN levels.5

BDFN plays a role in creating new brain cells. That’s why neuropsychiatrist John J. Ratey calls it “Miracle-Gro for the brain.” And it’s associated with improvements in learning and the creation of new neural pathways. 

On the other hand, low BDNF levels have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

In studies on animals, fasting-induced increases in BDNF are associated with less depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative disease.

Reduced Inflammation 

Chronic inflammation is a killer. In fact, it’s the most deadly root of disease across the world, afflicting and killing 3 out of 5 people.

Epidemic chronic inflammatory diseases include heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases, cancer, obesity, and diabetes.

A 12-hour fast can reduce inflammation by

  1. Activating stem cells that help heal intestinal permeability
  2. Reducing levels of inflammatory white blood cells 5

Fasting has been found to be an effective therapy for chronic inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s, and MS.

12-Hour Fast Concerns

The 12-hour fast is a remarkably gentle approach and is likely safe for most people. 

Women 

Restricting calories has effects on the balance of sex hormones in women. However, the 12-hour fast is such a gentle approach that it’s unlikely to adversely affect hormone balance.

Learn more about intermittent fasting for women here. 

Eating disorders

Intermittent fasting is not recommended for people with eating disorders. It can conceal anorexia and amplify bulimia. 

Foods to Eat On a 12-Hour Fast

What you eat on either side of a 12-hour fast is as important as taking time off from eating. 

The right foods will promote fat metabolism and nourish your fresh crop of stem cells with the nutrients they need to thrive. 

These nutrient-dense whole foods, include

What Can I Drink on a 12-Hour Fast? 

On a 12-hour fast, mineral water is the best choice. 

If you can’t go without black coffee or tea, that’s ok, too. Black coffee contributes only 2-3 calories per cup– not enough to disrupt the fasting metabolic state.

12-Hour Fast: The Bottom Line

The 12 fast is a gentle, often introductory approach to intermittent fasting. 

Intermittent fasting in general, has been shown to promote weight loss, stem cell production, and to stimulate the release of beneficial hormones. 

As with all approaches to fasting, it’s important to listen to your body and make adjustments when necessary.

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Liam McAuliffe

Intermittent Fasting Results: Research and Photos

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Intermittent fasting is a way of eating where you alternate periods of eating with periods of abstaining from food, AKA fasting! Practicing intermittent fasting can contribute numerous beneficial results. 

In this article, we’ll detail some of the intermittent fasting results you can expect and how intermittent fasting promotes them. 

We’ve also collected some before and after photos that show the results of intermittent fasting for weight loss. However, it’s worth noting that weight loss is only the most visible of numerous powerful intermittent fasting results. 

Intermittent Fasting Results: A Historical Perspective

Before jumping into the modern Western results of intermittent fasting, let’s acknowledge that intermittent fasting has been around for millennia. In fact, IF has been a foundational part of traditional approaches to medicine across the world. 

In Chinese medicine, fasting is used to promote balance and harmony within the body and is often used as a preventative measure to maintain good health. 

Modern research on the Chinese practice of a 7-day water fast has shown that it is an effective treatment for thrombosis.

In the traditional Indian approach to medicine called Ayurveda, fasting is used to cleanse the body and mind, and to promote balance between the doshas (the body’s fundamental energy patterns).

In ancient Greek medicine, fasting was often prescribed as a treatment for various medical conditions, including digestive disorders and skin conditions.

Modern Western medicine confirms that intermittent fasting leads to various positive results, and it details the physiological processes of how they come about. 

Let’s explore some of the powerful results that you can expect from intermittent fasting.

Reduced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Though inflammation is a natural, protective response to injury or infection, chronic inflammation is the root of the most prevalent and deadly modern diseases, including obesity, diabetes, various cancers, and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.

Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can result in the reduction of inflammatory markers such as TNF-alpha, IL-6, and CRP.

Intermittent fasting has also been found to result in increases of anti-inflammatory molecules such as adiponectin, which helps to improve insulin sensitivity.

The fact that intermittent fasting results in a reduction of inflammation make it one of the most powerful lifestyle approaches to controlling your health and wellness. 

Weight loss

Intermittent fasting may lead to weight loss by reducing overall calorie intake and increasing fat burning.

A 2020 review of 27 clinical intermittent fasting trials showed that IF resulted in weight loss, ranging from 0.8% to 13.0% of baseline body weight.

A 2014 review found that participants in IF studies lost weight at a rate of .55 to 1.65 pounds per week. And experienced a 4-7% reduction in waist circumference (indicating a loss of belly fat).

It’s believed that Intermittent fasting can result in weight loss in several ways.

  • People simply snack less. When you’re fasting you’re not eating. When you’re not eating, you take in fewer calories. 
  • Raises levels of norepinephrine. This hormone helps break down fat stored on the body
  • Increases human growth hormone (HGH) boosting metabolism and fat burning  
  • Decreases glucose and insulin, which promotes fat-burning
  • Reduces inflammation and oxidative stress–both of which contribute to weight gain

Improved Cardiovascular Health

Intermittent fasting has been found to result in better cardiovascular health. 

Intermittent fasting supports heart health through a few key factors, including its ability to promote weight loss and improve body composition. 

Additionally, intermittent fasting has been found to result in 

  • lower blood pressure
  • to improve blood lipid profiles (such as reducing LDL-cholesterol and increasing HDL-cholesterol)
  • improve insulin sensitivity

All of these are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease. 

Intermittent fasting has also been shown to result in improved function of the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels.

Additionally, IF’s ability to decrease inflammation and oxidative stress protects the heart, since these are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Increased Mental Clarity

One of the results of intermittent fasting is an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), famously referred to as miracle grow for your brain. 

This protein plays a role in neurogenesis–the growth, survival, and function of neurons in the brain.2  BDNF has been found to be important for learning, memory, and overall cognitive function.

Additionally, intermittent fasting has been shown to promote mental clarity and prevent age-related cognitive decline via numerous pathways, including the synthesis of ketone bodies (energy molecules made from fat), butanoate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and glycolysis and gluconeogenesis.

Intermittent Fasting Results: Before and After Photos

Here’s a roundup of before and after photos showing the visible results of intermittent fasting. Though these are inspiring, keep in mind that the benefits of intermittent fasting go much deeper!

before and after pics intermittent fasting results

YouTuber Cam Jones intermittently fasted for 30 days and lost 6 lbs.  He followed the 16/8 approach and ate normally during the 8-hour eating window. His benefits would have likely been enhanced by combining IF with keto or carnivore. In fact, most of the before and after photos below result from this dual approach to metabolic health. 

 

intermittent fasting results before and after photos

intermittent fasting results before and after photos

intermittent fasting results before and after photos

intermittent fasting results before and after photos

intermittent fasting results before and after photos

intermittent fasting results before and after photos

intermittent fasting results before and after photos

Intermittent Fasting Results: The Takeaway

Intermittent fasting has been shown to result in numerous health benefits, including weight loss, reduced inflammation, improved cardiovascular health, cognitive enhancement, and protection against age-related cognitive decline.