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Carnivore Diet Bone Broth: Benefits and Easy Recipe

December 9, 2022/in Foods Bone Broth, bone marrow, Carnivore Diet Foods, Keto Foods, organ meats /by Liam McAuliffe

Carnivore diet bone broth has been around since pots were invented 9000 years ago. Way back then, it was just called “food.”

Studies show that for nearly 2 million years before that, bone marrow, the main component of bone broth, was the first animal product our ancient ancestors consumed. That’s because humans were scavengers before we were hunters.

In fact, it was the incredible nutrient density of scavenged marrow and brain that fueled the rapid growth of our ancestors’ brains.

Rapidly growing brains meant we soon became smart enough to hunt. With all that ancient nutrient-dense megafauna (giant mammals) roaming around, we focused nearly exclusively on hunting meat for food.

Long story short, bone marrow is what turned us into hyper-carnivorous apex predators for most of our time on Earth.

Fast forward to our modern world, and the carnivore diet and its staple foods, including bone broth, are enjoying a revival.

In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of this “liquid gold” and offer an easy carnivore diet bone broth recipe.

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Carnivore Bone Broth Quick Facts

When nutrition researcher Weston A. Price traveled the world to discover the health secrets of traditional diets, bone broth was used by virtually every ancient culture.
Excellent source of inhibitory amino acids that balance the overabundance of excitatory amino acids (tryptophan, cysteine, etc.) from muscle meats.
Anti-aging–reduces facial lines and wrinkles while improving skin elasticity
Normalizes GABA levels to improve mood
Improves sleep
Suppresses inflammatory responses
Reduced joint pain in osteoarthritis patients
Promotes healthy gut microbiome
Supports mucosal lining of the gut
Prevents ulcers

What is Carnivore Diet Bone Broth?

Carnivore diet bone broth is a soup made by simmering bones and connective tissues.

Often carnivore bone broth includes collagen-rich nose-to-tail animal parts like hooves, feet, beaks, gizzards, and fins.

What makes true carnivore diet bone broth different than other bone-based broths is that it does not include any plant ingredients, not even herbs, spices or vinegar. It’s only animal parts and salt.

Since bone broth as been around for millennia, different cultures have different types, but few are carnivore. For example, the popular Vietnamese bone broth soup called pho has a lot of added sugar, while ramen broth is most often made by boiling pork bones is often made with miso from soybeans.

You can make carnivore diet bone broth using bones and connective tissue from pretty much any animal, including:

beef
bison
pork
veal
lamb
goat
venison
chicken
Fish

What is the Carnivore Diet?

In case you’re new to the carnivore diet, this way of eating entails consuming only animal products.

There are some variations on the carnivore diet, beginning with the strict meat, salt, water “lion” elimination diet.

Then there’s Dr. Kiltz’s BEBBIIS plan which stands for Bacon, Eggs, Beef, Butter, Low Carb Homemade Ice Cream, Intermittent Feasting, and Salt. He even makes space for cheat days and tallow-fried french fries every once in a while.

Whichever carnivore diet you gravitate towards, the key is cutting carbs and plant toxins while boosting healthy animal fats.

Benefits of Bone Broth on a Carnivore Diet

The carnivore diet has exploded in popularity, mainly due to the reports of thousands of people of dramatic relief and reversals of chronic ailments.

The benefits of the carnivore diet come from two main factors. The toxic, processed, evolutionarily non-aligned foods you’re eliminating from your diet and the whole, nourishing, ancestral foods that you’re consuming in abundance.

Carnivore bone broth is one of the most nourishing foods on earth. Here’s how and why.

Bone Broth Eases Symptoms Associated with Transition to Carnivore

Eliminating carbs, sugar, grains, vegetables, fruits, vegetable oils, and processed foods is a major metabolic transition for most people raised on a standard American diet.

As your body adjusts, this transition can come with some uncomfortable but temporary side effects, including diarrhea, constipation, and fatigue.

These early-stage carnivore diet side effects are due mainly to low electrolytes and lower than needed levels of bile to digest the increased fat intake.

One of the first things that happen when you cut cabs is that your body dips into its storehouse of carbs called glycogen. Glycogen molecules are attached to lots of water molecules, so to release the glycogen, your body flushes water along with electrolytes.

Carnivore Bone broth is a naturally good source of electrolytes, including potassium (10% DV), phosphorus, chloride, magnesium, and sodium.

Bone broth is also a great source of glycine. This amino acid plays an important role in fat digestion. Your body uses it to synthesize bile acids in the liver.

Proper electrolyte levels and better fat digestion will help with constipation in the early going.

Protects Against Increased Methionine From Meat

One of the fears of the carnivore diet is that all that meat will increase methionine intake.

Methionine is an amino acid linked with cancer. However, there have not been any links between consuming fresh red meat and any type of cancer.

Furthermore, studies looking at the methionine cancer link have found that in order to increase base levels of homocysteine–the actual harmful amino acid that is synthesized from methionine, you need extremely high levels of methionine (500% of your normal daily intake).

The level of methionine that you get from eating a couple of pounds of meat per day, most of which is fat (not muscle meat) like you’d get on a carnivore diet, does not increase base levels of homocysteine.

In summary, there is no evidence that for healthy people, a high-meat, high-fat carnivore diet increases base levels of homocysteine.

That said, if you’re still worried about the effects of methionine from meat, bone broth should take the edge off.

Carnivore diet bone broth is one of the richest sources of amino acids like glycine that have been shown to mitigate the effects of high methionine intake.

Benefits of Amino Acids in Carnivore Bone Broth

Bone broth is loaded with collagen, which makes up around 30% of the protein in your body.

Boling connective tissues into bone broth break down collagen into gelatine and other health-promoting amino acids like glycine and glutamine.

Let’s look at how each of these amino acids aids our health.

Gelatin for Digestive Health

Once you cool a rich homemade bone broth, it will likely get firm and wobbly like jello. That’s because of the gelatin content.

The ability of gelatin to attract and hold water allows it to bind to water inside your digestive tract. This store of moisture helps move digesting food through your system.

In animal studies, gelatin has been shown to protect the mucosal lining of the gut. More research needs to be done on humans, but these effects make it a promising food for healing leaky gut.

Glycine Aids Sleep and Protects Against Cancer

Collagen provides more glycine than any other food component. 2 tablespoons of collagen provides 3 grams of glycine.

As we mentioned above, glycine has been shown to reduce homocysteine levels after protein-rich meals.

Glycine has also been shown to improve sleep and control blood sugar. It is also a precursor to creatine, a compound that acts as a powerful antidepressant and enhances athletic performance and recovery.

Glycine has also been shown to positively impact neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

In the digestive system, glycine protects against gastric ulcers and helps digest fat.

Glycine also helps restore levels of glutathione–a powerful antioxidant that protects nearly every cell in your body.

Glycine for Sleep

Numerous studies show that glycine helps promote healthy sleep.

In one study, taking 3 grams of glycine before bed resulted in participants being able to fall asleep quickly, sleep deeply, wake up less during the night, reduce sleepiness during the day, improve cognitive ability, and improve memory.

Proline for Better Immunity

17% of the amino acids in collagen are proline. Proline has been shown to regulate metabolic pathways contributing to cell growth. It also acts like an antioxidant by eliminating free radicals from cells.

Additionally, proline is an important factor in wound healing, and healthy immune response.

Glutamine for Gut and Digestive Health

Glutamine is an amino acid that fuels immune cells and intestinal cells. These qualities make glutamine an anti-inflammatory, gut-healing dietary food-medicine.

Glutamine can help maintain the health of your gut lining and protect against intestinal permeability.

Glycosaminoglycans for Joint and Skin Health

Carnivore bone broth made from bones with tendons and cartilage still attached contains complex carbohydrates called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).

These compounds can attach to proteins to create connective tissue and the lubricant that surrounds joints.

They also constitute the raw materials required for the maintenance and health of skin, cartilage, and bone. .

Studies have found that the glucosamine called chondroitin reduces joint pain and decreases symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Anti-inflammatory Arginine

The deadliest and most prolific diseases in the modern world are all associated with chronic inflammation. These include heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and various cancers. .

Arginine, along with glycine, have been shown to provide powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

A 2015 animal study showed that when asthmatic mice consumed arginine, airway inflammation was reduced, and their symptoms abated.

A 2016 animal study showed that arginine reduced inflammation in obese rats.

Studies on both animals and humans with intestinal diseases have found that L-arginine decreases intestinal injury, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, and restores the mucosal lining.

Carnivore Diet Bone Broth Recipe

Nearly all store-bought bone broths are seasoned with non-carnivore herbs and spices. But it’s easier to make your own true carnivore diet bone broth.

Furthermore, store-bought varieties wastefully skim off the fat–schmaltz (chicken), and tallow from beef.

Remember that a carnivore diet is a high-fat low-carb diet, so all this fat is nutritional gold. We even recommend adding a few tablespoons of ghee, butter, or tallow to boost the fat content.

Most bone broth, whether homemade or store-bought, uses an acid to break down bones and help pull out the nutrients, but this is not actually necessary. We haven’t noticed a difference in consistency and taste when leaving acid out, but we leave it as an option.

Ingredients

12 pounds beef, chicken, lamb, bison, or fish bones
1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar (optional)
Lots of salt to taste

Directions

Step1:(optional) Preheat oven to 450 °F (232°C). Arrange bones in a single layer on a large roasting tray roast for 20 minutes. Not necessary, but can add flavor.
Step 2: Place bones in a large stock pot and fill with water so all bones are covered.
Step 3 (optional): Add vinegar.
Step 4: Simmer on low for 18- 72 hours. The longer, the better. Make sure bones remain covered with water. Add more when necessary.

Carnivore Diet Bone Broth: The Bottom Line

Carnivore diet bone broth provides numerous amino acids and nutrients associated with a variety of health benefits.

The glycine, gelatin, and electrolytes in bone broth directly support the transition into the carnivore diet. It also makes a convenient carnivore snack when you’re on the road.

Though most bone broth you get from the store has non-carnivore additives, you can use the recipe above to make your own true carnivore bone broth. Keep the fat, and add some more for a deeply nourishing carnivore meal.

Carnivore Diet for Dogs?

December 6, 2022/in Keto, Carnivore, Nutrition /by Liam McAuliffe

Dog food is just about as controversial a topic as human food. And it is subject to the same misinformation, emotional biases, and profit motives. So, let’s cut to the chase and get one thing straight–dogs are, in fact, carnivores. Therefore a carnivore diet for dogs is the optimal way to feed them.

In this article, we’ll explore the science showing that dogs are carnivores and offer tips and recommendations on how to feed your pooch the food they’ve evolved to thrive on.

Dogs are “Facultative” Carnivores

Studies on the feeding ecology of wolves indicate that wolves are true carnivores. This means that they eat freshly hunted meat and only a negligible amount of vegetal matter. Dogs are direct descendants of gray wolves with nearly identical digestive systems.

As true “Facultative Carnivores,” the category in which humans belong, dogs thrive on animal products. However, they can survive, but not thrive, on supplemental plant foods only when fresh-killed and scavenged meat is unavailable.

Let’s take a look at a few key pieces of evidence supporting the view that dogs are carnivores.

Amylase Enzyme

Amylase enzyme is used to break down starches and carbohydrates before they reach the stomach for further digestion.

Herbivores and omnivores secret amylase through their saliva, but carnivores, including dogs, only have amylase in small amounts in the small intestine.

Because dogs lack salivary amylase, their bodies have to work harder to digest and use carbohydrates.

Consuming plant matter also causes your dog’s pancreas to struggle to increase levels of amylase to help digest starch, cellulose, and carbs.

Dogs Do Not Need Any Carbohydrates Whatsoever

Like their fellow carnivorous humans, dogs require zero carbohydrates. That’s right, carbs are considered a non-essential nutrient, meaning neither you nor your pet needs it.

In a 2006 committee on Animal Nutrition, the National Research Council released “Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats,” in which they stated that a dog’s health and vitality do not depend on dietary carbohydrates.

Shape of Jaw and Teeth

Dogs and other carnivores have no flat grinding teeth. They are sharp and long for killing prey and tearing meat.

Dogs do not have grinding teeth used to process plant matter.

Canine jaws only chew in an up-and-down motion–they do not move from side to side like cows.

The Canine Digestive System is Designed for Meat

Dogs in the wild, like our ancient human ancestors, evolved on a feast and fasting cycle. They feast on fresh meat when killed or scavenged and fast between hunts.

Accordingly, carnivores, including dogs, have large, elastic stomaches, high stomach acidity, and short intestines.

Large stomachs accommodate an abundance of fresh food. High stomach acidity kills toxic meat-born pathogens. Short intestines are better for breaking down highly bioavailable animal fats, proteins, and micronutrients.

Dogs also have the classic carnivore unsacculated (smooth) colon. Short, smooth intestines allow for fast expulsion of leftover bacteria.

Source:Comparative physiology of digestion J. FurnessJ. CottrellD. Bravo, Published 2015, Biology

By contrast, herbivores and omnivores have small stomachs and long intestines because plant matter (grass, leaves) is abundant. Yet, it requires a long time in the digestive tract in order to ferment into fatty acids.

Notice here that even herbivores consume a high-fat, low-carb diet; they just have to make the fat themselves. In contrast, carnivores get it from the bodies of other animals. In both scenarios, the diets of carnivores and herbivores are around 70% fat.

Consuming a bunch of fibrous plant matter without the proper digestive system results in gastric issues. Dogs also lack the bacteria in the large intestine required to turn cellulose into usable fatty acids. So, just as with their fellow human carnivores, fiber for dogs is useless, irritating junk.

What this all boils down to is you should only feed your dog meat. Anything else is completely unnecessary and can stress their organs, dilute their digestive enzymes, and irritate their carnivore-optimized intestines.

This outlook is reflected in the following study from 2015.

In this study, researchers concluded that dogs and wolves are carnivores. Accordingly, “the nutritive characteristics of commercial foods differ in several aspects from the dog’s closest free-living ancestor in terms of dietary nutrient profile, and this may pose physiological and metabolic challenges.”

Meat Provides All Necessary Nutrients

Animal products are the most nutrient-dense foods on earth.

The “gold standard” frozen raw all-meat dog foods that include bone marrow and organ meats will exceed all essential and beneficial nutrient requirements.

Lamb, beef, chicken, and fish are loaded with healthy fats, complete proteins, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin C, Thiamin, Zinc, Copper and Manganese, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Phosphorus, Folate, B6, and Selenium.

Nutrients in raw ground beef–keep in mind these recommended daily values are for much larger humans.

Nutrient	Amount per ½ lb (80/20) Ground Beef	%RDV
Fat	25.9 g
Saturated Fat	9.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat	11.5 g
Protein	40.2 g	80%
Riboflavin	0.3 mg	17%
Niacin	8.7 mg	43%
Vitamin B6	0.6 mg	32%
Folate	16.4 mcg	4%
Vitamin B12	4.3 mcg	71%
Pantothenic Acid	1.2 mg	12%
Iron	41.7 mg	23%
Magnesium	4.1 mg	9%
Phosphorus	337 mg	34%
Potassium	566 mg	16%
Zinc	9.5 mg	64%
Selenium	32.5 mcg	46%

Kibble vs. Raw Food

A Dogrisk metabolomics study was recently undertaken to better understand how canine health was affected by different food types.5

The study found that dogs fed a diet of dry kibble underwent significant metabolic stress

Kibbel-fed dogs also showed elevated levels of homocysteine, a marker for inflammation.

Whole food diets boost immune function and reduce inflammation.

This is no surprise when considering how humans (also carnivores) face similar stress and inflammation from genetically misaligned processed and plant foods.

Carnivore Diet for Dogs: The Bottom Line

All evidence tells us unequivocally that dogs are carnivores. As carnivores, they thrive on a carnivore diet, while non-carnivore and processed foods cause metabolic stress and inflammation.

We know that dogs are carnivores by looking at a number of factors.

The eating habits of their direct ancestors–wolves.
The absence of salivary amylase
The shape and function of teeth and jaw
The length and morphology of their intestines
Stomach acidity

Just as with our own human bodies, when we feed our dogs fresh animal products that closely mimic how they would eat in nature, we put them in the best position to live a long, healthy life.

image of man's head made out of meat next to text

The Carnivore Diet for Depression

December 6, 2022/in conditions Carnivore Diet, Carnivore Diet Foods, Depression /by Liam McAuliffe

The all-meat “carnivore diet” is trending, thanks in part to influential adopters who have used it to resolve chronic depression along with many other issues affecting health and wellbeing.

In this article, we’ll look at these high-profile success stories, explore the science linking eating meat with lower incidences of depression, and highlight links between seed “vegetable” oil and increased depression.

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Carnivore Diet for Depression Success Stories

Studies show humans evolved on a diet of mostly meat for nearly 2 million years. Now, this way of eating is being resurrected as an antidote to the standard American diet. 1

Research is catching up with it, which means most of our data on the effects of the carnivore diet comes from personal reports and observations.

You don’t have to look hard to find powerful stories of mental and physical transformation. Among the success stories of high-profile adopters, the positive effects of a carnivore diet on depression and mental health are a common theme.

Let’s take a look at what these carnivore diet ambassadors can tell us about the effects of a carnivore diet for depression.

Mikhaila Peterson

Mikhaila Peterson, daughter of popular psychologist Jordan Peterson, used the carnivore diet to recover from a litany of debilitating mental and physical disorders, including bipolar disorder, hypersomnia, psoriasis, and Lyme disease.

She first heard of the diet when carnivores diet pioneer Dr. Shawn Baker, spoke about it on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

Mikhaila credits the carnivore diet with sending juvenile rheumatoid arthritis into remission and for her recovery from severe depression and anxiety that had been plaguing her since fifth grade.

Below, you can hear Mikhaila Peterson tell the story of how the carnivore diet helped heal her depression. In this interview, she details the steps and gives us an idea of how long it will take to get results.

Jordan Peterson

Mikhaila’s experience with the benefits of a carnivore diet was so powerful that she inspired her father, University of Toronto psychology Professor Jordan Peterson, to give it a try.

Like his daughter, Jordan Peterson had been suffering from chronic depression. He undertook a version of carnivore called the “Lion Diet.” This carnivore elimination diet calls for eating only red meat, salt, and water.

On the Joe Rogan podcast, Peterson shared how going carnivore resolved his anxiety and depression while boosting his mental sharpness. In addition to these mental benefits, he told Joe Rogan,,“I lost 50 pounds. My appetite has probably fallen by 70%. I don’t get blood sugar dysregulation problems. I need way less sleep…my gum disease is gone. Like, what the hell?”

Below you can watch Jordan Peterson describe the benefits he’s had by adopting a carnivore diet to Jo Rogan. You can read about his reports of alleviating depression, anxiety, psoriasis and gastric reflux in this Atlantic article.

Amber O’Hearn

Data scientist and science writer Amber O’Hearn began experimenting with the carnivore in 2008. Since then, she has credited the all-meat approach with resolving her bipolar depression and suicidal ideation, for which psychiatric medications had been ineffective.

O’Hearn has become a dedicated proponent of the carnivore diet, speaking widely and founding The Boulder Carnivore Conference.

She is one of the most thorough carnivore diet researchers. You can find her writing on her website here.

Watch Amber O’Hearn describe how the carnivore diet resolved her depression and boosted her mental energy.

Georgia Eade, Diagnosis Diet

One of the most respected proponents of a keto, low-carb high-fat, and carnivore lifestyle for mental health is psychiatrist Dr. Georgia Ede.

Eade had experimented with eliminating plant foods and increasing fatty animal foods for over a decade. Then, in 2018, she became a full carnivore.

Eade credits her low-carb journey to carnivore with reversing symptoms of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, migraines, and IBS.

Below, you can watch Georgia Eade speak about the psychological benefits of this way of eating.

Effects of Eating Meat on Depression: The Science

A brief look at the science supporting the benefits of simply eating meat for depression suggests that an all-meat carnivore diet would contribute even more significant benefits. And this is leaving aside the added benefits of eliminating all processed foods and plant toxins associated with depression.

The highest quality study revealing the link between meat and lower rates of depression was published in 2021 in the Journal of Food Science and Nutrition.

Here’s a rundown of the study:

20 studies with 171,802 participants, ages 11-105 years old, from North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania
Results included “a significant association between meat consumption/abstention and depression and anxiety”
The more meat people ate, the lower their depression and anxiety levels
Vegan and vegetarianism was linked to a significantly greater likelihood of depression and psychiatric disorders
The results were true for both men and women
The quality of the studies explained the differences between each study. The higher quality studies showed more significant effects of eating meat on reducing depression.

This illuminating 2021 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found similar results to the study above. Here’s a rundown:

49,889 participants (8057 vegetarians and 41832 non-vegetarian controls) were included.
The study controlled for urban/rural variables
Vegetarians had significantly higher depression scores than non-vegetarians

This 2012 study gathered data from 4,116 Germans. The participants were either vegetarian, predominantly vegetarian, or non-vegetarian.

Participants were selected to equally represent numerous demographic and socioeconomic variables.

The researchers found that over the previous month, the previous year, and over their lifetimes, more vegetarians than meat eaters experienced depressive disorders.

What Links Meat with Better Mood, Lower Incidences of Depression?

It’s worth noting that none of the studies above linked a specific reason why eating meat is associated with lower rates of depression.

But other studies reveal that meat and whole animal products provide an abundance of nutrients clinically studied for their mood-boosting and depression-busting properties.

Let’s take a look at a few of these key nutrients.

Vitamin B12

B12 is clinically shown to support mood and prevent depression.[7] [8] [9] [10]

It’s also a meat-specific nutrient, making it hard for vegans and vegetarians to get enough of. 5

Studies show how B12 deficiency leads to the death of neurons and neurotransmitter signaling that directly results in depression.

You can find a list of the top B12 foods here.

Carnivore diet foods are loaded with B12. Some of the foods with the highest B12 concentrations include :

beef liver (2471% per 100 g)
Oysters (324% per 3.5 oz)
Ribeye steak (142% RDV per 227 g)

Zinc

Zinc plays a crucial role in maintaining neuronal systems linked to positive mood and mental health.

Though you can get some zinc from a few plant foods–especially grains–it is far less concentrated and bioavailable when compared to zinc in animal products.

Grains that contain zinc also contain fiber and antinutrients like phytates that bind to zinc and inhibit digestive enzymes.

Not surprisingly, studies suggest a link between low zinc levels and depression.

Other studies reveal that zinc effectively reduces both depressive and psychotic symptoms.

On the carnivore, common foods like ribeye steak, and ground beef provide an abundance of zinc (per 100 grams). Top zinc foods include:

Oysters	90.8mg	825%
Ribeye Steak	11mg	100%
Alaskan King Crab	7.6mg	69%
Spiny Lobster	7.3mg	66%
Lamb Shoulder	7.3mg	66%
Ground Beef (70/30)	6mg	54%

Creatine

Creatine is another meat-specific nutrient that you get in abundance on a carnivore diet.

Recent studies reveal creatine as a promising nutrient for the treatment of depression.

Most people can get plenty of creatine by consuming a carnivore diet centered around fresh, whole-animal foods.

Additionally, low creatine levels are significantly associated with increased levels of depression–which may be a key to the higher incidences of depression among vegetarians. 5

Taurine

Taurine is another depression-busting substance you get in abundance on a carnivore diet.

Studies show that taurine supplementation reduces mental health symptoms, including psychosis. At the same time, it boosts positive markers of mental health in young people who had experienced their first psychotic episode.

Foods high in taurine include shellfish, dark meat chicken, and red meat.

Eliminating Vegetable Oil

The carnivore diet may reduce depression due to what it eliminates as well as what it provides.

Though a newly emerging area of study, recent research links consuming vegetable oils high in omega-6 vegetable oils with mood disorders and depression.

In a study on monkeys fed a “Western diet” that included safflower oil, the most depressed monkeys had the highest blood levels of PUFAs.[21]

Source: Chilton FH, Lee TC, Willard SL, Ivester P, Sergeant S, Register TC, Shively CA. Depression and altered serum lipids in cynomolgus monkeys consuming a Western diet. Physiol Behav. 2011 Aug 3;104(2):222-7.

In 2019, Turkish researchers studied the effects of different fats, including sunflower oil, margarine, and traditionally made butter on mood and cognitive ability.

To measure the memory and learning abilities of experimental animals, they used a “direction-finding module.” And they used a rather cruel-sounding “water tank” method to determine the depression risk of the animals by measuring their survival motivation.1

These trials revealed the following striking results:

When it came to figuring out where to go, Animals fed with enriched sunflower oil and margarine were stumped. The researchers concluded that sunflower oil has a negative effect on the brain’s decision-making ability.
Peak depression levels were found in mice fed margarine.
The best cognitive and mood results were observed in mice who ate traditionally made butter.
The researchers commented that the butter-fed mice “had the lowest levels of anxiety and there were no symptoms of depression while the learning levels were extremely positive.”

Carnivore Diet for Depression: The Bottom Line

High-profile carnivore diet proponents, along with thousands of other all-meat enthusiasts, report that the carnivore diet has powerful anti-depressant properties.

And there are good science-backed reasons to believe these self-reports.

Studies comparing rates of depression between meat eaters and vegetarians routinely reveal that the more meat people eat, the less depressed they are.

Other studies tell us that specific compounds found in abundance in meat, such as B12, zinc, creatine, and taurine, are powerful antidepressants.

Other studies tell us that what the carnivore diet eliminates may be as important as the foods it provides. In an area of emerging science, vegetable oils, which are off-limits on the carnivore diet, have been strongly associated with cognitive impairment and depression.

The Real Causes of Heart Disease: Inflammation, Carbs, PUFAs

December 1, 2022/in conditions Animal fats, Cholesterol, Heart Disease /by Liam McAuliffe

Since the 1960s, we’ve been told that eating animal fat and cholesterol cause heart disease.

What if we told you this was all a lie?

Mainstream modern science tells us that consuming saturated fat and cholesterol is not associated with heart disease.

Surprised? We don’t blame you. The anti-fat, anti-meat propaganda machine is remarkably influential.

This all begs the question, what is the real cause of heart disease?

In this article, we’ll explore how the false narrative of heart disease was created. And we’ll examine the modern science revealing the real lifestyle factors that cause heart including, including industrial seed “vegetable” oils and chronically high carb intake.

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When did the Demonization of Fat and Cholesterol Begin?

The demonization of animal fat and cholesterol began in the 1960s with the infamous Seven Countries Study by Ansel Keys.

Keys was a dominating personality, and his study erroneously linked heart disease with cherry-picked data came at a time when heart disease was on the rise in America. People were hungry for an answer, and his was false, but simple: eat animal fat, raise your cholesterol, get heart disease.

His solution? Replace animal fats with vegetable oil. Below, we’ll show what a complete disaster that has been.

Keys’s study was so timely that he was featured on the cover of Time magazine.

Among the many problems with Keys’s study, the biggest is the data he omitted. If he included all 22 countries that he gathered data from, it would have shown a weak correlation between saturated fat intake and heart disease.

Additionally, Keys’s study was “observational.” It depended on participant reports and memories of what they ate over long periods of time.

Epidemiological “observational” studies are considered the lowest quality data. They cannot tell us the cause, only the correlation. They are not meant to be the basis of health policy but to point the direction towards higher quality randomized control Trials.

Another problem with Keys’s study is that it omitted high-fat diets of traditional cultures with very low incidences of heart disease. The traditional Tokelau, Masai, and Inuit peoples all thrives on extremely high saturated fat diets, yet they have equally extremely low incidences of cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

But you don’t need to look at data from ancient cultural diets to see that Keys’s “diet-heart hypothesis” is a myth. Look at the data from the modern European continent. It shows the opposite of Keys’s conclusions: The more saturated fat a population consumes, the less heart disease.

There is also the issue of manipulated science exposed by pioneering science journalist Nina Tiecholz. The results of Tiecholz’s 10-year research project found that Proctor & Gamble, the company behind Crisco, funded the American Heart Association, essentially buying its recommendations to cut animal fats and increase vegetable oil consumption.

The results of this campaign to scare Americans away from healthy animal fats, and to consume more toxic vegetable oils have been catastrophic.

The graphs below chart a correlation between reduced animal fat intake over the last century, substituting Partially Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) from “vegetable” seed oils, and spiking rates of modern diseases.

Source: NAHNES

What Does Modern Science Say About Saturated Fat and Heart Disease

Take a look at this 2020 systematic review (the gold standard of research) published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. It was authored by more than a dozen international researchers from the world’s most respected medical schools.

The study concluded, “although intake of processed meat has been associated with increased risk of CHD (coronary heart disease), intake of unprocessed red meat is not, which indicates that the saturated fat content of meat is unlikely to be responsible for this association.”

The researchers also state that “Whole-fat dairy, unprocessed meat, and dark chocolate are SFA-rich foods with a complex matrix (of nutrients) that are not associated with increased risk of CVD. The totality of available evidence does not support further limiting the intake of such foods.”

Similar findings are reflected in this 2015 meta-analysis of 12 high-quality studies. The researchers found that saturated fats are not associated with all-cause mortality, CVD, CHD, ischemic stroke, or type 2 diabetes.

At the risk of getting repetitive–though it bares repeating, here is another systematic review of 15 randomized controlled trials with 59,000 participants. It found no significant benefit from reducing saturated fats on heart attacks, strokes, and all-cause mortality.

Still not convinced? Here’s another meta-analysis with a clear message to the anti-fat fascists.

The researchers state, “there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.” By specific nutrients, they’re referring to sugar and PUFA vegetable oils. More on these below.

One more for good measure? This 2014 meta-analysis concluded that there is no evidence supporting guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (from seed “vegetable” oils) and low consumption of total saturated fats.

What about Cholesterol?

Our bodies produce around 70% of our cholesterol on their own and tightly control these levels.

Numerous studies show that foods high in dietary cholesterol have very little impact on blood cholesterol levels in most people

Cholesterol is an extremely important substance responsible for a healthy nervous system, the production of hormones, the integrity of our cells, and the digestion of fats.

So what do high-cholesterol foods actually do to our cholesterol? Let’s take the case of eggs–one of the highest cholesterol foods on earth.

Studies show that eggs consistently increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

For 70% of people who eat eggs, there is no increase in total or LDL cholesterol. Some people may experience a mild increase in a benign subtype of LDL that does not affect cardiovascular function.

Then there’s this massive egg study on 500,000 Chinese adults.

Researchers found that people who ate eggs daily had [5] :

14% lower risk of major cardiac events
11% lower risk of CVD
12% lower risk of ischemic heart disease
18% lower risk of CVD death

If Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Don’t Cause Heart Disease, What Does?

Not only does modern science tell us that saturated fat does not cause heart disease, it reveals that the foods we substitute for high-fat animal products, namely high-carb grains and industrial vegetable oil, are the root cause of heart disease.

In fact, research shows that heart disease is an inflammatory disease caused by carbs and PUFAs from vegetable oils.

The title of this 2017 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine does not mince words. “Saturated Fat does not clog arteries: coronary heart disease is a chronic inflammatory condition the risk of which can be effectively reduced from healthy lifestyle interventions.”

The authors of the above study write:

Coronary artery disease pathogenesis and treatment urgently require a paradigm shift. Despite popular belief among doctors and the public, the conceptual model of dietary saturated fat clogging a pipe is just plain wrong.
A landmark systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies showed no association between saturated fat consumption and (1) all-cause mortality, (2) coronary heart disease (CHD), (3) CHD mortality, (4) ischaemic stroke or (5) type 2 diabetes in healthy adults. [2]
Similarly, in the secondary prevention of CHD there is no benefit from reduced fat, including saturated fat, on myocardial infarction, cardiovascular or all-cause mortality.2
In an angiographic study of postmenopausal women with CHD, greater intake of saturated fat was associated with less progression of atherosclerosis, whereas carbohydrate and polyunsaturated fat intake were associated with greater progression. [3]

Let’s take a closer look at how high carbohydrate and PUFA industrial seed “vegetable” oil intake causes chronic inflammation that leads to heart disease.

Carbs and Heart Disease

In this 2020 meta-analysis of high and low-carb diets on risks of heart disease, the authors stated, “Diets with high levels of carbohydrates, especially refined or high glycemic index carbohydrates, also appear to be associated with hypertension, coronary heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and increased risk of mortality.

While this 2006 study found that getting more than 60% of your calories from carbs lowers your “good” HDL cholesterol. At the same time, it raises triglycerides–both of which can have negative consequences on your heart health.

Likewise, this systematic review of randomized control trials comparing low-carb (high-meat) diets vs. low-fat diets found significantly better outcomes regarding cardiovascular health, weight loss, and blood sugar regulation from the high-fat low-carb diet.

Seed “Vegetable Oils” and Heart Disease

Most seed “vegetable” oils are high in an Omega-6 PUFA called linoleic acid, making them a highly inflammatory food.

Linoleic acid is a precursor for a pro-inflammatory molecule called arachidonic acid, itself a precursor for over twenty pro-inflammatory eicosanoids.

Eicosanoids signal your body’s immune system to react as if it is being damaged. The constant inflammatory response to perceived damage results in chronic inflammatory diseases, including heart disease.

Studies linking Seed “Vegetable” Oil With Heart Disease

A major 2016 randomized control trial known as the Minnesota Coronary Experiment found that the group of participants who increased their intake of corn oil and margarine had 86% more heart attacks.

The study also found that participants 65 and older had a higher risk of death after four years.

Ironically, the study was undertaken to explore how replacing saturated fat like butter, tallow, and fatty meats with vegetable oil would lower cholesterol and therefore reduce the risk of heart disease.

Fascinatingly, the vegetable oil group did lower cholesterol but were significantly more likely to die from heart attack.

The researchers concluded:

Adapted from Jeff Noobs

In the 2002 MARGARIN Study, 282 participants with multiple heart disease risk factors were randomly selected into two groups.

One group consumed margarine high in linoleic acid from vegetable oil. The other ate margarine high in Omega-3-rich fish oil.

After two years, the number of strokes, heart attacks, and cardiovascular deaths was 700% higher in the group consuming high linoleic vegetable oil margarine.

Adapted from Jeff Noobs

Then there’s the classic Rose Corn Oil Trial from 1962. This study explored the effects of replacing standard dietary fats from meat, dairy, and fish with corn oil.

92% of the participants from the group consuming corn oil experienced an increase in cardiac events. The corn oil group also suffered a 364% increased risk of death.

Observational studies routinely show a significant association between omega-6 fatty acid intake from vegetable oils and increased incidences of heart disease.

Adapted from Jeff Noobs

In the major 2013 Sydney Diet-Heart Study, researchers separated study participants into two groups. The total fat intake of both groups was the same. The difference was that one group was given primarily linoleic acid from vegetable oil and margarine. While a second group got most of their fat from butter and fatty meat.

Over the study’s seven years, the vegetable oil group had a 62% greater all-cause mortality rate.

Of all known risk factors, only morbid obesity and smoking are more likely to kill you than vegetable oils. And since we know that vegetable oil is strongly associated with obesity, it’s likely that vegetable oil is by far the most dangerous lifestyle factor.

Adapted from Jeff Noobs

“↑” = “Increased consumption of”; Severe obesity: BMI 35–40 [a]; Heavy smoking: ≥10 cigarettes/day (avg 21.97 or ~1 pack) [b, c]; Vegetable oil: Increase consumption by 12% of calories [d]; Physical inactivity: <2 times/week [e]; Heavy drinking: >14 drinks/week for men or >7 drinks/week for women [f, g, h]; Moderate smoking: <10 cigarettes/day [i] Sugar: ≥73.2g sugar/day for women or ≥79.7g sugar/day for men [j]; ; Air pollution: per 10 μg/m3 long-term exposure to PM 2.5 [n, o]

In the 2012 study below, researchers found that the increased intake of Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids has created a 15:1 omega-6 to omega-3 imbalance.

They identify this overabundance of PUFA as the root cause of increases in inflammatory diseases, including heart disease.

In this 2018 study, researchers found that high LDL (the boogeyman of cholesterol panels) is only a dangerous marker of heart health in the context of a diet high in omega-6 PUFAs from vegetable oils.

The researchers also discovered that heart attack patients have far higher levels of linoleic acid in their arteries than healthy patients.

Additionally, the study found a positive correlation between the severity of heart attacks and arterial plaque buildup from omega-6 fatty acids.

Vegetable Oil and Heart Disease: Study

“In summary, numerous lines of evidence show that the omega-6 polyunsaturated fat linoleic acid promotes oxidative stress, oxidized LDL, chronic low-grade inflammation and atherosclerosis, and is likely a major dietary culprit for causing CHD [congenital heart disease], especially when consumed in the form of industrial seed oils commonly referred to as ‘vegetable oils’.”

Other Causes of Heart Disease

Though high-carb diets and industrial seed oils are likely the main culprits behind high rates of heart disease in the modern world, there are two other factors to consider–smoking tobacco and stress.

Tobacco

Numerous studies link smoking with increased inflammation and heart disease.5

A 2004 study even directly linked smoking with inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaques, increasing risk of rupture that blocks arteries–a heart attack 101.

Psychosocial Stressors

Our inflammatory systems evolved over 2 million years as hunter gatherers. We lived in close-knit bands, ate mostly fatty meat, and rested a lot. Modern life bombards us with stress via media, demanding jobs, and separation from stress-relieving social connections.

All this modern psychosocial stress keeps our inflammatory systems dialed up 24/7.

Studies show that people suffering from anxiety and depression, and even those with more anger and cynicism, have higher markers of inflammation and higher incidences of heart disease.

While practices that reduce stress have been shown to reduce inflammation and heart disease risk.

The Real Cause of Heart Disease: The Bottom Line

Despite the anti-fat dogma that’s persisted since the 1960s, there is no scientific support for the hypothesis that consuming saturated fat and cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease.

In fact, consuming more fatty animal products in the context of a low-carb diet has been shown to reduce numerous heart disease risk factors.

Ironically, the preponderance of evidence from modern high-quality studies tells us that heart disease is actually caused by chronic inflammation.

We also now know that chronic inflammation in the heart is caused by diets high in PUFAs from industrial seed “vegetable” oils, and high carbohydrate intake. At the same time, smoking tobacco and chronic stress have also been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.

Dr. Kiltz’s Three Pillars of Health and Wellness addresses all of these risk factors.

Top view of raw minced beef meat isolated on white

Is Ground Beef Healthy?

November 29, 2022/in Foods Beef, Carnivore Diet Food, Keto Foods, meat, Red Meat /by Liam McAuliffe

Americans eat more than 26 billion pounds of beef per year, averaging 67 lbs per person, with 46% of it in the form of ground beef. If you count yourself among the millions of people who enjoy ground beef, you’re may be wondering if it’s healthy.

Chances are that if you’re wondering if ground beef is healthy, you’ve probably been exposed to outdated anti-red meat sentiments.

In this article, we’ll look at the most recent nutritional science as we explore the question, is ground beef healthy?

[TOC]

What the Science Actually Says about Health Risks and Benefits of Ground Beef

Ground beef is red meat. Since the 1960s, red meat has been demonized because of its saturated fat content. The idea was that saturated fat raised cholesterol, and cholesterol contributed to heart disease.

But the scientific truth is there is no significant association between saturated fat and heart disease.

This 2020 systematic review (gold standard of research) in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology was authored by more than a dozen researchers from the most respected medical schools around the world.

The researchers concluded that “although intake of processed meat has been associated with increased risk of CHD (coronary heart disease), intake of unprocessed red meat is not, which indicates that the saturated fat content of meat is unlikely to be responsible for this association.” They continue, “Whole-fat dairy, unprocessed meat, and dark chocolate are SFA-rich foods with a complex matrix (of nutrients) that are not associated with increased risk of CVD.

The totality of available evidence does not support further limiting the intake of such foods.”

In this major 2019 study aimed at revealing the possible benefits of reducing meat, researchers concluded that consuming red meat had no significant impact on incidences of breast, colorectal, esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. They recommended that people should continue to consume both red and processed meat.

A 2015 meta-analysis of 12 quality studies found that Saturated fats are not associated with all-cause mortality, CVD, CHD, ischemic stroke, or type 2 diabetes.

At the risk of getting repetitive–though it bares repeating–this 2017 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine does not mence words. And the conclusion is in the title itself “Saturated Fat does not clog arteries: coronary heart disease is a chronic inflammatory condition the risk of which can be effectively reduced from healthy lifestyle interventions.

Likewise, a 2011 meta-analysis of 25 studies found insufficient evidence for an association between red meat and colorectal cancer–the most common cancer attributed to consuming meat.

Ground Beef May Increase Your Life Expectancy

When answering the question, is ground beef healthy, we need to look at more than the studies telling you it won’t kill you.

For example, this study from 2021 found that total meat consumption correlates to greater life expectancy, independent of the effects of economic status, urban advantages, obesity, and total caloric intake.

Eating Ground Beef as Part of a Low-Carb Diet

Randomized control trials comparing low-carb high meat diets vs low fat diets show that eating low-carb diets results in significantly better health outcomes when it comes to high in red meat cardiovascular health, weight loss, and blood sugar regulation.

Regeneratively Farmed Ground Beef Can be Good for the Environment

Studies show that meat raised with “regenerative agricultural practices” and “carbon farming” can sequester carbon while increasing the health of our soils.

This is crucial when considering that with current industrial and agricultural practices, our topsoil will be depleted within 60 years.

Eating Fatty Ground Beef May Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

As you can see from the modern data, when examining eating habits across the European continent, the more animal fat populations consume, the less heart disease they suffer.

80/20 ground beef is a great source of animal fat. Just remember to cut out the processed carbs.

Supports Mental Health and Stable Mood

Numerous studies, including this 2021 meta-analysis, show that eating meat (and what’s meatier than ground beef?) is strongly associated with positive mental health and positive mood.

Highlights from the study

Included data from 20 studies with 171,802 participants of all ages across the world.
Found a “significant association between meat consumption/abstention and depression and anxiety”
Meat eaters had lower rates of depression and less anxiety than vegans and vegetarians.
The higher the quality of the study, the more positive the benefit of meat consumption.

Can Help you Kick Food Addiction

Foods high in protein and fat, like ground beef, are highly satiating. This means they make you feel full faster, and the feeling lasts for longer. Satiating foods reduce food addictions and support mindful eating. ]

Most modern processed foods are engineered to override signals that tell you you’ve had enough. The result is that you keep eating. Overconsumption of addictive foods causes hormonal imbalances, inflammation, obesity, and leptin resistance.

An Excellent Source of Vitamins and Minerals

Ground beef is an extremely nutrient-dense food. This means it provides numerous essential and important fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals in formats that your body can absorb and use.

B Vitamins

A ½ lb ground beef patty provides 71% of B12, 43% of niacin, 32% of B6, and 17% of riboflavin.

Together these B vitamins play vital physiological roles: They convert fuel into energy. Help form new red blood cells that carry oxygen to our brains. Enhance cognition and improve mood. In fact, B12 can be considered an antidepressant. While B12 deficiency is associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s worth highlighting that vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in meat and other animal products.

Recent studies have found that up to 86% of vegan children, 90% of vegan elderly, and 62% of pregnant vegan women are B12 deficient.

Heme Iron*

One ½ lb beef patty provides 23% of your RDV of heme iron.

This essential nutrient is only found in red meat. Heme iron plays a critical role in the formation of red blood cells, energy metabolism, immune function, and cognitive ability. And you’ll get anemia without it.

Just make sure you cook your ground beef in saturated animal fats like butter or ghee.

Studies show that meats containing medium to high amounts of heme were found to promote carcinogenic conditions in the colon when combined with corn and soybean oil rich in omega-6 linoleic acid.

Zinc

A ½ lb ground beef patty provides 64% of your RDV of zinc.

Like other vital nutrients, the zinc found in meat is 400% more bioavailable than zinc found in grains.

Zinc is critical to a healthy immune system. It’s also essential for the synthesis of proteins and DNA. For these reasons, zinc contributes to wound healing, factors in childhood growth and development and has antioxidant properties. Zinc deficiency affects motor development and cognitive development in children.

Selenium

A ½ lb ground beef patty provides 46% of your RDV of selenium.

Selenium is the most important nutrient you’ve never heard of. It’s part of compounds called selenoproteins that play an important role in many i physiological processes, including :

healthy thyroid function
proper immune function
ability to fight infection
Protection from cell damage
reproductive health
creation of DNA
Antioxidant effects
Anti-cancer properties
Neuroprotection
lung health

Complete Proteins

A ½ lb, 80/20 ground beef burger delivers 40.2 grams of protein. This accounts for 80% of your Dietary Reference Intake (DRI).

Protein is an essential nutrient that plays many roles

It’s the building block for the growth and repair of muscle, tissue, and bone
Makes hormones
carries oxygen throughout the body

Ground Beef Nutrition

Nutrient	Amount per ½ lb (80/20) Ground Beef	%RDV
Fat	25.9 g
Saturated Fat	9.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat	11.5 g
Protein	40.2 g	80%
Riboflavin	0.3 mg	17%
Niacin	8.7 mg	43%
Vitamin B6	0.6 mg	32%
Folate	16.4 mcg	4%
Vitamin B12	4.3 mcg	71%
Pantothenic Acid	1.2 mg	12%
Iron	41.7 mg	23%
Magnesium	4.1 mg	9%
Phosphorus	337 mg	34%
Potassium	566 mg	16%
Zinc	9.5 mg	64%
Selenium	32.5 mcg	46%

Is Ground Beef Healthy: The Botto Line

Despite the anti-meat propaganda since the 1960s, ground beef is indeed a healthy food.

Modern science tells us that in fact, saturated fat and red meat are not associated with heart disease or cancer.

Not only is ground beef not harmful, but it is also a nutrient-dense food that provides numerous essential macro and micronutrients, including healthy fats, complete proteins, B vitamins, and zinc.

There’s no science-backed reason to reduce or eliminate ground beef and very good science-backed reasons to enjoy the heck out of it.

Pro-tip: Considering that both grains and carbs contribute to inflammation when eating ground beef, it’s best to ditch the bun.

Carnivore Diet Fast Food

November 27, 2022/in Keto, Carnivore, Nutrition Carnivore Diet, Carnivore Diet Foods, Keto Carnivore /by Liam McAuliffe

First of all, let’s be honest with ourselves, fast food is nasty, processed crap, and the only reason to eat it is if you’re out on the road and completely out of options.

In short, fast food is not carnivore diet food.

However, there may come a time when you’re caught hungry and your only option is fast food.

In this article, we’ll explain exactly why fast food is not carnivore compliant, but we’ll also set you up for success in an emergency when fast food is the last and only resort.

[TOC]

Why Fast Food is a Big NO on Carnivore

The carnivore diet is about realigning our ancestral physiology with the foods that we’ve evolved to thrive on. This means only animal products.

Nearly all fast food options contain non-animal products, whether it’s buns, lettuce, sauces, and additives in the meat itself.

So what’s so bad about all this?

Research shows that eating processed foods and fast foods may kill more people prematurely than cigarette smoking.

Let’s take a look at what makes fast food so deadly.

Fillers in Meat

Even if you ordered just the meat and got rid of the bun, rap, lettuce, tomato, and sauce, you’re still likely consuming some mixture of textured vegetable protein, soy, wheat, sugar, and chemical salts in the form of fillers and flavor enhancers.

Even when fast food chains claim 100% ground beef, there are so many loopholes that allow for crap.

For example, Jack in the Box claims 100% beef burgers. But when you look at the Ingredient & Allergen Statement you see that their “signature” patty contains:

Beef
Salt
Yeast Extract
Corn Maltodextrin
Onion Powder
Natural Flavors
Spice
Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil
Garlic Powder
Sugar
Modified Corn Starch
Beef Tallow
Triacetin (preservative, fungicide)

A&W is another chain that claims 100% beef, but that doesn’t account for a long list of chemical seasonings, including

Salt
Sugar
Spices
Paprika
Dextrose
onion powder
corn starch
garlic powder
hydrolyzed corn protein
extractive of paprika
disodium inosinate
disodium guanylate
silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent)

And don’t be fooled by the “whole” meat options like Arby’s roast beef. It gets an ‘F’ from health digest and contains a chemical “self-basting” solution to keep it moist during its 3 hour roasting process.

Then there’s the infamous case of subway “tuna.” It is so processed that it became the subject of an infamous class action lawsuit claiming that it didn’t contain actual tuna

This claim was verified by independent lab tests by the New York Times. But researchers couldn’t confirm if it was alternative meat protein or just too processed to turn up any tuna DNA.

Vegetable Seed Oils

If ultra-processed mystery “meat” doesn’t turn you off, consider that nearly everything at every fast food restaurant is cooked with some sort of vegetable (seed) oil.

Vegetable oil is an industrial product associated with numerous health risks. In fact, vegetable oils have been shown to increase the risk of death by 62%.

Vegetable oil has a greater effect on your mortality risk than heavy drinking or moderate smoking.

And since it’s strongly associated with obesity–the leading lifestyle risk factor–vegetable oil is likely the most dangerous dietary factor on earth.

Antibiotic Resistance

In addition to low-quality processed meats and toxic vegetable oils, fast food meat is a major cause of antibiotic resistance.

Fast food meat is produced in cheap and dirty high-density feed lots that necessitate the use of antibiotics. This process leads to antibiotic resistance, a situation where antibiotics no longer work to eliminate the microorganisms they were designed to combat.

Researchers estimate that antibiotic use in agriculture is responsible for 20% of resistant infections in humans.

In fact, the WHO identifies antibiotic resistance as one of the “biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today.”

Fortunately, chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s vow to reduce antibiotic use in their meat. But many other chains, including burger king and Taco Bell, have not made any pledges. Furthermore, there’s no standard of regulation.

How to Do Fast Food on a Carnivore Diet

If you’re in a pinch and fast food is your only option, here’s a list of the best (least toxic) options and how to order.

Wendy’s

Wendy’s is one of the few fast food places whose beef burgers contain just beef and salt. They are also actively reducing the use of antibiotics with a pledge to be antibiotic-free by 2030.

To keep it carnivore, simply order two or three of their distinctive square-shaped patties.

Or follow carnivore doctor Shawn Baker’s example and make an OMAD feast of 9 ¼ lb burgers, three orders of bacon, and asiago cheese.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s has recently been criticized for not upholding its pledge to reduce antibiotic use.

But they are the most widespread fast food chain across the globe. Chances are that if you’re in a pinch, there’s a McDonald’s nearby.

One thing McDonald’s has going for it is that their burgers are just beef, salt, and pepper. They stopped using the pink sludge some years ago.

To go carnivore at McDonald’s, use the touch screen to order a burger, then go to the edit screen and delete the bun, pickles, and all condiments. Alternatively, when ordering at the counter, simply ask for plain patties.

In-N-Out Burger

In-N-Out has a “secret menu” option that’s become a go-to for carnivore dieters on the run. You won’t find it written anywhere, so you might want to take a note–it’s called the Flying Dutchman, and it’s just two patties with cheese sandwiched between them.

How to Avoid Fast Food on Carnivore

When it comes to the carnivore diet and fast food, the best tip is simply to plan ahead with carnivore diet snacks so you’re never forced to compromise your food quality.

Excellent and easy carnivore diet snacks include:

Leftover steak–just make double and put the rest in a Tupperware!
Homemade beef jerky or biltong–it’ll last you a long time without spoiling or refrigeration.
Beef liver crisps–loaded with energizing B vitamins and the mysterious liver-specific anti-fatigue factor
Hard boiled eggs–here’s another one that take just a little bit of foresight
Pork rinds and cracklings–for that rare crunch on the carnivore diet
Prosciutto–this one’s an easy pick up at most supermarkets. A market is always a better option than a fast food restaurant. While you’re there, grab some creamy blue cheese and make a scrumptious carnivore wrap.

You can also find tips on how to do the carnivore diet on a budget here!

Carnivore Diet Fast Food: The Bottom Line

Though a single trip to McDonald’s won’t tank your carnivore health goals, there’s almost always a better option. All it takes is a little foresight and preparation.

But when you’re truly out of luck, it’s good to know that there are a few chains that offer 100% beef, even if it is loaded with antibiotics.

In any case, it’s important to consider why you’ve gone carnivore in the first place. For many people, the carnivore diet is a way of reclaiming metabolic health by ditching deadly eating habits enabled by the fast food industry.

There’s nothing a fast food joint is going to give you that some homemade ribeye biltong or blue cheese wrapped in prosciutto can’t do a better job of providing.

image of two sexy people in bed thinking about sex

How the Carnivore Diet Can Improve Sex Drive

November 26, 2022/in Keto, Carnivore, Nutrition Carnivore Diet, Keto Carnivore, libido, Sex drive /by Liam McAuliffe

A dramatically improved sex drive is one of the most commonly mentioned benefits of a carnivore diet.

In this article, we’ll explore the science-backed mechanisms by which a carnivore diet can improve your sex drive. We’ll examine the sex-boosting effects of greater fat consumption, meat-specific nutrients, hormone rebalancing, and relief of underlying conditions.

[TOC]

What is the Carnivore diet?

Simply put, the carnivore diet means eating only animal products.

That said, there are variations on the carnivore diet, beginning with the most restrictive elimination lion diet. This approach, popularized by psychologist Jordan Peterson, calls for only red meat, salt, and water,

Dr. Kiltz’s BEBBIIS plan is designed for the long haul. It centers on fatty steak, and includes a variety of nourishing animal products like duck liver, blue cheese, and homemade ice cream.

You can explore more carnivore diet menus, meal plans, and shopping lists here.

This way of eating sounds extreme when compared to the high-carb standard American diet based on grains and vegetable oils. But carnivore diet proponents point to robust evidence that humans evolved as hyper-carnivorous apex predators for nearly 2 million years.

Going carnivore re-aligns your physiology with the ancestral foods your body is designed to thrive on. Your sex drive will thank you. Now let’s look at the reasons why.

Carnivore Diet and Sex Drive According to Reddit

By no means scientific, these testimonials from the Reddit carnivore community provide first-hand accounts of the possible effects of the carnivore diet on sex drive. They’re also pretty entertaining.

Through the roof for me! Anyone who asks me about the diet, I tell them there were 3 noticeable changes for me, 1. Better digestion, 2. Better Sleep, 3. I had a penthouse apartment in downtown Boner City.

-Rehicknah

I didn’t notice any changes at all in such a short period of time. After a few months, my bowels no longer ached, my skin became clear, my bp fell, and I would find myself with half a chubby most of the day. I was a bit concerned about it for a bit, thinking it was a sign of something wrong, but it turns out that a carnivore diet turned me into a 16-year-old again. My wife blushes whenever I’m asked what improvements I’ve gotten from the diet in her company.

-CircleofSorrow

Big change, but not over 3 days. It’s because the carnivore diet improves testosterone. Mine went from around 250 (too low) to over 900 (near max) in the units that they use.

-Filet_o_math

When I went carnivore – been carnivore for about a year now – I was HORNY AS HELL – like, shaking I was so horny and animalistic – for about 3 months. It was crazy. It’ll subside, but not completely. Not for me, anyway.

-mikemchenry

Now let’s look at the possible science-backed mechanisms for these reported boosts to sex drive.

More Fat, More Sex Hormones, More Drive

A carnivore diet is, by default a high-fat, low-carb diet. That’s because your body can only survive on around 35% of your calories from protein.

Since animal products are almost exclusively comprised of fat and protein, you’ll have to boost your animal fat. More fat boosts sex hormones, and more sex hormones boost sex drive in both men and women.

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

Likewise, a classic study found that women on a low-fat diet (20% of calories) had significant reductions in estrogen levels. Though this was a desirable outcome for patients with breast cancer, low estrogen levels lead to low sex drive, dryness in the vagina, poor sleep, and mood swings.

In a study on men, researchers split 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.

Total calories and total protein remained the same between both groups. After ten weeks, the higher fat group had 13% higher testosterone levels.5 These results mirrored an early study on men in Finland. 9

It’s worth noting that getting 41% of your calories from fat is not even close to the 70-80% that you get on a carnivore diet. It’s likely that your T increase would be substantially higher.

For example, a 2020 study looking at the effects of a ketogenic diet combined with resistance training on college-aged men found that after 11 weeks testosterone increased significantly (+118 ng·dl). While a second group consuming a Western diet saw their testosterone decline (-36 ng·dl)6

Increases Sex Boosting Nutrients

A carnivore diet is loaded with sex drive-boosting nutrients like zinc, b vitamins, and vitamin D.

Zinc

In women, zinc plays an important role in the creation of numerous sex hormones, including estrogen and progesterone.

Studies show that in women, zinc supplementation increases arousal and sexual function.

In men, zinc has been shown to increase testosterone levels and improve sperm quality naturally.

Zinc is found in abundance and in its most bioavailable forms in animal products, including carnivore diet superstars, oysters, ribeye steak, lobster, lamb shoulder, pork ribs, and ground beef.

B 12

Low levels of B12 have been associated with sexual dysfunction and premature ejaculation in men.

While in both men and women, low B12 contributes to fatigue and low mood, both of which negatively impact sex drive.

Fortunately, on a carnivore diet, getting more than enough B vitamins is effortless. A single serving of ribeye steak has well over 200% of your RDV of vitamin B 12.

If you’re looking for a mega-dose, look no further than clams. A single 100-gram serving of clams provides 4125% of your RDV.

Vitamin D

Studies show that for men, vitamin D deficiency is linked to erectile function, lower orgasmic function, and lower sexual desire.

Similarly, for women, studies show that low vitamin D levels are associated with abnormal sexual functioning. And the lower the vitamin D, the more severe the dysfunction.

On a carnivore diet, you get vitamin D from pasture-raised pork, full-fat dairy, and seafood like oysters and fatty fish.

Reverses Underlying Conditions Affecting Sex Drive

Nearly all modern diseases and disorders are linked to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a condition that is caused and can be reversed by diet and lifestyle.

Studies have found that levels of inflammation in women predict sexual arousal and sensitivity–in other words, the more inflamed you are, the lower your sex drive and pleasure will likely be.6

A 2019 study found that In women, chronic inflammation is negatively linked via direct neural pathways and indirectly via hormonal, vascular, and behavioral pathways with reduced sex drive and pleasure.6

A carnivore diet can reduce inflammation by eliminating highly inflammatory foods, including vegetable oils, sugar, grains, irritating fiber, and plant toxins and antinutrients.

Other studies show that metabolic syndrome is associated with decreased libido, hypogonadism, and erectile dysfunction. 5

A 2011 study on men with metabolic syndrome found that after just twelve weeks on a low-carb high-fat diet all participants no longer had metabolic syndrome.

Some research has looked at the benefits of a keto diet in people with chronic health conditions.

A 2018 study on obese women found that after 4 months on a low-carb, high-fat diet, all participants reported improved sexual function and increased libido.

This improvement was likely associated with overall improvements in quality of life, including better sleep and lower food and alcohol cravings.

Another study from 2021 found that adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity who went on a low-carb, high-fat diet had better sexual function, among other lifestyle improvements like increased exercise and reduced food cravings.

Carnivore Diet and Sex Drive: The Bottom Line

“Carnivore diet sex drive” is a phenomenon of increased libido and sexual performance that people attribute to the all-meat carnivore diet.

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

However, personal reports, along with research into broadly defined low-fat high-carb diets, suggest that the carnivore diet may have powerful beneficial effects on sex drive for both men and women.

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

Increasing fat intake–raises levels of sex hormones in men and women
Increasing concentrations of vitamins crucial to sexual desire and function
Eliminating inflammatory foods like sugar, grains, vegetable oils, fiber, and plant toxins

6 Signs of Autophagy (Cellular Spring Cleaning)

November 23, 2022/in Intermittent Feasting & Fasting /by Liam McAuliffe

Autophagy means “self-devouring,” and it’s the name of a process where old cells and damaged cell parts get broken down and recycled into new cells. Though you can’t feel autophagy directly, there are some tell-tale signs of autophagy you can look for.

In this article, we’ll look at how autophagy works, how you can stimulate it, and six signs that it’s kicked in.

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What is Autophagy?

Autophagy is a natural process that your body uses to repair damaged cell parts like organelles and misfolded proteins by recycling them into fresh components. To a lesser extent, autophagy also completely eliminates damaged cells.

Benefits of Autophagy

Though research on autophagy is still emerging, there are already numerous studied benefits, including:

Longevity and anti-aging 4 5
Reduced Inflammation 6 7
Anti-cancer properties 8 9
Supports heart health 10
Protection against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s 2

How to Induce Autophagy

Autophagy is a process that is always taking place to some degree in your body. However, the standard American diet and lifestyle dramatically inhibit this natural process.

Fortunately, there are ways to induce higher levels of autophagy. Studies show you can induce autophagy by either eating a high-fat, low-carb (ketogenic) diet, fasting, restricting calories, and exercising. 5 7

If you’re using an intermittent fasting plan to induce autophagy, you need to fast for at least 16-18 hours.

The timing of your fast is equally important–you must align your fast with your circadian rhythm by fasting overnight.[1] [2] [3]

Though you won’t be able to feel autophagy, there are some key signs that tell you when that its taking place.

1. Elevated ketone levels

Studies suggest that ketone bodies induce autophagy.8 9

The level of ketone bodies in your blood increases when you cut carbs or restrict calories during intermittent fasting.

Ketone bodies are energy molecules produced from breaking down fatty acids stored on your body and from the foods you eat. 7 8

You can measure ketone levels in your blood with ketone meters and test strips.

2. Keto “nail polish” breath

“Nail polish breath” is often one of the first signs that your body has begun producing elevated ketones. This is because Acetone–the main ingredient in nail polish remover– is also a ketone that gets released in the breath. 23 24

As mentioned above, elevated ketones are associated with autophagy.22

This sign of autophagy will be temporary, lasting only a few weeks at most. As your body becomes adapted to intermittent fasting and/or high-fat low-carb eating, it begins to process acetone and other ketones more efficiently. [25]

3. Reduced Appetite

During autophagy, glucagon levels tend to increase. Glucagon plays a role of managing blood sugar and suppresses apetite.6 10 11

Additionally, high-fat low-carb eating and intermittent fasting decrease insulin and ghrelin levels. Lower levels of both of these hormones decrease hunger. 12 13 14

4. Improved Cognitive Function

Various studies have shown that intermittent fasting can improve brain function and protect against age-related impairment.34

Autophagy has been identified as one of the neuroprotective factors induced by intermittent fasting. 35

Various studies show that autophagy is a key factor in brain function and the health of nerve cells that contribute to proper cognition.32 33

Ketones, which are associated with autophagy, have been shown to be a powerful energy molecule in the brain, promoting brain function and protecting against degradation.36

Autophagy plays a major role in neuroplasticity–the ability of brain neurons that change their structure and function according to previous experience. Greater neuroplasticity is associated with improved cognitive ability as well as prevention and recovery of neurodegenerative disorders like stroke and Alzhiemers.5

Not surprisingly, high-fat low-carb diets that increase ketone levels and autophagy have been shown to be protective against brain disorders like seizures and Alzheimer’s disease. 37 38

5. Reduced Inflammation and Faster Healing

Studies show that autophagy reduces excessive and chronic inflammatory responses by preventing inflammasome activation, mediating the clearance of DAMPs (damaged associated molecular patterns), including cell parts, while degrading inflammatory mediators.6

Other studies show that autophagy regulates inflammation–meaning that it turns it on and off at the proper times, keeping inflammation in balance. Inflammation is a natural healing function. It’s only damaging when it turns on too high and stays on too long.

To these ends, research shows that autophagy protects against infectious, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases.5

6. Temporary Fatigue

When first adapting to an intermittent fasting and/or high-fat low-carb regimen, fatigue is a common side effect.15 16 17

These lifestyle changes cause a change in blood sugar and related hormonal balances that have been shown to result in temporary fatigue.18 19

The good news is that once your hormones adjust and your body becomes adapted, studies show that fasting and ketogenic diets result in more stable and higher energy levels.20 21

What Should I Eat to Induce Autophagy?

Autophagy is induced when you eat a high-fat low-carb diet.

By reducing carbs your body focuses on breaking down fatty acids into energy molecules called ketones. And ketones have been shown to induce autophagy.

Dr. Kiltz recommends his BEBBIIS plan. B.E.B.B.I.I.S. stands for

Each of these foods is fantastic on its own and an archetype of the entire food group. For example, bacon stands for all pork products. Butter represents all full-fat dairy like Dr. Kiltz’s favorite creamy blue cheese. And ice cream represents low-carb treats to be enjoyed occasionally.

Focusing on these animal-based whole foods provides a variety of nourishing, satiating, nutrient-dense foods that work seamlessly with intermittent fasting.

When Should I Eat to Induce Autophagy?

To promote and amplify autophagy while on a high-fat low-carb diet, time-restricted eating is a winning approach.

Most people start out by practicing a gentle intermittent fasting approach by eating twice a day within a moderately restricting window like circadian rhythm fasting, or the 16/8 approach.

Once you’ve adapted to intermittent fasting and developed a nourishing meal plan, you can turn up the autophagy by practicing OMAD (one meal a day fasting).

Signs of Autophagy: The bottom line

Autophagy is a process of cellular recycling and renewal. It is associated with numerous health benefits, including longevity, reduced inflammation, heart health, and brain health.

Though autophagy occurs at all times, our modern lifestyles, characterized by chronic high carb intake, constant caloric intake, and lack of movement, can interfere with this process.

Simulating ancestrally eating patterns through high-fat low-carb diets and intermittent fasting induces greater autophagy.

Although you can’t feel autophagy taking place, the signs listed above are evidence that your body is undergoing a much needed cellular spring cleaning.

The Leptin Resistance Diet: Why and How

November 20, 2022/in conditions BEBBIIS, Carnivore, Keto, Leptin /by Liam McAuliffe

The leptin resistance diet is an eating plan that eliminates foods that promote leptin resistance and focuses on foods, eating patterns, and simple lifestyle choices that support leptin sensitivity.

This is important because recent research suggests that leptin resistance may be the main factor in why traditional calorie-restricted diets don’t work.3

In this article, we’ll outline the causes of leptin resistance and offer an eating plan that can help reverse it.

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What is Leptin Resistance?

Leptin is a hormone that controls appetite and metabolic rate (how quickly your body uses energy). In other words, it’s your “stop eating” hormone.

Leptin is secreted by fat cells. High levels of leptin tell your brain that you’ve stored enough fat, you don’t need to eat, and you can burn calories at a normal rate.

Low levels of leptin tell the brain that you are starving, compelling you to eat more food, move less, and burn fewer calories in order to store more fat.

Leptin resistance occurs when your brain is so constantly flooded with leptin that receptors become desensitized. Your body then continues to operate in starvation mode even when you have sufficient or excess fat stores. 5

Unsurprisingly, leptin resistance is a central feature of obesity, and as of 2019, there have been no effective medications to reverse leptin resistance. 6

How to Know if You Have Leptin Resistance?

One way to tell if you have leptin resistance is to notice how long it takes you to feel full during or after eating.

If you don’t feel full during or at the conclusion of a large, calorically-dense meal, your brain is likely not responding properly to leptin.

If you regularly consume a high-carb diet, especially a diet high in grains, you’re likely leptin resistant whether or not you’re obese.

And if you’re obese, numerous studies show that you are likely leptin resistant.3

When seen in this light, obesity is not a result of a lack of willpower or self-discipline. In the context of a high-carb standard American diet, obesity is more accurately understood as a hormonal imbalance caused by the foods we eat.

Foods that Cause Leptin Resistance

Studies show that the same foods responsible for obesity are responsible for leptin resistance.

These foods increase leptin levels while interfering with leptin receptors in your hypothalamus.5 6 7

High carb diets–especially diets high in refined grains, fructose, and added sugars
Heated vegetable oils

Other research links leptin resistance to a type of antinutrient found in grains and legumes called lectin. These sticky proteins can promote leptin resistance by inhibiting digestive enzymes and binding to leptin receptors in the brain. 6

It’s important to highlight that grains, most fruits, added sugars, and vegetable oils are modern inventions of the post-agrarian industrial food system. Though these “foods” account for the majority of modern calories, they did not exist for the vast majority of human evolution.

In fact, evidence suggests that humans evolved as hyper-carnivorous apex predators who flourished on fatty meat for nearly 2 million years before the advent of grain agriculture only 10,000 years ago. 5

Addressing this discord between modern food and ancestral physiology is the key to formulating an effective leptin resistance diet.

Rules of the Leptin Resistance Diet

Back in the early 2000s, the “leptin diet” had a brief time in the limelight.

The original leptin diet was comprised of five rules:

Never eat after dinner
Eat three daily meals without snacking
Don’t eat large meals
Eat a high-protein breakfast
Limit carbs

Fast forward to 2022, and we have a lot more research on the kinds of eating patterns that actually reduce leptin resistance.

The early leptin diet had a few things going for it, but with an ancestrally-informed update, it can be even more effective.

Ironically, the updated leptin resistance diet is even simpler.

Eat only 2 meals a day before sundown–no snacking in between
Base your meals around low-carb nutrient-dense whole foods like red meat, seafood, organ meats, and full-fat dairy

If you’re thinking that this sounds a lot like keto and carnivore, you’re correct.

Studies show that low-carb high-fat diets can reverse hormonal metabolic disorders and maintain a long-term reduction in circulating leptin.5 6

In addition to reducing leptin resistance, low-carb high-fat diets reduce hunger via various other mechanisms, including 6

Leptin Diet Foods to Enjoy

Red meat–steak, lamb, pork
Fatty fish–salmon, mackerel, anchovies
Seafood–shrimp, crab, oysters
Fatty cheese and cream
Organ meats
Poultry
Bone broth

BEBBIIS Plan for Leptin Resistance

An easy rule of thumb to keep you focused on these ultra-nourishing whole foods is Dr. Kiltz’s BEBBIIS plan.

B.E.B.B.I.I.S. stands for Bacon, Eggs, Butter, Beef, Ice Cream, Intermittent Fasting, Salt.

Focusing your diet on these animal-based whole foods protects you from the inflammatory ravages of carbohydrates, eliminates plant toxins, and nourishes your cells with healthy fats and essential nutrients.

Leptin Foods to Avoid

Avoiding these foods will help your body re-sensitize to leptin so you feel full when you’ve eaten enough.

Bread
Pasta
Sweets–cakes, cookies, pastries
Wheat products
Oatmeal
Rice
Corn products
Fruit juice
Soda
Honey
Maple syrup
Table sugar
Dried fruit
Legumes (high in carbs and lectins)–kidney beans, soy products, black beans etc.
Processed foods and fast food
Vegetable “seed” oils–sunflower oil, canola oil, corn oil, safflower oil etc.
Sauces and condiments with sugar

Intermittent Fasting for Leptin Resistance

Intermittent fasting protocols, especially those that call for eating before sundown and fasting until sun-up, have been found to rebalance hunger hormones, reduce circulating leptin, and increase leptin sensitivity. 4

An easy approach to start with is the 16/8 protocol

If you find that a 16/8 protocol works well and want to boost the benefits of fasting like autophagy, try the OMAD (one meal a day) plan.

The Leptin Resistance Diet: The Bottom Line

Leptin resistance is caused by diets high in carbs, grains, and added sugars, along with toxic vegetable oils.

A leptin resistance diet eliminates these foods and returns to an ancestrally aligned eating pattern. This entails fatty, whole foods like red meat and fish in alignment with your circadian rhythms. It also calls for eating less often.

Unlike most common “diets,” the leptin resistance diet doesn’t call for restricting calories. Rather, you simply swap post-agrarian grains and industrial food products for nutrient-dense whole foods.

leptin word on grey background, medical concept

What is Leptin Resistance and How to Reverse it?

November 17, 2022/in conditions carbohydrates, grains, Hormones, Infertility, Leptin, Obesity, sugar /by Liam McAuliffe

Overcoming food addiction, losing weight, and reclaiming your metabolic health have little to do with willpower and cutting calories and a lot more to do with leptin resistance.

In fact, research suggests that leptin resistance may be the main factor in metabolic disorders, of which obesity is just one of many symptoms.

In this article, we’ll explore what leptin is, what causes leptin resistance, and the lifestyle changes that can help overcome leptin resistance.

[TOC]

What is Leptin?

Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells. It’s often referred to as the “satiety” or “starvation” hormone because, when functioning normally, it keeps you from starving or overeating.

Leptin is produced by fat cells. When secreted from fat, leptin enters your bloodstream, where it’s carried to your brain and eventually to your hypothalamus.

When eating enough or too much, high levels of leptin tell your brain that

you’ve stored plenty of fat
you don’t need to continue to eat
you can burn calories at a normal, healthy rate.

When not eating enough low levels of leptin tell your brain that

You need to eat more
You need to slow down your metabolism and store more fat

When you have leptin resistance, leptin’s ability to keep you from overeating is impaired.

In addition to regulating energy intake and use, leptin plays a role in immunity, brain function, and fertiltiy.

What Is Leptin Resistance?

Leptin resistance is often seen in people who are obese (with abundant leptin-secreting fat cells), but it can occur in non-obese people.

More fat and more leptin should naturally lead to appetite suppression and fat burning. However, when leptin signaling is not functioning, the brain continues to send signals that your body is starving even when you’ve already stored excess energy as fat.

When you’re brain thinks you’re starving it compels you to behave in order to restore body fat reserves. This means :

eating more
craving fattening high-carb foods
moving less

In light of these findings, leptin resistance is now considered the main biological factor driving obesity.

In other words, lacking willpower and succumbing to binging on food while exercising less is not the primary cause of obesity but the consequence of a hormonal defect.

With leptin resistance, willing yourself to cut calories and exercise more is essentially impossible.

What Causes Leptin Resistance?

Researchers suggest that the root cause of leptin resistance is likely consuming a high-carb grain-based diet that our leptin signaling system is not evolved for.

In this 2005 study, researchers propose that lectins–a type of sticky protein in grains, cause leptin resistance by compromising metabolism and/or by binding to leptin receptors.

The idea that leptin resistance is rooted in consuming post-agrarian foods, especially refined grains and sugars, makes sense when considering the abundance of evidence that for nearly 2 million years, the human metabolic system evolved with a hyper-carnivorous diet of mostly fatty meat.

Grains and sugars were extremely rare for our hunter gatherer ancestors. In many ways, these “foods” can be considered toxic to our metabolic systems, especially when consumed in modern quantities.

The view that grains and sugar are to blame for leptin resistance is further developed by Harvard researcher David Ludwig.

Dr. Ludwig’s research shows that elevated levels of glucose (from eating grains and sugar) is toxic in the blood. The body responds by producing the hormone insulin that sequesters toxic glucose in fat cells. This rapid sequestering of nutrients sends starvation signals to the brain. This is why when you eat sugar, you store more fat and feel sleepy. Your body thinks it’s starving and attempts to store energy.

Inflammation has also been shown to be a factor behind leptin resistance. Inflammation can disrupt proper hormone signaling in your hypothalamus–the area where leptin signaling occurs.

Source: Int J Mol Sci

Inflammation is also associated with consuming high-carb grains and sugar.

Leptin resistance can take the form of a viscous self-reinforcing cycle where you crave and consume high-carb foods, store excess fat, and lack the motivation to move your body.

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

How Leptin Resistance Interferes with Diets

Studies suggest that over 80% of people who lose significant weight on diets gain it back. Leptin resistance may be a key to understanding why.

Even after losing weight from dieting, the brain doesn’t reverse leptin resistance, it just reduces leptin in the body, which results in increased hunger and reduced motivation, and biological calorie hoarding.

For our lean hunter-gatherer ancestors, losing weight was not a good thing, and our bodies will work to resist it.

Can Leptin Resistance Be Reversed?

Leptin resistance can be reversed, but it may require intensive diet and lifestyle changes to bring us into closer alignment with the lifestyles of our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

The first step in reversing leptin resistance is to cut out all processed and inflammatory foods.

Leptin resistance foods to eliminate

Grains and grain products like wheat, bread, pasta, rice, etc
All processed foods: processed foods may compromise the integrity of your gut and drive inflammation
All added sugars
All soda
All sweets, including pastries, cookies, candy
All fruit juices
All inflammatory vegetable oils, including sunflower, canola, soybean oil, etc.

Foods to eat more of

Nutrient-dense and satiating whole foods
steak
lamb
pork
fish
seafood
eggs
full-fat dairy

Practice Intermittent Feasting (Fasting)

Research suggests that intermittent fasting reduces inflammation in the brain and may in turn, improve leptin signaling while also inducing autophagy in the hypothalamus–thus further improving its functioning.

Align Your Eating with Your Circadian Rhythm

Eating in according with your circadian rhythm times your food intake with the periods of the day when your metabolism is optimized. This means eating at or before sundown.

Better Sleep

Improve your sleep hygiene: Poor sleep has been shown to disrupt leptin signaling.

Make a habit of low-impact movement

Studies show that increasing physical activity may help reverse leptin resistance.

Integrate intentional movement practices like

Leptin Resistance: The Bottom Line

Leptin resistance is a hormonal defect that may be one of the main reasons why its so easy to overeat, gain weight, and struggle to lose it.

Leptin resistance is caused by consuming a standard American/Western diet high in carbohydrates from gains and added sugars, along with inflammatory vegetable oils.

The best and only proven way to reverse leptin resistance is to adopt a lifestyle that is more aligned with our ancestral ways of eating and moving. This means:

Eliminating all processed foods, sweets, grains, and sugars
Centering your diet around whole animal products
Daily practice of low-impact movement

Fortunately, these three factors create a self-reinforcing system of metabolic healing and protection.

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