Oxalate is one of many naturally occurring plant toxins that plants use to protect themselves from pests and predators. Humans are predators.
Yet for decades we’ve been told that vegetables are the foundation of health. They supposedly fight cancer, clean our digestive systems, and rescue us from heart disease. They’re the superheroes of the standard American diet.
But recent research is revealing that vegetables have a darkside: They’re chock full of plant toxins, antinutrients, and phytochemicals.
These molecules harm our bodies on a cellular level. They elicit immune reactions that lead to chronic inflammation and disease. Oxalates are one of the most prevalent plant toxins in our diets.
What are Plant Toxins?
Just as animals evolve camouflage and poisons for protection and perpetuation, plants are equipped with an arsenal of toxins that protect them from pests and environmental factors like fungus.
Plants have been on earth for hundreds of millions of years. Humans have been on earth for a mere 500,000 years. Who do you think has the upper hand when it comes to survival?
A single plant can contain an arsenal of chemical defenses including molecules that recognize invaders, attach to them, and kill them. Poisons destroy cells and mitochondria by exploding their membranes. Enzyme inhibitors that interfere with vital metabolic reactions. And oxidative toxins that fracture strands of DNA.
What are Oxalates?
Oxalates are organic compounds that occur naturally in many plants.
Plants use oxalates to regulate their own internal mineral content and help defend against predators.
In the body, oxalic acid that we get from eating plants combines with many minerals. This binding limits the absorption of vital nutrients, including iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Foods rich in oxalates include many of the most common fruits and veggies: cocoa, beets, sesame seeds, rhubarb, sweet potato, coriander, currants, and spinach to name a few.
Oxalates are responsible for the fact that virtually none of the iron present in spinach makes it into your, or Popeye’s body.
Fast Facts about Oxalate
Oxalate crystals can suppress the immune system and reduce mitochondrial activity.
Oxalate crystals form from plant-based foods, some more than others.
Oxalates make up 80% of the dry weight of some plants. With oxalates occurring in over 200 plant families.
Oxalates can contribute to kidney stone formation.
Nutritional deficiencies can contribute to oxalate sensitivity and make it difficult to expel them once they are formed.
There are soluble and insoluble oxalates.
Soluble: potassium and sodium oxalate.
Insoluble: calcium oxalate.
There is a significant connection between oxalate crystals and fungal infections in the intestine.
There is a connection between oxalate crystals and heavy metals in the body.
Oxalobacter formigenes is the only known bacteria besides some Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species to have the capacity to digest oxalate crystals.
How Does Oxalate Build up in the Body?
Oxalates build up in 2 ways: Endogenously, by metabolic processes in the body. And exogenously, by eating oxalate-rich foods. Genetic factors such as carrying the LCN2 gene has been shown to contribute to endogenous oxalate production.
Gastrointestinal microbes have also been shown to be major exogenous contributors. These microorganisms can use foods to produce oxalate crystals by binding oxalic acid with various minerals.
How Do Oxalates Harm Humans
Mineral Deficiencies
Endogenous oxalate formation has been linked to deficiencies in B1 and B6, supporting the importance of consuming meat that is high in B vitamins.
Oxalate crystals have been shown to form from oxalic acid binding with important minerals, including magnesium. This binding effect results in mineral deficiencies linked to a host of health issues. For instance, a deficiency in magnesium can cause high blood pressure, impair immunity, and is strongly associated with the calcification of arteries.
Renal Inflammation, Fibrosis, and Failure
Because oxalates are an end product of metabolism excreted via the kidney, excess urinary oxalate can lead to a build-up in the kidney. A common and excruciatingly painful result is kidney stones, and can lead to kidney failure. Renal failure is often referred to as renal stone disease.
Autism
Though the jury is still out on the exact relationship between oxalates and autism, a fascinating 2011 study found that children with autism had plasma oxalate levels that were 300% higher compared with a control group of non autism children, and 250% greater urinary oxalate concentrations. There were no differences between the two groups when it came to urinary pH, citraturia, calciuria or adjusted CaOx crystallization rates.
The study’s authors concluded that having too much oxalate in your urine (hyperoxalemia and hyperoxaluria) may be involved in the development of autism in children.
Immune Deficiencies
Monocytes in patients with kidney stones have decreased mitochondrial function compared to healthy subjects. This is critical because monocytes are a type of white blood cell that fights infections while helping other white blood cells remove dead or damaged tissues, destroy cancer cells, and regulate immunity against foreign substances.
Joint Issues
Oxalate presence in the body has been linked to joint issues. Though rare, a condition called oxalate arthropathy is connected to arthritis.
Low Oxalate Diet
A low oxalate diet consists of less than 100mg of oxalate-producing foods a day. With less than 50mg a day if you’re already compromised by high oxalate levels.
Avoiding oxalates can get a little tricky for those of you on a ketogenic diet since many of the keto-friendly vegetables are high in oxalates. Though Doctor Kiltz recommends eliminating all vegetables in order to reduce your intake of harmful plant toxins, we know that this can be difficult, especially when starting out on your keto journey. So here’s a list of low oxalate keto-friendlier veggies:
Cucumber
Cabbage
Broccoli (moderate)
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Artichoke (moderate)
Mushrooms
Avocado (moderate)
Peas
Asparagus (moderate)
Brussels sprouts (moderate)
Carrots
Celery
Probiotics for Eliminating Oxalates
Probiotic organisms, including oxalobacter, formigenes, lactobacillus, and bifidobacterium help to break down these toxins in the intestine. This is important because we lack the enzymes to do so entirely on our own. These organisms can be found in probiotic supplements and foods. Interestingly, oxalobacter formigenes bacteria aren’t as plentiful in modern civilization, but they are more abundant among indigenous populations.
How do I Eliminate Oxalate from the Body
The simplest and most effective approach is to lower your intake of certain foods. Natural metabolic processes will work to expel them through either the stool or urine.
Oxalate Dumping
When slowing crystal formation in the body by consuming low-oxalate foods, we enable the body to expel the oxalates in a process called ‘oxalate dumping.
As with many forms of detoxification, there may be some uncomfortable side effects, including:
Bodily pain such as joint, neck, back, stomach, headache, sore throat, burning tongue, and bladder pain.
Cloudy urine and frequent urination for the body to expel oxalates.
Mental and mood-related symptoms like depression, anxiety, brain fog, a tendency to panic, feeling overwhelmed, etc.
These symptoms are eerily similar to candida die-off, known as the Herxheimer reaction. This commonality suggests a conjunction with fungal infections and oxalate crystal formation.
The Zero Carb Diet
By adopting a keto or carnivore diet, we can significantly reduce oxalate compound content in our bodies. This is because animal products contain very little to no oxalic acid.
An animal-based diet will also provide the essential vitamins and minerals that have been depleted through oxalate binding.
The Bottom Line
Oxalates are among the most common plant toxins.
When we eat plants high in oxalates, these toxins bind with important minerals, inhibiting the body’s ability to produce and absorb vitamins and minerals and resulting in deficiencies.
Oxalate crystals that formed from this binding can congeal into kidney stones that, if unchecked, can lead to kidney failure. Zero-carb, meat-based, low oxalate diets aid your body in removing oxalates while supplying your body with essential minerals that had been locked out by oxalate binding.
Though oxalates can be harmful, for most people, a change in diet is all that is needed to reverse oxalate overload.
https://www.doctorkiltz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/AdobeStock_327800337-1-scaled.jpeg12452560Liam McAuliffehttps://www.doctorkiltz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/logo-Dr-kiltz.pngLiam McAuliffe2021-01-24 06:03:442023-12-03 02:34:56Oxalate Plant Toxins: What You Need To Know
The keto diet has been around for as long as humans have walked the earth. This is because keto is not really a diet; it’s a metabolic state critical to human evolution.
Humans evolved the ability to eat keto as we left behind the vegetarian diet of our primate ancestors and began scavenging and hunting meat.
For the vast majority of human history—we’re talking hundreds of thousands of years—humans lived as hunter gatherers. Our diets consisted mostly of wild meats and, to a lesser degree, low nutrient plants.
By ‘meats,’ we mean the whole animal–especially the mineral-rich fat, marrow, and organs.
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Our Eating Habits are Not What They Used to Be
Our eating habits are not what they used to be–10,000-200,000 years ago. On one hand, we eat way more processed, calorie-dense junk food. On the other, we listen to an army of professional nutritionists admonishing us to replace junk food with a so-called “balanced diet” of grains, fruits, and vegetables.
What most nutritionists miss is the fact that 72% of what we consume today did not exist in the diets of our ancestors. This covers both processed foods and our various “natural” foods. The diet humans evolved to eat looks radically different from what we’re “supposed” to eat today.
Raymond Dart, the man who discovered the fossil of our first human ancestor in Africa, describes the earliest humans like this: “carnivorous creatures, that seized living quarries by violence, battered them to death … slaking their ravenous thirst with the hot blood of victims and greedily devouring livid writhing flesh.”
Though Dart’s description might ring a bit over-the-top, it captures the truth of our dietary origins: We came out of the trees not to eat the grass, but to eat the grass eaters!
For example, our fellow kings of the jungle—lions and tigers—first devour the blood, and fatty organs including hearts, kidneys, livers, and brains, leaving much of the lean muscle to the vultures. Fat, as we will see, is, and has always been, the cornerstone of human dietary health.
The Keto Diet and Evolution of the Human Brain
A consensus of scientists believes that a diet centered on animal fat was crucial to the evolution of humans’ large brains.
So the story goes, about two million years ago we evolved the hunting techniques mentioned above. Hunting allowed us to capture and eat nutrient-dense animal foods loaded with calories, healthy keto fats, protein, organs meats, and marrow instead of the low-nutrient plant diet of apes.
Homo Erectus could then take in a surplus of energy at each meal compared with our direct primate ancestors. This higher quality fuel allowed us to eat less plant fiber which is bulkier than meat, leading us to evolve smaller guts.
With less energy going to our gut for digestion, more energy was free to fuel our brains.
The results of this evolutionary split are apparent in the fact that the human brain requires a whopping 20 percent of our energy when resting. While an ape’s brain requires only 8 percent.
The key takeaway is that the human body and brain has evolved to depend and run optimally on a diet of energy-dense food. There’s nothing that packs more energy than fatty meat.
Humans were Scavengers Before Hunters
Challenging the theory that hunting first led to humans consuming animal flesh, a recent study by Anthropologist Jessica Thompson proposes a new theory about the transition to large animal consumption by our ancestors.
The prevailing story, supported by fossil evidence from sites in Africa, is that the emergence of flaked tools for hunting and scraping meat led to the brain growth that rocketed human evolution more than 2 million years ago.
Based on the evidence of ancient animal bones, Thompson and her colleagues have a different take: Earlier hominins (pre-humans) first bashed bones to harvest fatty nutrients from bone marrow and brains. Sharpened stones for hunting and scraping meat from animals came much later.
From this perspective, scavenging and consuming fat allowed proto-humans to evolve the brains that eventually made humans smart enough to take down much larger, faster, and stronger prey.
Ancient humans ate mostly meat and specialized in hunting large animals, according to new research. (Miki Ben Dor)
How Ketosis Evolved in Humans
Ketosis evolved in the early humans we descend from. They thrived on a narrow variety of foods. And only ate when their hunting and foraging was successful. When food wasn’t available, they fasted or ate very little until they found new food sources.
Going without food and reduced carbohydrates, especially during winter months in northern regions, caused the body to release fatty acids from fat stores. These fatty acids were converted into ketone bodies, which like glucose, can be used to make ATP, the energy currency for the body.
Compared with the Standard Western Diet of today, hunter-gatherer diets from the late Paleolithic Era likely exhibited the following nutritional characteristics:
Significantly higher fat
Higher protein
Much lower carbohydrates
Lower glycemic load
More vitamins, minerals, especially A, and D
Higher potassium and lower sodium levels
Fascinatingly, fatty acids are more efficient than glucose for producing energy, especially in tissues with high-energy requirements like the heart where 50-70% of energy comes from fatty acids.
Over hundreds of thousands of years as hunter gatherers, humans evolved bodies that are optimized to run without carbohydrates, to go periods without eating, to thrive on a limited variety of foods, and to use fat for fuel.
Ketosis Kept Early Humans Alive when Hunting Failed
The Hadza and Kung bushmen of Africa who hunt with bows and arrows are living examples of the fast and feast cycles that our early ancestors adapted to. These bushmen get meat on only half their excursions into the savanna in search of wild game.
All humans, including adept hunters like these bushmen, are relatively slow, and much weaker than the large prey we once depended on for sustenance; think of Woolly Mammoths, other primates, bears, or powerful herd animals like wildebeests.
What allowed humans to dominate these faster and stronger animals, and to multiply our species was our superior intelligence. Like the bushmen of today, our ancestors made bows and arrows, set traps, and herded animals into optimal hunting zones by strategically setting fires.
Trapping, skillfully wielding tools, and cooperating with other humans all require sharp focus and clear, sustained mental energy. It would have been impossible for a glucose-starved brain to take down a mammoth.
That’s where ketosis comes in. The early humans who couldn’t go into ketosis, whose brains and bodies were not able to use fat for fuel, had their genetics literally, and figuratively, stomped out.
Evidence for Meat-Centered Diets Among Hunter Gatherers
Contemporary research into the two hundred and twenty-nine remaining hunter gatherer tribes show that a low carbohydrate and high-fat diet is the most common.
A 2011 study by Ströhle and Hahn, found that 9 out of 10 of the diets of hunter-gatherer groups had less than a third of calories coming from carbohydrates. These percentages reflect that most hunter-gatherer societies rely on an animal-based diet.
The term “animal” is more accurate than “meat”. Hunter gatherers favor certain parts of the carcass and often discard other edible parts. It is common for traditional peoples to discard the leanest muscle, what today we’d call the tenderloin–the part most modern humans think of as meat.
Fat and Organ Meats
An example of tribal peoples selecting for fat and organ meats is documented by Weston A. Price, a dentist who traveled the world on a quest to study the diets of non-Westernized populations.
In his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Price observed the following practice among Indians living in the Northern Canadian Rockies:
“I found the Indians putting great emphasis upon the eating of the organs of the animals, including parts of the digestive tract. Much of the muscle meat of the animals was fed to the dogs. … The skeletal remains are found as piles of finely broken bone chips or splinters that have been cracked up to obtain as much as possible of the marrow and nutritive qualities of the bones.” Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, 6th Edition, page 260.
The Indians Price observed threw away the lean muscle meats and ate only the organ meats and bones, which are higher in fatty -acids, essential minerals, and vitamins.
Price took samples of these native animal foods back to his Cleveland laboratory for study. There he found that native diets contained at least four times the minerals as the American diet in the 1930s. With the soil depletion that’s occurred over the ensuing decades due to industrial agricultural practices along with the proliferation of more processed foods, this discrepancy is likely to be much higher today.
Among the traditional people Price studied, he discovered that they prepared their supplementary grains and tubers with techniques of soaking, fermenting, sprouting, and sour leavening, increasing vitamin content and mineral availability.
Animal Fat Helps the Body Absorb Vitamins and Minerals
The biggest health gap between native groups and modern western groups was revealed when Price analyzed the fat-soluble vitamins of both diets.
Price found that the diets of healthy native groups contained at least ten times more vitamin A and vitamin D than the standard American diet. Vitamins A and D are found only in animal fats, including lard, tallow, butter, eggs, fish oils, and animal parts with fat-rich membranes, especially fish roe, shellfish, and organ meats like liver.
Price found that these fat-soluble vitamins are catalysts upon which the absorption and metabolic use of all the other nutrients depend: protein, minerals, and vitamins.
Without the vitamins found only in animal fats, all our essential nutrients, including protein, vitamins, and minerals, mostly go to waste.
Arctic Explorers Encounter the Ketogenic Diet
Similar observations about the meat-centered diet were made by another early twentieth-century scientist interested in the link between diet and health in hunter-gatherer populations. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, a Harvard-trained anthropologist, went to live with the Inuit in the Canadian arctic. He was the first white man the Mackenzie River band of Inuit had ever seen, and they taught him to hunt and fish with their traditional techniques.
Living exactly as they did, Stefansson ate Caribou, salmon, seal, and eggs. 70-80% of his calories came from fat, and 99% of all his calories came from meat.
Stefansson describes how when eating Caribou, the Inuit most prized the fat behind the eye and the fatty meat around the head, then the organs including the heart, and kidneys.
A caribou kidney is about 50% saturated fat. Just as Price had observed with the American Indians, the Inuit cast the tenderloin to their dogs. They also avoided hunting calves who were lean, selecting older caribou who packed significant fat that could be rendered from their back slabs.
The Schwatka Expedition
A few decades earlier another arctic explorer, Lt. Frederick Schwatka, became similarly acquainted with the hunter-gatherer diet of the Inuit. In 1878 Schwatka’s team headed deep into the arctic to investigate what had happened to a party of 129 men who had disappeared in 1849. The investigation lasted two years, during which Schwatka and his men lived with the Inuit.
Over the first 3000 miles of their journey across tundra by foot and sled they subsisted on the “white man’s” food they brought along. This mean fruit cakes and whiskey. Eventually their supplies ran out. Like Stefansson, they hunted and ate as the Inuit, surviving on an all-meat diet of reindeer, seal, and bear.
An Account of “Keto Flu” from the Lost Journal of an Arctic Explorer
Schwatka’s journals from his expedition leave us with what is perhaps the earliest Western account of what today we commonly referred to as the “keto flu.”
This period of low energy takes place as the human body switches from using carbohydrates to producing ketones from fat for fuel.
“When first thrown wholly upon a diet of reindeer meat, it seems inadequate to properly nourish the system and there is an apparent weakness and inability to perform severe exertive, fatiguing journeys. But this soon passes away in the course of two or three weeks…However, seal meat which is far more disagreeable with its fishy odor, and bear meat with its strong flavor, seems to have no such temporary debilitating effect upon the economy.”
Schwatka’s entry reveals the difference between a low-to-no carb diet and a keto or fat-centered diet.
When he and his men ate lean reindeer meat, the period of adaptation to ketosis was long and difficult. In fact, they were suffering from starvation. Their bodies were metabolizing depleted fat stores–they were essentially eating themselves.
But when they ate the much fattier bear and seal, their bodies were able to turn the ingested fat into ketones from the outset, making the transition much easier.
Though Schwatka’s experiences of an arctic keto diet were hidden in his journal and not discovered until long after his death, Stefansson returned from his Arctic adventure as a boisterous champion of an all meat, mostly fat, diet.
Introduction of Carnivore Keto Diet to the West
In the early 1900’s there was already the stirring of what would become the mainstream American medical establishment’s recommendation against meat and demonization of fat.
Vegetarians were numerous and raw vegetables, particularly celery, were seen as the key to health and beauty. As the saying goes, what’s old is new.
When Stefansson promoted his carnivore diet he was met with hostile disbelief. Doctors feared that an all-meat diet could not provide vitamin C, since the vitamin doesn’t exist in cooked muscle meat. They assumed a vitamin C deficit would lead to scurvy as it had for many fur trappers and frontiersmen who relied on all-meat diets for extended periods.
To prove his detractors wrong, Stefansson and a friend vowed to eat nothing but meat and water for a year.
Protein Poisoning from Lack of Fat
Under the observation of experts from New York’s Bellevue Hospital, Stefansson and his friend fell ill only once during the entire year, and only after experimenters encouraged them to eat only lean meat.
Stefansson describes this low-fat experience as inflicting “diarrhea and a feeling of general baffling discomfort.” This condition has since been dubbed ‘rabbit starvation.’ It occurs in diets low in fat and carbohydrates and high in protein.
To this day, military survival manuals warn against eating rabbits if you find yourself in a situation where you have to subsist by hunting and gathering.
Rabbit starvation is better understood as protein poisoning, and it is due to the inability of the human liver to upregulate urea synthesis to process excessive loads of protein, leading to a whole host of problems, including hyperaminoacidemia, hyperammonemia, hyperinsulinemia, nausea, diarrhea, and even death within two to three weeks.
Not to fear, Stefansson and his friend were quickly cured by a single fat-loaded meal of sirloin steak and brains fried in bacon fat.
After the incident of ‘rabbit starvation,’ experimenters found the ideal ratio to be 3 parts fat to 1 part lean meat, which is not surprisingly the foundation of a ketogenic diet.
Interestingly, and in contradiction to fearful doctors, scurvy and other nutrient deficiencies never materialized. Stefansson and friend’s sterling bill of health is likely because the men ate the whole animal, bones, liver, and brains. This practice is consistent with the diet of the earliest humans and which, as we saw in Price’s studies, contains loads of vitamins and minerals.
Good Health and High Fat Diets among African Pastoral Tribes
Traditional Masai men eat nothing but meat—often three to five pounds each during celebratory meals—blood, and half a gallon of full-fat milk from their Zebu cattle—the equivalent of a half-pound of butterfat.
Likewise, the Samburu people eat on average a pound of meat and drink almost two gallons of raw milk each day during most of the year—equivalent to one pound of butterfat per day! While shepherds in Somalia consume a gallon and a half of camel’s milk each day, also equivalent to a pound of butterfat.
Each of these tribes gets more than sixty percent of their energy from animal fat, yet their mean cholesterol is only about 150 mg/dl (3.8 meq/l), far lower than the average Western person.
In the 1960’s prominent doctor and professor, George V. Mann studied the Masai as an example of a population that thrived on a high-fat, low-carb, and no-vegetable diet. Mann’s life work was aimed at confronting what he called the “heart mafia.” These were a group of influential figures and institutions in the American medical establishment who built their careers creating and defending erroneous links between the consumption of dietary fat, high cholesterol, and an increase in heart disease.
Mann found that despite the Masai’s high-fat diet, their blood pressure and weight were about 50% less than they were for Americans and that they experienced almost no heart disease, cancer, or diabetes—the so-called diseases of civilization.
The Masai’s Stellar Health Linked to High Fat Diet, not Genetics
Mann’s detractors asserted that African tribes like the Masai were genetically adapted to a high-fat diet. However, a study of Masai people who lived in the Nairobi metropolis showed this to be false.
The Nairobi Masai ate considerably less fat, which would suggest to researchers taking the genetic inheritance perspective, that their cholesterol should be even lower than their brethren still living in the countryside. Yet the mean cholesterol of the Nairobi Masai was 25 percent higher.
What’s more surprising is that the markers of physical health and absence of disease that Mann found in the rural Masai, persisted into old age.
Mann’s findings fly in the face of the prevailing wisdom of the Western medical establishment that as humans age, cholesterol and weight, along with instances of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, all inevitably increase.
Animal-Centered Diets and Longevity in American Indians
Mann’s work with the aging Masai reflects the earlier observations of Ales Hrdlicka, a doctor and anthropologist, who, between 1898 and 1905, surveyed the health of Native American populations in the American Southwest.
Studying Native American elders who lived most of their lives on a diet based on meat from wild game, especially buffalo, before their traditional ways of life were destroyed, Hrdlicka found the population to be in incredibly good health.
Malignant diseases were extremely rare, as was dementia and heart disease–he found only 3 cases out of the 2000 people he surveyed. He also found that there were many more centenarians among the Native Americans (224 per million men, and 254 per million women) compared to the whites (3 per million men, and 6 per million women).
Stefansson, Mann, and Hrdlicka’s observations of hunter-gatherer and non-Western populations thriving on diets based on animal fats are only a few examples among many from our anthropological record.
These findings beg the question of whether agriculture was a true step forward for human health? And the answer appears to be a resounding No!
Pitfalls of the Agricultural Revolution
In leaving behind our hunter-gatherer ways of life and diets we became dependent on crops, mostly grains. Our diets became far less nutritious and diverse.
Subsisting on the same grain, i.e. carbohydrates, day in and day out, lead to a huge uptick in cavities and periodontal disease that we don’t find in hunter-gatherers. Tending to crops all day was more laborious and time-consuming than hunting and foraging.
This surplus of consistent calories from grain caused populations to boom, creating more mouths to feed. When disease struck or a crop failed, huge portions of the population were afflicted. Suffering from iron, fat, and protein deficiencies, people shrunk, both in terms of their brain size and physical stature.
“It is not as if farming brought a great improvement in living standards either. A typical hunter-gatherer enjoyed a more varied diet and consumed more protein and calories than settled people, and took in five times as much vitamin C as the average person today.”-Bill Bryson
The Sad Legacy of Agriculture
Today we see the sad legacy of our dependence on agriculture and a diet dominated by carbohydrates. It’s ensconced in the misconceived recommendations of the mainstream medical establishment. It’s trumpeted by so-called food gurus like Michael Pollan, whose infamous statement, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” encompasses everything that’s wrong with the way we eat.
A better rallying cry, which echoes those of the vast majority of our human ancestors, is the exact opposite: Eat fat. Not too little. Mostly from animals!
Yet we find ourselves in the same predicament: Study after study is bearing out the same sad story. Inflammation and stress-related diseases like diabetes, heart disease, mental disorders, asthma, and autoimmune diseases like IB and ulcerated colitis are skyrocketing among both young and old populations.
This increase is a direct result of modern diets and lifestyles. Our genes and physiology, which are almost identical to those of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, preserve core regulation and recovery processes. Yet nowadays, our genes operate in internal and external environments that are completely different from those we were designed for.
The Takeaway
Of course, we cannot go back to our hunter-gatherer lifestyle, but we can integrate into our modern lives the natural wisdom of how humans evolved to eat.
One way to look at our predicament is through the lens of the zookeeper paradox. A zookeeper’s job is to ask if their animals are well adapted to the food and environment that is artificially provided for them.
We humans are animals. Our modern lifestyles and diets are artificial compared to the world we evolved in for hundreds of thousands of years. You could say we are our own zookeepers.
When we look at the historical evidence alongside contemporary medical data, it becomes glaringly apparent that we are doing a terrible job of caring for ourselves as a species.
By traveling back in time through our dietary evolution, we can learn to better care for ourselves, beginning with the food we eat: Animal meat, especially fat, is the cornerstone of a diet we humans are evolved to thrive on.
https://www.doctorkiltz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/AdobeStock_38790761-scaled.jpeg17062560Liam McAuliffehttps://www.doctorkiltz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/logo-Dr-kiltz.pngLiam McAuliffe2021-01-22 05:14:222023-12-03 02:41:02The Keto Diet and Human Evolution
Are humans carnivores? You probably think you already know the answer; humans are omnivores. Right?
Your elementary school science teacher drilled the classifications into your head. You studied teeth structure, eye location, and the presence of claws or talons in various mammals to decide who ate what.
But what if things aren’t quite that simple? There’s a big difference between “can” and “should” when it comes to eating meat.
Modern society has provided endless options when it comes to mealtime. Yet when we carefully consider what our bodies are designed to eat, and what energy source allows us to function optimally, the evidence points to one conclusion:
Humans are indeed carnivores.
What is a Carnivore?
When you think about the word carnivore, what comes to mind? Most people envision a pride of lions hunting zebras in the Serengeti, isolating the weakest member of the herd and savagely ripping its throat with razor-sharp teeth before a bloody feast. In truth, there’s a carnivore a little nearer and dearer to all of us. You only need to look in the mirror to catch a glimpse. Humans are carnivores.
A carnivore is an organism (mostly animals) that derives its food and energy requirements exclusively (or nearly so) from the tissue and meat of other animals. “Carnivore” quite literally translates into meat-eater from the Latin “caro” and “varorare”. But there is more than one type of carnivore.
Different Types of Carnivores
As one might expect, carnivores can be categorized by the importance meat plays in their overall diet:
A Hypercarnivore or Obligate Carnivore is an animal that derives more than 70% of its calorie intake from animal foods.
A Mesocarnivore derives about 50% of essential nutrients from animal foods in order to survive.
Animals whose diet is only about 30% meat are called Hypocarnivores.
Finally, Facultative Carnivores, the category in which humans belong, prioritize the consumption of animal foods but can survive (but not thrive . . . more on this later) on vegetables. Wolves and dogs are also facultative carnivores.
At this point, many of you are probably asking, “But I thought humans were omnivores?” While humans do eat just about anything, that doesn’t mean we should. It also doesn’t mean that our bodies function optimally while we’re eating whatever and whenever we want. If the current health crisis of overweight, diabetic, diseased, and inflamed Americans is any indication, we most definitely should not be eating everything and anything. In the words of the late, great Barry Groves, a true health crusader, “Civilized man is the only animal clever enough to manufacture its own food, and the only animal stupid enough to eat it.”
Essential Nutrients – Evidence that Humans are Carnivores
Why is meat a necessity? Our bodies can manufacture a lot of different biomolecules, but not all of them. The ones we can’t produce are called essential nutrients, which means we must obtain them through diet or, to be blunt, we die.
Fatty acids like Omega 3 and Omega 6 are essential. Many amino acids (protein) are essential. And there are a handful of essential vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, potassium, and sodium, along with several others.
However, there are no essential carbs. You can choose to eat zero carbs and continue to live a normal, healthy (and likely an even healthier) life.
Not surprisingly, all essential nutrients can be found in animal source foods. Not all essential nutrients can be found in plants.
The foods we eat provide the energy necessary for living in the form of calories. We get calories from three main sources: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Examples of Essential Nutrients
DHA
Docosahexaenoic acid (or DHA) is critical for brain function and makes up 20% of the fat in our brains. It allows for neural connectivity and protects our nerves. Only animal source foods provide DHA in sufficient quantities.
In addition to fatty acids, the brain requires various vitamins and minerals to extract energy and perform other bodily functions.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A regulates 500+ genes and stem cell differentiation and is found abundantly in beef liver and eggs. Beta Carotene is a Vitamin A precursor found in plant foods, but the bioavailability is pitiful compared to preformed Vitamin A.
B Vitamins
B Vitamins help convert fuel to energy and create the red blood cells that transport oxygen to our brains. B vitamins can also affect moods. Most people are deficient in vitamin B, which has been linked to depression. Again, beef liver is an abundant source of vitamin B. Vitamin B12 is almost exclusively found in animal products.
Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 helps to regulate calcium in our bones and brains. It can help prevent heart disease and deficits in vitamin K2 have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Choline
Choline helps maintain the structure of cell membranes, which is responsible for memory and mental clarity. Deficits in choline can lead to cognitive impairments and problems with concentration and memory. Our bodies make a small amount of choline, but most must come from food.
Iron
Iron helps our cells generate energy, fight harmful pathogens, and circulate oxygen throughout the body.
Copper
Copper regulates energy production, brain function, and iron metabolism.
Zinc
Zinc aids in serotonin synthesis and dopamine transport.
Iodine
Iodine is necessary for synthesizing thyroid hormones, which are critical for brain growth and development. Fish, salmon roe, and eggs are all good dietary sources of iodine.
It can’t go without mention that for so many of these essential vitamins, beef liver is the most abundant food source available. Take a look at how beef and beef liver stack up to some tried and true “superfoods.”
Similarly, take a look at how a standard carnivore’s day of eating easily surpasses just about all recommended daily values.
Given that 9/10 people eating a standard American diet are missing key nutrients, seems like just about everyone should be shifting to a carnivore diet that clearly provides adequate nutrition.
While plants can provide some essential nutrients, most are far more bioavailable in animal meat than in vegetables or supplements. Just because you consume various nutrients doesn’t mean that 100 percent of them find their way into your bloodstream and cells. The body can only utilize a portion of the nutrients it takes in—a principle called bioavailability. How much of a given nutrient your body ultimately absorbs is influenced by many factors, the most important of which is the source.
Take spinach, for example, which like beef liver, is seemingly an excellent source of iron; however, spinach also contains oxalates, as do many green leafy vegetables, that bind to minerals and interfere with the body’s ability to absorb them.
Even the most diligent vegetarians can’t fulfill nutritional requirements from plant sources alone. The chart below shows that the energy yield from animal products far exceeds what is provided by plants.
There is no nutrient in plant foods that cannot be found in animals. But there are a few crucial nutrients that are impossible or very difficult to get insufficient amounts from commonly consumed plant foods. These include:
Vitamin A
Vitamin B12
Creatine
Carnosine
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)
Vitamin K2
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Heme Iron
Taurine
Other Evidence that Shows Humans are Carnivores
Though we have evolved from grass, shrub, and fruit eaters, the human body in its current form is designed to eat and run on meat. And if we take a look back at human evolution, it’s easy to see how and why we have developed into carnivores.
A groundbreaking 2021 study by Israeli researchers found that humans spent 2 million years as “hyper-carnivorous” apex predators that ate mostly the meat of large animals.
The study took into account a broad range of evidence, like genetic coding for a fat-rich diet, isotopes in bones of pre-historic humans showing the consumption of high-fat diets, likely from large animals, and the late appearance of tools for processing plant foods.
Researcher Miki Ben-Dor concludes that, “archeological evidence…supports the centrality of large animals in the human diet, throughout most of human history.”
Development of the human brain in relation to food sources and hunting practices. Source: Times of Israel
Humans Have Small Fat Cells Like All Carnivores
Carnivores are shown to have a higher number of smaller fat cells, while omnivores have a smaller number of larger fat cells.Humans have many small fat cells like all carnivores. After comparing the fat cells in various types of animals, researchers found humans to be at the top of the carnivorous pattern, which suggests that the humans’ energy metabolism is adapted to a diet in which lipids and proteins contribute most of the energy supply, rather than carbohydrates.
Humans Have a Stomach Acidity That is Unique to Carnivores
Humans have a high stomach acidity level (a pH of 1.5) that puts us somewhere between obligate and facultative scavengers. Herbivorous primates have a stomach pH of around 4 to 6. Most omnivores are between 2 and 4. Maintaining this level of acidity requires a lot of energy, as does retaining the stomach walls to contain that acidity. Presumably, humans would only evolve to this point if the bacteria levels in our diet were high enough to warrant the adaptation.
Humans Have a Smaller Gut Than Other Primates
Compared to our similarly-sized chimpanzee ancestors, humans have a large intestine (where fiber is processed) that is about 77% smaller by volume. This significantly reduces our ability to extract energy from plants.
On the flip side, our small intestine (where macronutrients are absorbed) is about 62% larger than chimpanzees. This gut morphology is an adaptation that favors meat consumption over plants. As humans evolved, we gave up our ability to ferment fiber into fat and developed smaller colons as a trade-off for increasing our brain size.
Humans Have Adapted to Throwing Rather Than Climbing
Humans are the most dangerous animal with an unrivaled hunting prowess. Unlike our primate ancestors who continue to have shoulders adapted for climbing and swinging from trees, humans are the only species that can throw objects with incredible speed and accuracy–an evolutionary change that Human Evolutionary Biologist Neil Thomas Roach believes was an adaptation to carnivory.
He proposes that “this ability to produce powerful throws was crucial to the intensification of hunting that we see in the archaeological record at this time. Success at hunting allowed our ancestors to become part-time carnivores, eating more calorie-rich meat and fat and dramatically improving the quality of their diet.” You don’t need to spend hours throwing rocks at an apple in a tree when you can simply climb up and grab it.
These dietary changes subsequently led to humans growing larger bodies, larger brains, and the ability to have more children.
Humans Have Much Higher Fat Reserves Than Chimps
Carrying a higher amount of fat consumes energy and impairs our ability to chase or flee, but it also provides an insurance policy for survival during periods of food scarcity. If we only lived in the tropics and were constantly eating plants–like other primates, we wouldn’t have adapted this way.
Our Jaws and Teeth Have Become Smaller, Forgoing Chewing Capabilities
While most carnivores boast large fangs or teeth, the invention of tools meant we didn’t need to tear raw flesh from a carcass with our bare teeth. We know early humans crafted tools to help process meat. It takes 39% to 46% less force to chew and swallow processed meat than processed root foods. Evolution chose to forgo the ability to properly chew certain plant-based foods to allow for more room in the skull for our growing brains.
Our Growing Brains Depended on Animal Products
Our brains are energy hogs and require lots of energy to function. The fatty acids found in animals (AA, DTA, DHA, EPA) compose 90% of our brains and are not available in plants.
As a result of all of these adaptations, it is clear that humans have been moving further from herbivory/omnivory and closer to carnivory. And we didn’t just evolve to eat meat; we evolved because we ate meat.
In fact, since our prehistoric beginnings, our brains quadrupled in size. And now since the agricultural revolution and the development of processed foods, our brains have begun to shrink.
Humans Need Animal Meat for Energy Requirements
As our bodies evolved and our energy needs increased to support higher brain function, plants (aka carbs) no longer fulfilled these requirements. The most readily available source of energy was large animals, aka megafauna. The meat and fat of these animals easily fulfilled our energy needs without the need for plants. It’s interesting to note that even today, the most diligent vegetarians can’t get all the nutrients their bodies need from vegetable sources alone.
Not surprisingly, our ancestors have long appreciated the value of fatty meat. Researchers studying aboriginal tribes in the late 1800s to early 1900s noted that tribesmen would not eat vegetables when animal sources were available, and children were always offered the fattiest meat first. Many modern aboriginals eat solely (or almost exclusively) meat.
All Animals Need Fat: A Look at the Herbivore’s Diet
For those who point to gorillas as close relatives who indeed survive and thrive on a plant-based diet and think we should be able to as well, it’s important to note that all animals need fat. They don’t necessarily need to consume fat, but their bodies need to be able to convert their diet to fat. Gorillas do just this. Gorillas eat a ton of fiber that is mostly protein and carbs. But the interesting thing is that their digestive system, which is composed of a large cecum and colon, contains bacteria that ferments this fiber into short-chain fatty acids. When you look at what ultimately gets absorbed into a gorilla’s body and converted into energy, the short-chain fatty acids provide 60-70% of the gorillas’ energy. The digestive systems of cows accomplishes a similar feat. Some might even say that, from a pure absorption perspective, herbivores are actually carnivores.
Weaning Time
In comparison to our ape ancestors, humans wean their young at a much younger age. In fact, early weaning is one of the main differences between the genus Homo and the great apes. In modern societies where infants rely on their mother’s milk and not bottle feeding, babies nurse for two to three years.
By contrast, great ape mothers nurse their young for four to six years. In Psouni et al’s study Impact of Carnivory on Human Development and Evolution Revealed by a New Unifying Model of Weaning in Mammals,theiranalysis showed that carnivores systematically wean earlier than omnivores and herbivores and that carnivory may be a fundamental determinant of the early human weaning. The meat-based diet of our early human ancestors changed the weaning behavior of man and the course of evolution.
Obvious Human Geographical Location and Food Scarcity
The carnivorous life is indeed a healthy one. We have examples of many cultures that have thrived on fatty meat and protein from animals because access to plants was limited or non-existent for most of the year. The Inuit (or Eskimos) Extremely limited access to plants for much of the year, yet they survive and thrive. How have they survive?
Similarly, most cultures’ from the equator experienced a long period of little to no agricultural productivity each and every year.
Carnivore Societies that show Humans are Carnivores
There are several remaining carnivore tribes who have eaten meat-based diets and have avoided most of the modern diseases of human civilization despite NOT eating a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and lean meats.
Maasai
The Maasai tribe in Africa consumed milk, blood, and meat as their primary sustenance. They had low levels of serum cholesterol and were very healthy with little to no heart disease despite consuming 600mg – 2000mg of cholesterol a day — twice the daily health recommendation.
Inuit Eskimos
Survived on caribou, fish, seal, polar bear, rabbits, birds, eggs, and very little in the way of fruits and vegetables, with the exception of the occasional berry. Researchers back in the 1950s concluded that this meat-centric diet caused Eskimos just a fraction of the heart disease seen in America at the time.
Mongols
Because the Mongolian steppe has one of the most extreme climates in the world, it’s not favorable to agriculture whatsoever. Meat was the only consistent energy source. The Mongols enjoyed lots of animal fat and ate the entire animal from end to end. There was no waste. Vegetables were considered goat food and not desirable. Despite their harsh climate, they were able to thrive, survive, and conquer many other civilizations.
Plains Indians
Buffalo was a diet mainstay for the Sioux, Mandans, Comanche tribes. Researchers found them to be remarkably healthy. They were tall, had good dental health, and considered to be in superior health to their white counterparts.
For most of these tribes, this good health was not a genetic mutation but rather a result of a meat-dense diet. In future generations, as western ways of eating crept into these societies, they experienced the same ill effects as westerners. For example, as the Inuits began to alter their diet in the 20th century to include store-bought, processed foods, this led to new health problems.
Surviving, Not Thriving
As mentioned previously, humans can undoubtedly eat just about every food group, including processed, man-made concoctions, but that doesn’t mean we thrive on this type of diet.
While humans as a species do live longer than ever before, we now suffer from certain illnesses to a degree never before seen in the past — including rates of diabetes and obesity and, surprisingly, ailments such as hay fever that continue to climb. When populations around the globe started converting to agriculture around 10,000 years ago, regardless of their locations and what they were growing, a similar trend occurred: The height and health of the people declined.
On the advice of medical experts, we’ve eliminated most of the healthiest food in our diets, such as fatty red meat, pork, eggs, bacon, and supplemented the fats with grass, grains, fruits, fibers, vegetables, and plant oils. Despite following nutritional recommendations from the experts, we haven’t become healthier. The number of people suffering from Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel, and other autoimmune diseases has skyrocketed. Today, the NIH estimates that over 23 million Americans suffer from an autoimmune disease. We may be living longer, but we sure aren’t living healthier.
Diseases of Human Civilization
There is significant scientific evidence positively correlates Western diet to acne, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, and cancer, Alzheimer’s, and the so-called “diseases of civilization”.
The consumption of processed foods has been a major driver of chronic disease, spurred by vegetable/seed oils, refined wheat flour, trans fats, and sugar consumption, the core components in processed foods. Nearly three-quarters of our diet is made up of nutrient deficient, toxic processed foods.
The Final Verdict
Humans have evolved to eat meat because it was the source of fuel we required to become the brainier, more skilled apex predators that we are. We can survive on meat alone. We don’t require the fiber, sugar, carbs, phytochemicals, and toxins that come from fruits and vegetables.
We eat non-meat foods not because they’re essential, but because they are readily available and we’ve been brainwashed to consider them necessary components of a healthy diet.
Like the lion and lioness in the jungle, meat is the only food humans need to thrive and survive. Evolution has ensured we have the ideal digestive system for processing a carnivorous diet. Now it’s up to us to accept this fact and eat what we’re designed for.
You’ve probably heard the term superfood given as an accolade to kale, spinach, and blueberries for their seemingly unrivaled nutritional might. But did you ever stop to question those claims? Or to look at a comparison of nutritional benefits between, say, a handful of blueberries and a sliver of beef liver?
Truth is, of all the so-called superfoods, beef liver reigns supreme. It’s an absolute powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. At the same time, being low in carbs and high in protein.
Because of this unique macro and micronutrient combination, beef liver can promote overall health and wellness.
In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about beef liver and the benefits of incorporating it into your diet–whether fresh, or in a convenient supplement form.
Beef Liver Nutrition
Beef liver is a nutrient-dense, high-protein, and low-carb superfood. In fact, it is so loaded it’s often referred to as nature’s multivitamin. Looking at the nutritional profile, you can see why:
Beef Liver: Raw
Based on 100 grams
Calories
135
Fat
3.6g
Protein
20.4g
Net Carbs
3.9g
VITAMINS
%Daily Value
Vitamin A
Vitamin A IU
Folate
Niacin
Riboflavin
Thiamine
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin D
Vitamin D3
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
4968μg
16898IU
290μg
13.2mg
2.8mg
0.2mg
1mg
59.3μg
1.3mg
1.2μg
49IU
1.2μg
0.4mg
3.1μg
552%
870%
73%
66%
163%
13%
84%
2471%
3%
8%
–
–
2%
3%
MINERALS
Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Zinc
Copper
Manganese
Selenium
Choline
5mg
4.9mg
18mg
387mg
4mg
9.8mg
0.3mg
39.7μg
333.3mg
1%
62%
6%
39%
27%
488%
16%
57%
61%
Check out the nutritional comparison between beef liver and other so-called superfoods:
As you can see, beef liver exceeds these other so-called “superfoods” in almost every micronutrient including:
Vitamin A
Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
Niacin (vitamin B3)
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
Vitamin B6
Folate (vitamin B9)
Vitamin B12
Copper
Vitamin D
Iron
Phosphorous
Selenium
Zinc
Simply put, beef liver contains more vitamins and minerals than any other fruit or vegetable, often by many factors. A 100-gram serving of beef liver also contains 20.4 grams of protein, only 3.9 grams of carbs, and 3.6 grams of healthy fats.
Beef liver offers a wealth of benefits due to its broad and potent collection of vitamins and minerals. Let’s dig a little deeper into the health benefits of beef liver below.
Promotes and Supports Energy
Feeling sluggish every day may be a sign that you lack essential micronutrients.
Beef liver is loaded with nutrients that have been shown to support energy, including :
Vitamin B12
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Vitamin C
Iron
Magnesium
These micronutrients help your body turn the food you eat into usable energy. The B vitamins and iron also help your muscles and organs receive sufficient oxygen, supporting physical stamina and mental concentration.
Glowing Skin
It may help you look and feel younger. Beef liver contains the following vitamins and minerals that support and maintain skin health :
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Zinc
Vitamin A, also known as retinol, may lessen the appearance of aging by increasing skin vascularity, thickness, and firmness.
Vitamin C may also slow down skin-aging by reducing wrinkle depth. But most importantly, vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that protects your skin from damaging UV radiation. The protective benefits of vitamin C are most effective in combination with Vitamin E. Luckily, beef liver contains both of these vitamins.
Fertility
But making changes to your diet can support your path to pregnancy.
Beef liver contains vitamins and minerals that support reproduction, including :
Vitamin A
Vitamin B12
Selenium
Zinc
Folate
Research shows that vitamin B12 may increase sperm count and motility. 5 Selenium and zinc may also improve your ability to conceive. Studies show that adding these vitamins to your diet may reduce the time to pregnancy.6
Fetal Development
Beef liver may be a good source of vitamins and minerals that support healthy fetal development :
Vitamin A
Vitamin B12
Copper
Folate (Vitamin B9)
Iron
Zinc
A 100 gram serving of beef liver provides 18% of the recommended daily intake of iron for pregnant women :
Strong Bones
Beef liver contains the following vitamins and minerals that promote bone health :
Vitamin D
Magnesium
Calcium
Heart Health
Beef liver contains the following micronutrients that support heart health :
Potassium
Niacin (vitamin B3)
Magnesium
Research shows that potassium intake may lower your blood pressure.8
Brainpower
If you’re looking for more cognitive power and sustained focus, adding beef liver to your diet may help.
Beef liver contains the following vitamins and minerals that may enhance cognitive performance :
Selenium
Copper
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Iron
Research shows that selenium levels decrease as you get older . And this may cause declines in brain function.
Copper may also influence cognitive performance .
Niacin (vitamin B3) also plays a role in cognitive functioning . Deficiencies in this vitamin can impair memory.
Individuals with iron deficiencies may experience better cognitive performance after iron supplementation. Cognitive improvements involved the following areas 910.
Attention
Concentration
Memory
Strength & Endurance
Magnesium is a mineral found in beef liver. Dietary intakes of magnesium may improve neurological and neuromuscular functioning including 1112:
Muscle strength
Muscle power
Muscle performance
Cardiorespiratory endurance
The more you exercise, the more magnesium you need to support physical performance. Beef liver may be a good source of magnesium for athletes and active individuals.
Elevated Mood
Eating beef liver may also support your psychological health by offering an abundance of mood-boosting and stress-reducing vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, folate, and magnesium. 111213
Eye Health
Eating beef liver may promote eye health. Beef liver contains extraordinary amounts of vitamin A, which is crucial for healthy vision.
Strong Immune System
Maintaining a strong immune system depends on many vitamins and minerals. Thankfully, beef liver offers an abundance of many immune-supporting compounds, including:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Copper
Zinc
Vitamin A enforces the mechanical barrier function of the skin and inner linings of the body, especially the intensities. 12 This prevents the passage of harmful pathogens into tissues and the bloodstream.
Vitamin C also boosts your immune response with its antioxidant properties. Vitamin C reduces tissue damage and oxidative stress by eliminating free radicals.14
Copper also provides cellular defense against free radicals. Lastly, the zinc in beef liver assists with wound healing11. In short, beef liver may keep you healthy and reduce your risk for infectious diseases.
Potential Dangers of Eating Beef Liver
Now that you’re aware of the health benefits of beef liver, we’ll also touch on the potential dangers of eating liver. Though these risks are low and easily avoided, they are worth mentioning.
Hepatitis E
Eating uncooked or undercooked beef liver may increase your risk of hepatitis E. Hepatitis E is an infection that can occur after consuming contaminated food. Symptoms of hepatitis E include:
Fatigue
Poor appetite
Abdominal pain
Nausea
Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
This sounds scary. But hepatitis E is not common in the United States. You can avoid hepatitis E by practicing good hand hygiene and cooking beef liver to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Food Poisoning
As with any food, food poisoning is a risk, but it is very low. You are more than twice as likely to get food poisoning from fruits and vegetables. Only 22% of food poisoning infections arise from meat and poultry .
You can prevent food poisoning by cooking liver to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Vitamin A Toxicity
Vitamin A toxicity results from consuming excessive amounts of vitamin A. Symptoms of vitamin A toxicity may include :
Nausea
Vomiting
Vertigo
Blurry vision
Pregnant women who experience vitamin A toxicity may have an increased risk of birth defects. However, vitamin A toxicity is rare. It is most often caused by supplements containing retinol as opposed to natural food sources.
Consuming more than 600,000 IU of vitamin A may lead to poisoning. You may also experience vitamin A poisoning if you regularly ingest more than 25,000 IU of vitamin A daily .
You can avoid vitamin A toxicity by being mindful of your beef liver consumption. A 100-gram serving of beef liver contains 16,899 IU of vitamin A. You can eat this daily without risks of vitamin A poisoning.
How Often Should You Eat Liver?
Children should consume beef liver no more than once weekly. But adults can eat beef liver more often.
You may experience greater benefits with more frequent consumption.
A 100-gram serving of beef liver surpasses the recommended daily intakes for the following micronutrients :
Vitamin A
Vitamin B12
Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
Copper
Beef liver also delivers over 50% of the daily recommended intakes for:
Niacin (vitamin B3)
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
Vitamin B6
Folate (vitamin B9)
Selenium
As you can see, beef liver packs a healthy punch of vitamins and minerals.
How to Cook Beef Liver for the Best Health Benefits
Take care to avoid raw or undercooked beef liver due to the risks of hepatitis E and food poisoning. Make sure to cook beef liver to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cooking beef liver also makes it easier to digest and improves the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Some cooking methods are better than others when it comes to your health.
If you soak liver in milk before cooking, use full-fat milk. Your body needs fat for fuel, especially when you’re on a ketogenic or carnivore diet.
Beef Liver: The Takeaway
Beef liver is one of nature’s top superfoods. This designation is based on beef liver’s robust nutritional profile and how it may promote and support physical, cognitive, and psychological well-being.
If you’re compelled by the benefits of beef liver but still intimidated when it comes to cooking and eating fresh liver, you can get all the nutrition in the convenience of a Doctor Kiltz Nutritional Solutions beef liver supplement.
To summarize, the benefits may include:
All-day energy
Anti-aging skin
Fertility
Fetal development
Strong bones
Heart health
Brainpower
Strength and endurance
Elevated mood
Eye health
Strong immune system
These benefits are possible with minimal risks. You can avoid the dangers of eating liver by:
Following the recommended dietary intakes
Practicing good hand hygiene
Using proper cooking methods
Combining beef liver with a ketogenic diet may increase its health benefits. Check out our free resource — Dr. Kiltz’s Keto Cure — if you want to learn more about the healing effects of the ketogenic diet.
https://www.doctorkiltz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Beef-Liver-1.png9001484William Kiltzhttps://www.doctorkiltz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/logo-Dr-kiltz.pngWilliam Kiltz2020-12-30 00:33:482024-01-10 00:24:16Beef Liver Nutrition and Benefits
We’ve all heard the contemporary diet “rules” about getting in your daily dose of fruits, veggies, and grains. But there’s a new diet on the rise – one that turns the old nutritional paradigm upside down. One that says goodbye to any and all carbohydrates and advises that you eat meat – and only meat. Que, The Carnivore Diet.
A carnivore diet flies in the face of all of the conventional nutritional advice. But as it turns out, this meaty diet is something we should all be sinking our teeth into. Why? Well, the carnivore diet might just be the secret to optimizing nearly every facet of your health and well-being.
Let’s take a look at exactly what happens to your body when you take the plunge into a carnivore diet and how it might be the secret to better health.
[TOC]
What Is the Carnivore Diet?
A carnivore diet consists of eating 100% animal foods. No fruits or vegetables. No bread or grains. No nuts or seeds. Strictly foods sourced from animals. Some even say only animal flesh. But most admit some flexibility for dairy, eggs, and the like.
This way of eating stems from the idea that our ancestors thrived on a hypercarnivorous diet of fatty animals for nearly two million years. Don’t believe us? Try foraging for kale and blueberries in the middle of a Norweigan winter.
And take a look below at the calorific return rate of different food types per hour spent trying to obtain those foods. Notice how the top 7 are all from animal sources.
Truth is that before the modern agricultural revolution that began 10,000 years ago, and with vast developments taking place in the past hundred or so years, there were very few reliable sources of wild plant foods that could deliver calories and nutrients anywhere near the return on energy investment we get from animal foods.
The Pleistocene, ranging from 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago, during which the human species developed, was inhabited by giant land animals called megafauna. Twenty-foot tree sloths, mastodons and twice as large as modern elephants, one ton chinchillas were all easy pickings for early humans once we learned to organize and hunt.
Given the limited access to plant-based foods for much of the year over vast parts of the globe, and the nutritional power of animal foods like those below, it’s no wonder that evolutionary forces led the human species evolve as carnivores.
The evolutionary advantage of carnivory is due to the fact that you get much more calories per hour spent gathering food when you eat meat.
“Evolutionary advantage,” you say! But what about the many millions of herbivore animals that roam the plains? These are all ruminants, or foregut digesters. This means that these animals have specific bacteria in their digestive systems that convert carbohydrates to fat before it’s even absorbed.
So really, cows and gorillas are essentially following a ruminant version of the keto diet.
What Are the Health Benefits of the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet has been linked to numerous impressive health benefits.
The most comprehensive study to date is from 2021 out of Harvard University. Researchers analyzed self-reported data from 2,029 individuals consuming a carnivore diet for at least six months. [19]
Lead researchers Dr. Belinda Lennerz and Dr. David Ludwig concluded: “Contrary to common expectations, adults consuming a carnivore diet experienced few adverse effects and instead reported health benefits and high satisfaction.”[20]
Some of the notable results included
93% improved or resolved obesity and excess weight
93% improved hypertension
98% improved conditions related to diabetes
97% improved gastrointestinal symptoms
96% improved psychiatric symptoms
Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the specific mechanisms for these benefits.
The Carnivore Diet Can Increase Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin is the hormone responsible for moving glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells where it’s either used as energy or stored as fat.
When you consistently consume carbohydrates and sugar causing spikes in your blood sugar, your cells can become less sensitive to insulin. This is called insulin resistance.
A decrease in insulin sensitivity can create a domino effect – increasing inflammation, disrupting important hormones, and setting the stage for a number of chronic health disorders. But cutting out carbs and following the carnivore diet can reset your ability to respond to insulin and reverse any insulin resistance.
The Carnivore Diet Can Help You Lose Weight
The carnivore diet can be a powerful and safe way to shed any extra pounds. The carnivore diet is particularly powerful when it comes to weight loss for a few reasons.
Increased satiation: Calories that come from protein and fat take longer for your body to break down – helping you feel fuller for longer. Calories that come from animal sources simply give you more bang for your buck since they are more filling and efficient.
Less hormonal fluctuations: Constant spikes and subsequent crashes in your blood sugar and insulin levels can cause a cascade of other imbalances with other hormones associated with hunger, fat storage, and weight loss such as:
Leptin
Ghrelin
HGH.
Eliminating drastic fluctuations promotes balanced and healthy hormone levels.
Increased utilization of stored fat: Even if you don’t stay in a constant state of ketosis, you’re still priming your body to use ketones for energy – improving your body’s ability to utilize stored fat.
This trifecta makes the carnivore diet a triple threat when it comes to weight loss.
The Carnivore Diet Can Decrease Inflammation
The carnivore diet can significantly reduce markers of systemic inflammation (like C-reactive protein and IL-6). This is likely due to a few factors such as:
The removal of potentially irritating plant-based foods that you may be sensitive to will immediately decrease inflammation levels.
Elevated insulin levels promote inflammation. So minimizing blood sugar and insulin spikes have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Omega-3 fatty acids have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
The carnivore diet supports a healthy gut, which plays a crucial role in mitigating inflammation.
The carnivore diet’s ability to decrease inflammation is one of the key factors that make this way of eating so powerful.
The Carnivore Diet Can Promote Gut Health
Your gut health hinges on two primary factors:
The integrity of your gut lining: The lining of your gut is designed to be a tight barrier. When the integrity of your gut lining is compromised, molecules can essentially “leak” out into your bloodstream.
Your microbiome: Your gut is home to millions of microorganisms that create a delicate ecosystem that plays a monumental role in our overall health.
The carnivore diet is chock full of compounds like glutamine, collagen, and omega-3 fatty acids that help repair and strengthen the integrity of your gut lining. Removing things like extra fiber, gluten, fermentable carbohydrates, and plant toxins prevents irritation and the overgrowth of harmful bacteria in your digestive tract.
The Carnivore Diet Can Enhance Testosterone and Libido
The modern American diet and lifestyle is the perfect prescription to put a serious damper on your testosterone and libido levels. Too much sugar and refined oils, paired with not enough activity and a little extra weight create a vicious cycle that depletes testosterone and can leave your strength, energy, and libido in the tank.
But the carnivore diet is loaded with a plethora of nutrients like cholesterol, protein, and Vitamin D that are essential to the production and synthesis of healthy testosterone levels. Plus, it’s nearly impossible to hang on to loads of excess body fat on the carnivore diet – further promoting a healthy uptick in testosterone and libido.
The Carnivore Diet Can Boost Your Brain Power
Inflammation is like kryptonite to your brain. It can cause brain fog, dull your mental clarity, contribute to depression and anxiety, and worsen mental disorders. The carnivore diet not only cuts out inflammation boosting foods like sugar, refined oils, and simple carbohydrates – it also actively decreases inflammation.
Plus, the carnivore diet ensures you’re getting plenty of brain-boosting nutrients like:
Zinc
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Iron
DHA
Many dieters who make the switch to a carnivorous diet report increased mental clarity and better ability to focus almost right away.
The Carnivore Diet Can Combat Chronic Disease
Chronic low-level inflammation has been found to be one of the root causes of nearly every chronic disease known to mankind. And thanks to the carnivore diets inflammation-lowering properties, this all-meat diet can aid in combating the development or worsening of chronic diseases like:
Cardiovascular conditions – like heart attacks and strokes
Autoimmune disorders
Metabolic disorders – like type 2 diabetes
Cancer
Neurodegenerative diseases – like dementia or Alzheimer’s
Infertility
The carnivore diet can be a powerful tool in preventing disease and promoting overall health and wellness.
The Carnivore Diet Can Elevate Your Energy Levels
Thanks to certain agricultural practices, an ever-increasing toxic burden, and a modern American diet that’s loaded with processed foods, many people are suffering from nutrient deficiencies and rampant inflammation. And this combination sets the stage for fatigue and less-than-ideal energy levels.
But the carnivore diet removes energy-depleting, inflammation-boosting foods and replaces them with nutrient-dense, energy-boosting foods. The carnivore diet boosts your levels of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, ketones, vitamin B, and carnitine – which are like super fuel for your brain and energy levels.
The Carnivore Diet Can Give You Glowing Skin
You’ve likely been sold the idea that in order to have a beautiful glowing complexion, you need to invest in expensive cleansers, creams, and moisturizers. But the truth is, truly healthy and beautiful skin starts from the inside out. Your skin is the largest organ of your body, so the quality of your diet is often directly reflected in the appearance of your skin.
The carnivore diet zaps inflammation and is full of copious amounts of nutrients your skin needs to thrive, which can improve skin issues like:
Acne
Fine lines and wrinkles
Dry flaky skin
Eczema or psoriasis
Redness and blotchiness
Puffiness
By switching over to a carnivorous diet, you can address the root cause of your skin ailments – leaving you with an effortlessly radiant complexion.
The Carnivore Diet Can Promote Healthy Sleep
Quality sleep is one of the core pillars of health and well-being. Without adequate, high-quality sleep, your body simply can’t function optimally. And the carnivore diet can help you sleep better.
The carnivore diet eliminates the spikes and drops in your blood sugar and energy levels – which can keep you tossing and turning and struggling to fall asleep. The carnivore diet is also loaded with nutrients that help balance hormones associated with a healthy sleep pattern like GABA and melatonin.
So, What Exactly Can You Eat on the Carnivore Diet?
Following the carnivore diet is about as uncomplicated as it gets. It doesn’t require counting calories or macros. And there’s no time wasted trying to figure out if something is “diet approved”. Carnivore approved foods are straightforward and include:
Meat – of any cut and any kind including beef, poultry, pork, and wild game
Fish and seafood – any kind is allowed
Organ meats
Bone marrow and bone broth
Fatty meat products – like tallow or lard
The basics of the carnivore diet are simply meat and salt. And while chicken and poultry is certainly allowed, it’s best to keep these meats to a minimum since they tend to have an inferior fat and nutrient composition compared to things like beef, salmon, or wild game. Unless we’re talking about chicken liver–which is packed with nutrients!
Foods to Avoid on the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet is built entirely on meat – meaning it excludes all other foods including:
Flour and flour products like bread, pasta, pastries, etc.
Chocolate (sorry)
And while things like hot dogs, salami, sausage, and other processed meats are technically meat, they are also a “no-go” on the carnivore diet. These modified meat products are typically chock-full of questionable ingredients and additives like nitrates and nitrites – so they don’t quite make the cut when switching to the carnivore diet.
Now this list might have you scratching your head thinking, “wait a second, I thought things like fruits and vegetables were supposed to be good for you?” So let’s take a look at why eating plants isn’t quite as healthy as you might think.
The Negative Effects of a Plant-Based Diet
We’ve all heard that fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet. That they are packed full of health-boosting nutrients like essential vitamins and minerals, potent antioxidants, and gut-friendly fiber. But plants also have some other compounds that might not be so healthy.
Plants have evolved with their own survival at the top of their priority list. And since they can’t run away or fight off hungry grazers, they’ve developed their own chemical defense mechanisms. These natural plant toxins include compounds such as:
Our bodies are designed to cope with small amounts of these toxins and certain cooking methods can significantly reduce their levels. But modern nutritional practices have most of us consuming massive amounts of plant-based foods.
We get them in the form of fruits and veggies to grains, nuts, and bread. It’s estimated that on average, Americans eat about 1.5 grams of naturally occurring plant toxins each and every day.
Below, you’ll see a quick overview of some common plant toxins and their possible effects.
How Much Am I Supposed to Eat on the Carnivore Diet?
One of the best aspects of following a carnivore diet is that there’s no calorie tracking and no going hungry. Following the carnivore diet simply allows you to tune into your body and eat until your full.
The majority of carnivore dieters end up consuming between 1-2 pounds of meat a day – but most find it unnecessary to measure portions.
It’s also important to ensure you’re eating plenty of fat. On a carnivore diet, you can run the risk of eating so much protein that your body converts it to glucose (a simple carbohydrate, and using it for fuel instead of breaking down fatty acids into ketones.
This process is known as gluconeogenesis. Simply ensuring that you’re eating fatty cuts of meat will prevent your body from converting protein into sugar.
When Am I Supposed to Eat on the Carnivore Diet?
There’s no right or wrong way to time your meals when following the carnivore diet, you can eat whenever you feel like it. But the carnivore diet does pair perfectly with another dietary practice that has some astounding health-boosting benefits – intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting – or intermittent feasting as we like to call it – is a way of cycling between periods of eating and fasting. This can mean fasting for 16 hours a day and allowing yourself an 8-hour eating window. Or you could follow a one meal a day (OMAD) intermittent feasting plan and pack all of your eating into a single meal.
For women, there are also specific IF techniques that you can learn more about here
Combining the impressive benefits of intermittent fasting and the carnivore diet can pack a powerful punch when it comes to your health.
Carnivore Diet Meal Plan and Shopping List
Eating a strictly carnivorous diet makes your grocery hauls and meal planning about as easy as it gets. Take a look at the following charts to get a basic idea of what a weekly shopping list and meal plan might look like.
Does the Carnivore Diet Create Any Nutrient Deficiencies?
If you’re eating a well-formulated carnivore diet, the answer is no! Trying to subsist strictly on one or two cuts of meat could potentially lead to nutritional deficiencies. But regularly integrating a diverse range of animals, cuts of meat, and especially organ meats provides you with more than enough micronutrients to not only survive but thrive.
In fact, one of the highlights of the carnivore diet is its impressive ability to reverse nutrient deficiencies.
Our digestive tracts and bodies still function the same way our primarily carnivorous ancestors did. We are designed to survive and flourish on the most nutrient-dense sources of fuel on the planet – meat.
The following charts reveal how our digestive tract is designed to support a meaty diet, and the impressive nutritional profile of animal products versus plants.
Does Switching to the Carnivore Diet Have Any Side Effects?
Besides making vegan angels fall from heaven, likely nothing serious. Whether or not you have any negative side effects when switching to a carnivore diet will likely depend on your diet and lifestyle prior to making the transition.
If you’re already eating a well-rounded low-carb diet, or following a ketogenic diet, chances are you won’t have many or any side effects.
But if you’re jumping into the carnivore diet straight from a diet high in carbohydrates and sugar, there’s a good chance you’re going to feel crummy before you feel better. As your body adjusts to having all carbs and sugar eliminated you may experience fatigue, headaches, and generally feeling “under the weather”.
But the good news is, this transition period typically only lasts anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. Once your body calibrates to your new and improved diet, you’ll start experiencing all of the positive benefits associated with an all-meat diet.
Carnivore Diet Frequently Asked Questions
You might still have some unanswered questions when it comes to the carnivore diet. So let’s dive into some of the most commonly asked questions and address any doubts you might have about taking the plunge into an all-meat diet.
What About Fiber – Don’t I Need it?
The need for fiber is one of the most pervasive and harmful dietary myths. We’ve been indoctrinated with the misconception that the fiber found in plants and grains is essential to our health. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, high fiber diets can:
Inhibit nutrient absorption
Disrupt your gut flora – leading to dysbiosis
Increase the risk of intestinal issues like diverticulitis and bloating
Switching to a low or no fiber diet can be one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health. So if you’re hesitant to switch to the carnivore diet because you’re worried about constipation or gut health – don’t be. Just take a look at the chart below to see the effects of reducing dietary fiber on your digestive tract.
What About Vitamin C – Will I Get Enough on the Carnivore Diet?
The required daily intake for Vitamin C is vastly different for someone following a standard American diet and someone following a carnivore diet. That’s because glucose (sugar) and Vitamin C compete for absorption. What that means is if you don’t have any sugar in your diet, you have significantly more bioavailable Vitamin C.
So the Vitamin C you obtain from nutrient-dense organ meats will provide you with plenty of this essential vitamin when you don’t have a ton of sugar blocking your ability to utilize and absorb it.
Does the Carnivore Diet Put You in Ketosis?
The answer is – it depends. Ketosis is a metabolic state that takes place when your body shifts into using fat as its primary source of fuel rather than carbohydrates. When your body doesn’t have any carbohydrates to burn for energy, your liver will begin oxidizing fatty acids – transforming them into molecules known as ketones, or ketone bodies, which serve as a form of energy.
Typically you will reach a state of ketosis in two ways:
By fasting and limiting your intake of any fuel – thus forcing your body to use up your own stored fat as a source of energy
Consuming a diet consisting primarily of fat – forcing your body to rely on fat rather than carbs
Obviously consuming carbohydrates will quickly snap you out of ketosis. But too much protein can also shift your body out of a state of ketosis via gluconeogenesis.
So whether or not you enter a ketogenic state while following a carnivore diet will depend on exactly how much fat and protein you’re consuming. This can be a point of confusion between the carnivore diet and the ketogenic diet, so let’s take a little deeper look at the differences between these two.
What’s The Difference Between The Carnivore Diet and The Ketogenic Diet?
The carnivore diet is more restrictive and quite simple compared to the ketogenic diet. The carnivore diet focuses solely on eliminating all food sources that are not directly animal-based.
The ketogenic diet, on the other hand, emphasizes the consumption of fat – from animal sources, but also plant sources like coconuts, avocados, and olive oil. The ketogenic diet has clear guidelines tracking and limiting the consumption of protein and carbohydrates.
So while there can be some overlap between the two diets, and you will likely enter ketosis at times while following the carnivore diet, there is a distinct difference between these two ways of eating. Carnivore focuses simply on meat, while keto focuses on high-fat and low-carbs.
Is the Carnivore Diet a Fad?
Definitely not! The carnivore diet isn’t something new and it’s definitely not a fad. It’s a way of eating that brings us back to our ancestral roots – back to the way our bodies are designed to function and flourish.
And the amount of science and personal testimonials touting the transformative power of the carnivore diet is growing exponentially. So you can be confident that the carnivore diet is here to stay and will only grow in popularity as more and more people tap into the ancient wisdom of how our bodies are designed to be fueled.
Can I Drink Coffee and Tea?
The answer is – it depends. While technically coffee and tea are allowed on the carnivore diet, it will depend largely on exactly how your body responds to these beverages. Coffee and tea can be pro-inflammatory and can lead to digestive issues like leaky gut syndrome.
It may take some trial and error to figure out what the amount and frequency of coffee and/or tea are right for your body. When switching to the carnivore diet, it may be a good idea to entirely eliminate coffee and tea and slowly add them back in to see how you feel.
Are Dairy and Eggs Allowed?
Again, the answer is – it depends. Eggs and dairy tend to fall into a gray area when it comes to the carnivore diet. Technically things like eggs, butter, milk, cheese, and yogurt come from animal sources and are admissible.
But the problem is, both dairy and eggs can be common allergens and can be pro-inflammatory. Anywhere from 1-3% of the population is allergic to egg whites and a much larger percentage of the population is intolerant to dairy. For this reason, many carnivore dieters limit or omit most egg and dairy products.
Is the Carnivore Diet Right for You?
While there’s certainly no “one size fits all” diet or approach to health, it’s hard to ignore the impressive and compelling benefits that have been linked to the carnivore diet. As the saying goes, the proof is in the (blood) pudding. And the copious amounts of science, along with countless personal testimonials, are proof that the carnivore diet is an all-out game-changer when it comes to your health.
Whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds, boost your energy levels, or address an underlying health condition, the carnivore diet has got you covered. This meaty diet takes it back to the basics, powering your body with the fuel it’s designed to run on and subsequently supercharging your overall health and well-being. So if you’re ready to take your health to the next level, then the carnivore diet just might be the perfect fit.
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https://www.doctorkiltz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/AdobeStock_282384656-1.jpeg66758900William Kiltzhttps://www.doctorkiltz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/logo-Dr-kiltz.pngWilliam Kiltz2020-12-24 19:40:092024-01-10 19:37:20What is the Carnivore Diet?
Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular diet trends on earth. People use intermittent fasting to improve their overall health, lose weight, and simplify their lives.
In addition to weight loss, many studies show that intermittent fasting can reduce inflammation while boosting brain function and overall physical performance .
Though intermittent fasting is certainly a trend, its effectiveness is linked to the role of fasting in human dietary evolution.
In this article, we’ll look closely at 8 of the most popular and proven intermittent fasting schedules.
Ancient Origins of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is based on an ancestral eating pattern from a time when humans didn’t always have immediate access to food–most of human history up to a few thousand years ago.
According to a recent study on evolution and food availability, humans evolved in an environment when they feasted on large animals, then fasted between successful hunts.
We are biologically hardwired to survive and even thrive, for extended periods of time without eating.
Since our ancestors didn’t have clocks to set their fasting by, it makes sense that there are various successful ways to intermittent fast (or feast).
These different intermittent fasting methods styles of intermittent fasting work for different people based on their specific nutrient needs and metabolism. Here is a quick guide to help you decide which method works best for you.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an eating schedule that cycles between periods of eating and periods of fasting. Yet the definition of fasting is to abstain from all, or some types of food. This is why we also like to refer to it as “intermittent feasting”.
Though IF outlines when you should eat, IF does not define what you should eat.
Many recent discoveries about metabolism and hormone regulation support the notion that when you eat is equally as important as what you eat. A study on cell metabolism and timed eating concluded that timing has a direct effect on health and weight gain. The findings suggest that intermittent fasting is potentially a lifestyle that could curb the obesity epidemic. According to the study the focus needs to shift from what we eat, to when we eat it.
When you eat is equally, if not more important as what you eat.
Dr. Robert Kiltz
Why fast?
Intermittent fasting does more than burn fat and trigger weight loss. While some naturally think intermittent fasting is designed for weight loss that’s not the case. For most, weight loss isn’t the primary goal. They want to feel good and improve their overall health.
Studies have demonstrated how intermittent fasting and timing meals have been linked to improved physical performance; helping you lose fat without losing muscle mass and boosting endurance . The effects fasting has on metabolism offers improved brain function. People have reported feeling their memory became sharper and improvement to their focus and concentration. Intermittent fasting can also have a positive effect on heart health including lowering blood pressure and resting heart rate.
Lifestyle enhancement is another reason for intermittent fasting. Many advocates of intermittent fasting find it is easier to maintain healthy eating habits with this method. Fewer meals makes meal prep easier, less time spent in the kitchen/at the grocery store, and more time to focus on what really matters.
How To Do Intermittent Fasting
There are many methods of intermittent fasting and eating schedules people use to improve their health. Which one is right for you likely depends on your schedule/lifestyle, how much effort you want to put in, and the results you are looking for. As with anything else different methods work best for different people. Here we will outline the most common methods of intermittent fasting or if you prefer, intermittent feasting, and how to approach each one.
*Keep in mind that fasting doesn’t mean not drinking. Each method we discuss allows unlimited water and also coffee or tea without creamers or sweeteners during a fasting period.
How to Do The 12 Hour Intermittent Fasting Schedule
Most agree this method is the most common and has the simplest rules (though it may be less beneficial given the rather short fasting period) and many may already do this naturally. Much of the fasting time occurs during sleep. It also follows the natural rhythm of the average person’s day to day. Because of this, the 12 hour fast method may be easiest for beginners.
The Rules
Commit to eating only in a 12-hour window each day. Refrain from eating the other 12 hours of the day.
Example
Eat all your meals between 8 a.m. and stop eating before 8 p.m. then wait for breakfast until 8 a.m. the following day. Really not much of a fast if you ask me. This is already the standard american meal timing (minus midnight snacking).
The 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Plan
This method is another straightforward version. Many people begin with the 12 hour fast and gradually find the 16/8 method. The 16/8 method is another beginner friendly method to intermittent fasting.
The Rules
This method calls for fasting for 16 hours and limiting your meals to an eight-hour eating window.
Example
A person following this method would finish meals by 8 p.m. skip breakfast the next day and not eat again until lunch at noon.
Things to Note
The rules of this method differ slightly between men and women. Because some women are more sensitive to calorie restrictions and may experience hypothalamic and hormone disturbances, some experts recommend women limit themselves to a 14 hour fast. For this reason (and others) it is important to always check with a health care provider before beginning a longer intermittent fasting regimen.1
How to Do The 20/4 Intermittent Fasting Plan
The 20:4 method of intermittent fasting is very close to the 16:8 method. The only differences are a longer fasting period and shorter eating window.
The Rules
Fast for 20 hours. Eat during a four hour window.
Example
Eating between 4 pm and 8 pm and fasting the other 20 hours of the day. This eating window could be broken down into two regular-sized meals, or one snack and one larger meal.
OMAD Intermittent Fasting Schedule
Aka One Meal a Day. OMAD is a slightly more extreme version of the intermittent fasting regimens we have already discussed. This method you could truly call intermittent feasting.
The Rules
This method has the simplest rule, but perhaps one of the most intense. OMAD requires fasting for 23 hours. The eating window is the same one hour period each day.
Example
Fast from 8 p.m. to 7 p.m. the next day eat one large meal at 7 p.m. and finish eating by 8 p.m.
Things to note
If you are following an OMAD diet it is recommended to eat your meal right after your most active part of the day (typically the evening when you’re about to take a long rest and digest snooze). It’s important to remember you’re aiming to get all of your calories for an entire day within ONE meal. Most adults require a minimum of 1200 calories per day. 2 Getting enough calories is important for many reasons, including keeping your immune system healthy. 3
* This method is not for everyone. Children, the elderly, and people with certain health conditions should not use this method of fasting/eating without consulting a healthcare profesional.
The Warrior Diet
Another more extreme method of intermittent fasting, and this one sounds somewhat medieval:
According to its founder, Ori Hofmekler (Former Israeli Defense Special Forces) The Warrior Diet is based on the way ancient warriors ate; consuming little during the day and feasting in the evening. 4
The Rules
This way of eating calls for fasting for 20 hour windows. Unlike the previously discussed methods, on the “Warrior Diet” dairy, hard boiled eggs, and raw fruits/vegetables are allowed during the “fasting” period. So really, it’s not fasting, but a caloric restriction during the 20 hour “fast.”
After 20 hours of “fasting” you are permitted to “binge” on whatever foods you wish for the remaining four hours. Essentially you are undereating for much of the day and gorging yourself at night on whatever you please.
Example
Restrict calories from 6 p.m. to 2 p.m. the next day. From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. eat as much as you want.
Things to Note
Healthy and unprocessed food choices are not a good choice during the “binge” period.
5:2 Diet
Here is another simple plan that many people find easier than following a conventional calorie-restricted diet. There are a few more rules to the 5:2 plan (also known as the Fast Diet) than other methods. Most people who follow this plan say it becomes more of a lifestyle after you get into a routine that works for you.
The Rules
Eat normally for five days a week, then restrict calorie intake for two days a week. On those two days consume only between 500-600 (some sources say 800) calories. You can pick any two days of the week you want, but make sure there is at least one non-fasting day between the two fasting days.
Example
A typical eating schedule looks like this: Fast/restrict calories on Tuesday and Friday and eat normally the other days of the week. On a fast day eat light low calorie foods. Boiled eggs and small amounts of dairy are all choices that could be included.
Things to note
Overall you should eat the same amount of food you would have consumed if you hadn’t been fasting at all. When enjoying a “normal” eating day remember by normal we don’t mean junk food. Healthy, non processed (and preferably ketogenic) choices are encouraged.
Circadian Rhythm Fasting
Circadian rhythm fasting is a time-restricted fasting plan that synchs the times you eat with the your circadian rhythm- or internal body clock.
The Rules
This fasting method involves eating during the daylight hours when your digestion and metabolism are most active. It also entails fasting after 7 pm when these internal systems slow down.
Example
A day in the life of a typical circadian rhythm fast may start with eating a nutrient-dense breakfast just after waking up–ideally, around 7 am. You will eat your last meal by 7 pm.
Typically, the last meal of the day is much lighter. A light dinner reduces blood sugar spikes and weight gain that can occur when your insulin response and metabolism wind down. The fast then continues through the night until breakfast the next morning.
Eat Stop Eat
This method involves one to two fast days per week. No food for 24 hours at a time is the goal. (20 hours is also a common time window for this method.)
The Rules
Eat around 2000 calories each day until the next fast day. When it’s time for a fast day, stop eating for 24 (or 20) hours and resume eating again on the 24 (20) hour mark. Don’t fast two days in a row.
Example
An eating schedule following these rules could look like this: Fast from 6 p.m. on Monday to 6 p.m. on Tuesdayand 6 p.m on Friday to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Eat responsibly but normally at all other times.
Alternate Day Fasting
Alternate Day Fasting is one of the more studied/proven methods of intermittent fasting.
Numerous studies have shown this method to be effective and sustainable .
Some people find this method easier to stick to than other intermittent fasting methods or traditional diets. Another study has shown this diet seems to be effective whether you follow a low fat or high fat approach.
The Rules
The simple explanation of this method is fast every other day. Eat “whatever” you want on the non-fasting days. On fasting days you are allowed to have unlimited water, unsweetened coffee, and tea.
Example
On Monday you eat as you wish, on Tuesday you only consume water, and coffee or tea (unsweetened). Wednesday you’re back to eating, Thursday fast, Friday eat etc.
Things to Note
An alternate approach to this method allows for up to 500 calories on fasting days and the benefits seem to be the same with this modification as without .
36 hour fast
This method is simple, but even more extreme. The 36 hour fast wouldn’t be a good starting point for beginners. This time frame marks the beginning of more prolonged or extended intermittent fasting
The Rules
Fasting is done for the entire day (and then some) generally totaling about 36 hours
Thankfully, much of that time is during sleeping hours.
Example
A typical 36 hour fast might go like this: Stop eating at 8p.m. on Saturday and don’t eat again until breakfast at 8 a.m. on Monday.
Things to Note
According to Dr. Jason Feung this method is often used for Type 2 diabetics in his clinic because it lowers blood sugar. Since Type 2 diabetics have more insulin resistance this length of time produces quicker results for that group of people.11
This is something to be mindful of, as low blood sugar can cause dizziness, headaches, and other side effects.
Longer Fasts
Fasting can be safely extended to much longer periods of time than 36-hours. These long fasts have their place in promoting your health. Longer fasts go up to 42 hours and beyond. The world record for fasting is 382 days. While remarkable, long fasts are generally not recommended by healthcare providers.
One of the major health benefits of these extended fasts, and a primary reason for attempting such a fast is the promotion of autophagy . Autophagy is the way your body removes damaged cells allowing for new cell growth. Autophagy and new cell growth stimulates healing and contributes to a healthier body, inside and out.
The Rules
CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST. This is the most important rule to ensure you aren’t at risk of complications. Generally, this is a water only fast between 42 hours and 14 days.
Things to note
Hydration and electrolytes are essential for any fast, but especially extended fasts.
Don’t push yourself too far. Be cautious when breaking your fast. Ease yourself back into consuming food, and don’t over eat.
The Bottom Line
Intermittent fasting (or as we like to say, feasting) is a proven method for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Humans have been fasting since mankind began. We have evolved to go for long periods without eating. Maybe it’s worth it to go back to our roots when it comes to our eating habits.
As we have discussed, there are many ways of approaching this eating lifestyle. Now that you’ve learned about all the different ways you can intermittently fast, what are you waiting for? Get out there and stop eating . . . for a little!
