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A leading doctor has listed the reasons why following a carnivore diet is harmful.
Dr Shireen Kassam, the founder and director of Plant-Based Health Professionals (PBHP), wrote an article earlier this month titled “Why we do not recommend the carnivore diet.” The carnivore diet is a pseudoscientific meal plan that focuses on meat, dairy, and eggs, and doesn’t incorporate any plant foods at all.
PBHP is a UK-based Community Interest Company (CIC) that advocates for whole foods and plant-based nutrition as preventative medicine for chronic diseases. The article was published on the PBHP website and contains 10 “key reasons” carnivore diets are harmful.
Kassam highlights that an entirely animal-based diet contains zero fiber and high quantities of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. This could increase the likelihood of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia. Excluding plant-based foods also leads to deficiencies in key micronutrients, including magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C.
Consuming red and processed meats could increase the risk of developing cancer, and Kassam also writes that low-fiber, high-fat diets could be linked to anxiety and depression. She says that there is no evidence that the carnivore diet supports weight loss, and no scientific studies support long-term safety. Finally, Kassam notes that eating an entirely animal-based diet is “not evolutionarily consistent,” and is “terrible” for the environment.
Read more: Carnivore MD Says He ‘Likes Fruit’ For Carbohydrates – And Claims Pickles Are Animal-Based
Carnivore diet ‘unbalanced, unsustainable, and potentially harmful’
The claimed health benefits of following the carnivore diet have been widely debunked. Carnivore has been described by some as an extreme take on the keto diet, which emphasizes fat and some protein over carbohydrates, and has also been criticized.
In contrast, a variety of studies from 2025 alone have indicated that swapping animal foods for plant-based ones can reduce the risk of cardiometabolic conditions, promote gut health, and lower the risk of premature death. A major 20-year review published last year found that plant-based diets improve overall health and cut the risk of heart disease and cancer.
“The carnivore diet is nutritionally unbalanced, unsustainable, and potentially harmful in the long run,” said Kassam. “While short-term benefits may come from eliminating processed foods, there are far healthier ways to achieve health goals without sacrificing essential nutrients.”
Read more: Healthy Plant-Based Diets Lower Risk Of Death From Cardiometabolic Disorders, Finds Study
