Klement Rainer J, Matzat Johanna S
Radiation Oncology, Leopoldina Hospital Schweinfurt, Schweinfurt, DEU.
Public Health, Society for Evolutionary Medicine and Health, Hamburg, DEU.
Cureus. 2025 Apr 18;17(4):e82521. doi: 10.7759/cureus.82521. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Animal-based, or so-called carnivore, diets largely exclude all plant-based foods and are gaining increasing popularity, mainly among individuals suffering from chronic diseases. This study aimed to explore subjective experiences and blood parameter changes of German followers of a carnivore diet.
We conducted a statistical survey using a self-designed questionnaire and requesting blood panels. Inclusion criteria were: (i) following a carnivore-type diet for at least one month; (ii) completing the self-designed study questionnaire; and (iii) providing two sets of metabolic blood parameters from the period before and after adopting the carnivore diet. The survey was complemented by qualitative interviews with four subjects on a carnivore diet.
Twenty-four individuals participated in the survey. Fifteen participants (62.5%) were male, and the median age was 46 (range 26-62) years. The majority (= 16, 67%) reported at least one clinical diagnosis, and the main reason for switching to a carnivore diet was accordingly health-related. Improved health was also the major motivation to maintain the diet. Before the carnivore diet, participants consumed a variety of other diets, of which a ketogenic ( = 8) and standard diet ( = 7) were most frequently reported. There were no significant differences between on-diet and pre-diet blood parameters except for total (pre-diet median: 224 mg/dL; on-diet: 305 mg/dL; < 0.0001) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (pre-diet: 157 mg/dL; on-diet: 256 mg/dL; = 0.00024) concentrations. However, two participants who initially had pre-diabetic HbA1c values and six participants with initially high (>130 mg/dL) triglyceride levels all experienced a reduction of these blood parameters during the carnivore diet.
Individuals adopting a carnivore diet do this mainly for health-related reasons and commonly experience subjective health improvements. Most blood parameters on the carnivore diet were within the reference ranges, and initially high HbA1c and triglyceride levels were reduced. However, the significant elevation of total and LDL cholesterol concentration is striking and warrants further investigation into potential adverse effects.
以动物为基础的饮食，即所谓的肉食饮食，基本上排除了所有植物性食物，并且越来越受欢迎，主要是在患有慢性病的人群中。本研究旨在探索德国肉食饮食追随者的主观体验和血液参数变化。
我们使用自行设计的问卷并要求提供血液检测报告进行了一项统计调查。纳入标准为：（i）遵循肉食型饮食至少一个月；（ii）完成自行设计的研究问卷；（iii）提供采用肉食饮食前后两个时间段的代谢血液参数。通过对四名遵循肉食饮食的受试者进行定性访谈对该调查进行了补充。
24人参与了该调查。15名参与者（62.5%）为男性，中位年龄为46岁（范围26 - 62岁）。大多数（= 16，67%）报告至少有一种临床诊断，因此转向肉食饮食的主要原因与健康相关。健康状况改善也是维持该饮食的主要动机。在采用肉食饮食之前，参与者食用过各种其他饮食，其中最常报告的是生酮饮食（= 8）和标准饮食（= 7）。除了总胆固醇（饮食前中位值：224 mg/dL；饮食中：305 mg/dL；< 0.0001）和低密度脂蛋白（LDL）胆固醇（饮食前：157 mg/dL；饮食中：256 mg/dL；= 0.00024）浓度外，饮食期间和饮食前的血液参数没有显著差异。然而，两名最初糖化血红蛋白（HbA1c）值处于糖尿病前期的参与者以及六名最初甘油三酯水平高（>130 mg/dL）的参与者在肉食饮食期间这些血液参数均有所降低。
采用肉食饮食的个体这样做主要是出于与健康相关的原因，并且通常会主观感觉健康状况有所改善。肉食饮食时的大多数血液参数在参考范围内，并且最初较高的HbA1c和甘油三酯水平有所降低。然而，总胆固醇和LDL胆固醇浓度的显著升高令人震惊，有必要进一步调查潜在的不良影响。
