Can The Carnivore Diet Cure IBS?

IBS can be annoying. You may experience diarrhea after finishing lunch. Or you may be constipated after eating a certain food. Some people have to miss their job interviews because of their IBS (I know quite a few people). If you’re one of these people, then pretty sure you’re looking for a way to stop the symptoms. Can the carnivore diet cure IBS?

You might have heard of the carnivore diet from Joe Rogan. But will it work for your condition?

Let’s find out here.

Can the Carnivore Diet Cure IBS? Is the Cure You’ve Been Waiting for?

There’s no scientific proof yet that this diet can treat or cure your irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Indeed, some people have been posting about the positive effects they have experienced from following this diet.

But the claims are just anecdotal.

Furthermore, there are no scientific studies that have looked into the long-term effects of this diet on those who suffer from IBS.

Why Do People Claim Their IBS Has Been Cured by Carnivore Diet?

Before answering that, let’s first describe what it is. A carnivore diet consists of eating mainly animal-based food. It means that you eat organ meat, fish eggs, animal fat, etc. You can’t eat fruit and vegetables.

It’s an extreme form of the ketogenic diet, which calls for low-carb food.

There are serious proponents of this diet who only eat muscle meat. It means that they only eat beef and ribeye for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Eliminating Plant

If you try to eat only meat and your digestion feels better, then it’s a sign that you have a gut issue. This diet can help in eliminating the most common food allergies:

Dairy
Wheat
Soy
Tree Nuts
Peanuts

In other words, this type of diet is also an extreme version of an elimination diet. The issue with an elimination diet is that it’s difficult to tell which food is causing the symptoms.

Plants can have compounds that may trigger IBS. Proponents of this diet said that plants have compounds that can be harmful to the body.

For instance, they stated that turmeric can have harmful properties. But we all know that it’s a spice that offers anti-inflammatory properties.

Microbiome

Regardless of what you eat, it will affect your microbiome. Thus, if you choose to consume only meat, you’re encouraging the growth of organisms that feed on amino acids and ketones.

On the other hand, if you’re eating plant foods, you’re encouraging the growth of microorganisms that like fiber.

Five days after switching your diet to eating only animal meat, you may notice a huge difference in how you feel.

If you wish to change the bacteria living in your gut, you can do so by changing your diet. To experience a profound effect, though, you need dramatic dietary changes.

Since going carnivore is dramatic, it might offer your IBS the relief that you have been looking for.

Then again, scientific research on this diet is lacking. Thus, make sure to talk to your doctor about your intention to try this diet.

Who Can’t Follow this Diet?

You can try this diet if you don’t have chronic kidney disease. Avoid it if you have high blood cholesterol levels. Consult your doctor before you start this diet. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

What Can You Eat on the Carnivore Diet?

As mentioned earlier, you can only eat animal meat. There are no set rules on calories.

But if you’re trying to lose weight with this diet, make sure that limit your calorie intake. Keep in mind that losing weight requires eating fewer calories than your body burns.

You can eat all meats. It means that you focus on eating beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, and pork.

Fish is also part of the menu. All common fish meats can be part of the diet. Thus, you can enjoy eating cod, sardines, crab, lobster, and mackerel.

What Not to Eat?

Since the carnivore diet calls for a low-carb to no-carb, you should not eat fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains, juices, alcohol, sugars, and legumes. Anything with a high amount of carb is off the table.

If you wish to get rid of your autoimmune disease through the carnivore diet, you must avoid adding sauces to your dishes.

What Can You Drink?

Water is important when following this diet. You can’t drink alcohol and other high-carb beverages. If you wish to be strict, you should only drink water. But some are drinking tea and coffee, but they don’t add milk, sugar, sweeteners, or cream.

However, if want to follow a strict carnivore diet but you rely on your morning coffee, you may try weaning yourself slowly. Or you can just include coffee but don’t add sweeteners.

Should You Follow It Long-Term?

Again, there’s no scientific data that can show how safe it is in long term. However, you may try it in the short term to help you find the food that triggers your IBS.

If after eliminating plant foods from your diet and your IBS has improved or gone, you may discuss the results with your doctor.

It can be that certain plant foods are triggering the symptoms and your doctor may recommend a dietary plan that doesn’t include them.

IBS is said to be a gut health issue. Thus, dietary changes may be necessary to stop you from going to the toilet every hour after eating some foods.

Although there are people who experienced positive results with this diet, it’s not for everyone.

As mentioned, it’s not ideal if you have chronic kidney disease. Keep in mind that this diet is a high-protein diet. And high protein can be bad for your condition.

Summary

Can the carnivore diet cure IBS? There’s no scientific data that can show whether or not it can cure irritable bowel syndrome. Even though proponents of this diet reported experiencing positive results, they are purely anecdotal. There’s not enough proof that can say this is ideal for IBS sufferers. However, you may try it as part of your elimination diet. It means that you can follow it in short term. But it may not be recommended for long-term use. Talk to your doctor or a nutritionist to help you find what triggers your condition.

Rod Jong

Rod Jong is a BS Chemistry graduate who believes that people must start consuming foods that are organically produced. If he’s not writing, then he’s busy managing his (organic) farm that utilizes the power of natural processes.