THE CARNIVORE DIET BENEFITS
Millions of people wake up with their blood sugar being the most important thing on their minds. The standard dietary advice behind managing diabetes clearly doesn’t work for everyone - so is carnivore diet good for diabetics?
The idea of trying the carnivore diet for diabetes is certainly intriguing. What could completely eliminating carbs do for you? There’s some pretty promising early research, too. We’ll take a closer look at diabetes and carnivore diet below to help you determine if this is something you should try or not.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
You might already be somewhat familiar with what this strict nutritional regimen calls for. All animal-derived products. Zero plant-based foods. It’s that simple. You can eat all the beef, chicken, pork, fish, and even eggs you want. Just don’t consume veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, or any processed junk. It has to come from the animal kingdom.
The idea behind going carnivore is that you eliminate most of the problematic foods that humans were never meant to digest. Gluten, soy, sugar, carbs - all of these things cause more harm than good. At least, in theory.
It’s amazing what happens when you stick with the carnivore diet, though. The before-and-after stories have been incredible. Effortless weight management, smoother digestion, fewer energy crashes, less discomfort - the list goes on and on.
The concept of carnivore diet for diabetes is particularly compelling, all because of the absence of carbs. Every carb you consume converts to glucose, necessitating an insulin response. You can essentially say goodbye to constant blood sugar spikes by removing carbs.
This diet is one of the most aggressive forms of carb restriction - even more than keto. But is carnivore diet good for diabetics, or is this yet another philosophy that will overpromise and underdeliver?
Is Carnivore Diet Good For Diabetics?
The short answer is that we have pretty promising evidence supporting a positive connection between type 2 diabetes and carnivore diet. But this is ultimately a conversation worth having with your doctor.
How the Carnivore Diet May Help You Manage Diabetes
The logic is super simple - carbs raise blood sugar, and the carnivore diet has no carbs. Thus, following the carnivore diet should stabilize your blood sugar. Right?
A survey of more than 2,000 adults was published in Current Developments in Nutrition back in 2021, and it found that diabetics saw 84-100% reductions in their use of glycemic control medications. Median HbA1c decreased as well.1
Be advised that study was self-reported. It should be taken with a grain of salt. However, it lines up with what clinical data shows on low-carb regimens. A controlled study published in Diabetes Therapy followed the progress of 262 type 2 diabetics as they tried keto. HbA1c dropped from 7.6% to 6.3%, 60% achieved diabetes reversal (HbA1c below 6.5% without glycemic medications beyond metformin), and 94% of insulin users reduced or completely eliminated their insulin.2
A 2021 BMJ systematic review of 23 randomized trials confirmed what all of this is effectively saying: low-carb diets can lead to higher diabetes remission rates at six months compared to control diets.3
So, is carnivore diet good for diabetes? We think it’s certainly worth trying! Especially considering how low-risk the regimen is. Speaking of which…
Side Effects and Concerns of the Carnivore Diet For Diabetes
There is one major concern with diabetics - hypoglycemia. Your blood sugar can crash if you’re on insulin or sulfonylureas and you suddenly cut all carbs. This is dangerous, so you’ll have to work with your doctor to adjust medications before and during the transition to carnivore.
You should also keep a close eye on your cholesterol levels as you embark on this high-fat, all-meat diet. It’s normal for LDL to rise while on carnivore diet. Whether that’s actually a problem or not is heavily debated. At any rate, bloodwork is essential.
Other than that, you’ll just have to brace for the adaptation phase, AKA the “carnivore flu.” This is where the side effects of carnivore diet are the worst since your body is used to relying on glycogen for energy and now must learn how to use fat for fuel. You may experience headaches, fatigue, digestive discomfort, irritability, and more for the first 1-2 weeks.
How to Get Started With the Carnivore Diet For Diabetes
The best part about the carnivore diet meal plan is how straightforward it is. Your carnivore diet food list only consists of a handful of choices:
- Steak
- Chicken
- Pork
- Fish
- Eggs
- Dairy (if tolerated)
But step one of trying the carnivore diet for diabetes - even if you just want to try a carnivore diet food list - is having a conversation with your healthcare provider. They will want to make some adjustments to your diabetes medication dosing before you drop your carb intake to zero.
Other than that, you should make sure you have the right carnivore diet snacks on hand for this journey. They’ll go a long way in keeping cravings at bay. But what snacks can you actually consume on carnivore? Look no further than our carnivore chips.
These meat chips are made from just two ingredients: regeneratively raised meat and Redmond Real Salt. They start out light and airy before melting in your mouth as the tantalizing flavors take over your taste buds. There is a variety for everyone, too:
Try them all and find your new favorite guilt-free indulgence today.
Bottom Line on Diabetes and Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet may not cure your diabetes, but it can simplify how you manage your blood sugar. The best part is all the secondary benefits you may experience when you try the carnivore diet for diabetes. Get started today and see if it’s the right fit for you!
Frequently asked questions
What is the best diet for a diabetic person?
Any diet that minimizes blood sugar spikes and improves insulin sensitivity. Low-carb approaches are best - think carnivore diet, keto, etc.
What meat should type 2 diabetics eat?
Fatty cuts of beef, lamb, pork, and fish are. Lean cuts are great too, but you need fat as your main source of fuel.
What is the #1 worst food for blood sugar?
Refined sugar and carbs are your worst enemies when managing blood sugar. More specifically, stay away from soda and juice.
References
- Lennerz BS, Mey JT, Henn OH, Ludwig DS. "Behavioral Characteristics and Self-Reported Health Status among 2029 Adults Consuming a 'Carnivore Diet.'" Current Developments in Nutrition. 2021;5(12):nzab133. PubMed
- Hallberg SJ, McKenzie AL, Williams PT, et al. "Effectiveness and Safety of a Novel Care Model for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes at 1 Year: An Open-Label, Non-Randomized, Controlled Study." Diabetes Therapy. 2018;9(2):583-612. PubMed
- Goldenberg JZ, Day A, Brinkworth GD, et al. "Efficacy and safety of low and very low carbohydrate diets for type 2 diabetes remission: systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomized trial data." BMJ. 2021;372:m4743. PubMed
