'People keep asking me about the carnivore diet – here's what the evidence says'

This article discusses restrictive diets which may be triggering to those at risk of disordered eating. If you are concerned, help and support is available.

The carnivore diet focuses on meat and animal products while excluding or significantly limiting plant foods like vegetables, fruits and grains.

It's gained a big following on social media, where people claim it helps with health issues and improving fitness.

On Clickbait Clinic, Stacey Dooley, Dr Nighat Arif and I fact check health claims that go viral on social media – and in one episode we focus on the carnivore diet.

Some people believe passionately in this lifestyle, but the evidence suggests it could carry significant long-term risks.

The carnivore diet restricts food intake to animal products like meat (especially red meat), fish and eggs, with some followers also including dairy products like cheese.

It's similar to other restrictive diets, in that you're cutting out major food groups and nutrients – noticeably carbs and therefore fibre.

This is one of the most common claims – that it'll help you get rid of excess weight and reduce bloating. And some people do report short-term weight loss or improvements in bloating after starting the diet.

But it's unclear whether these effects are due to the carnivore diet itself or other dietary changes.

It's a high in protein diet – something that is a priority for lots of people lately, especially those focused on fitness and strength training.

Also, in some of the videos I see online, influencers talk about how men's testosterone levels are falling (which studies suggest is true), and they say that the carnivore diet could be a remedy – although there is no clinical evidence to support this.

Still, when big claims like these are made, it captures people's attention and makes the diet attractive.

Some followers of the diet say we're eating too much ultra-processed food and that following the carnivore diet can be an antidote to that – because you're eating pure ingredients.

As a nation, we are eating too many ultra-processed foods – I agree on that. But the solution isn't to swap it for another extreme and restrictive diet.

It's not realistic to cut out all processed foods – nor is it very helpful to focus on what to avoid. Instead, think about what you can bring into your diet. Things like fresh and lean meats, fish and vegetarian protein sources (lentils and tofu for instance), as well as a variety of vegetables and (unrefined) carbs.

If your diet contains plenty of all that, you're likely to rely far less on UPFs.

In Clickbait Clinic, Stacey meets Eddie Abbew and his daughter Selina.

Eddie's become an advocate online for the carnivore diet and they explain how it's improved their health – for Selina in particular, who explains she felt ill constantly before.

But in science, you just can't give population-level public health advice based on an individual's experience. You have to look at studies, meta-analysis – all the research.

There is currently no sound evidence that the carnivore diet can cure the range of health conditions that people claim it can.

So why has it improved their health? One possible explanation is that it's essentially an elimination diet – where they've removed foods which come with potential allergies or intolerances, like gluten or lactose.

Elimination diets can be really useful if you think you're having reactions to things you're eating. But slowly reintroducing foods back into your diet is key. That's what allows you to work out exactly where the issues are coming from, while letting you have as varied a diet as possible in the long term.

The problem with the carnivore diet is that you aren't ever adding those foods back in.

Large bodies of scientific evidence link a diet high in red and processed meat with an increased risk of bowel cancer and other forms of cancer, external, as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, external.

Diets high in saturated fat can raise LDL ('bad') cholesterol in some people. That's a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as the fatty deposit can build up in your arteries, slowing down or blocking the flow of blood.

While it promises plenty of protein and fat – which are important – it lacks carbohydrates and dietary fibre, which for the most part you get from vegetables and plants.

If you're lacking fibre – alongside the other micronutrients you get from plants – you could become deficient in some nutrients over time. Elements of your immune system might be under-supported, your skin health could suffer, and emerging evidence even suggests your mental health might be affected, external.

The evidence is unambiguous: this restrictive diet comes with long-term health risks.

If you think you're eating too many UPFs or you're keen to change your diet for the better, then I'd say the Mediterranean diet is a very good place to start. It's very varied and gives you a good chance of getting all the nutrients you need.

As a doctor, I'm always critically analysing information. I don't react to claims at face value: I go away, research them and apply knowledge and science. Often, things aren't how they appear in a 30 second video.

Don't jump to a conclusion just because someone online has said it's a good idea. Instead, interrogate their opinion, look at the science and what the broader consensus is, then make your choice.

Watch Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley on BBC One on Mondays or catch-up with all episodes on BBC iPlayer.

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