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Recent Vegan Eats: Quarantine Edition 4

July 10, 2020 by Katherine Baker Leave a Comment

Hey there, internet friends! It’s time for another edition of recent vegan eats: quarantine edition! Although, at this point, maybe I should just stop titling quarantine posts as such since it seems as if (at least here in the US) those of us who take COVID-19 seriously will be in quarantine for a long time.

How have you been? Enjoying the sun? Tired of quarantining? Enjoying quarantining? Let me know down in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

I’m currently taking some time off of social media (namely, Facebook and Instagram) because I just needed a break. Social media was starting to regularly impact my mood so I logged off those for a bit!

Honestly, I’d hoped to use the extra time to blog more and to work on a personal project I have going…but the truth is, I literally have just been relaxing with the extra free time. I really have struggled with ‘turning off’ working all the time, and quarantine has been a good time for me to relax and just sit in bed and watch stuff snuggled up with my pup.

What have I been watching? Well, I watched Athlete A on Netflix and it was excellent and important. There’s an NPR podcast called ‘Believed’ on the same situation that’s even better.

I’ve also been re-watching Gossip Girl for reasons I can’t explain. Holy cow do I feel old thinking back to how I used to watch it in high school. At the time, the characters were older than me, living in the city I hoped to move to. Now, 13 years later, I’m older than the character and lived in the city for nearly 9 years. Makes me nostalgic as heck!

Oh, and in case you’re curious, my experience in the city was a lot more like Girls than GG or SITC. Anyways….onto the eats! If you’re new around here, in my ‘recent eats’ series I share some of the things I have eaten and happened to have photographed in the past several weeks.

I simply do these posts to provide entertainment and perhaps some new meal and snack inspirations for fellow vegans and/or my part-time or veg-curious friends. Enjoy!

CSA Salad

I have been getting a small CSA share this summer and it’s been great! I make a lot of my meals using CSA ingredients. This particular dinner was CSA lettuces, fennel, and sliced kohlrabi, paired with some vinegar beans, avocado, and Angelic Bakehouse roll, and some unpictured boiled potatoes. Incredible.

Tofu pudding

One of my favorites. And yes, I ate a whole brick of tofu as pudding for dessert. The recipe is here; I highly recommend it if you’re craving pudding!

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Fireworks and the Environment (and Human Health)

July 4, 2020 by Katherine Baker Leave a Comment

Hey there! It’s summer. And it is fireworks season in the US. Fireworks have been around for hundreds of years and are enjoyed by many. However, fireworks can also also spook pets, wild animals and can injure people. And, as it turns out, fireworks have an impact on the environment and human health. But what is the link between fireworks and the environment? That is what we will discuss in this post.

This post was sort of a spur-of-the-moment post in light of all the recent fireworks. I hope you enjoy.

What are fireworks?

Fireworks are small explosive devices used for entertainment displays. Fireworks have a small tube (called an aerial shell) that contains explosive chemicals that create lights, colors, and sounds. They are used around the world to create light displays for entertainment purposes, most often for holidays or at theme parks.

Americans purchase more than 258 million pounds of fireworks every year from the American Pyrotechnics Association.

Fireworks and air pollutants:

Fireworks are known to be a source of air pollution. A large body of research has found that fireworks and firecrackers can increase outdoor ambient particulate matter levels. Particulate Matter (PM) is considered a major air pollutant, and can cause harm to the lungs and cardiovascular health (to read more about PM, see this piece). PM10, a larger particular matter, has been found to be significantly increased by firework displays.

Furthermore, fireworks can add metals to the atmosphere, including aluminum, antimony, barium, copper, lead, magnesium, potassium, strontium and titanium. Fireworks have also been found to increase the amounts of trace metals, ions, elemental and organic carbon emitted into the air.

For example, research has found that fireworks increase levels of strontium, magnesium, barium, potassium, and copper. Arsenic is also added to some fireworks, and exposure to this harmful heavy metal and known carcinogen also carries risk.

Research also shows that the pollutants remain suspended in the air for a period of time, indicating that fireworks and firecrackers can have lasting impacts on air quality.

It is also possible that these particles end up in soil. Fireworks impact water quality, too. Research has identified fireworks as a source of perchlorate in water. Perchlorate blocks iodide uptake into the thyroid and can cause decreases in thyroid hormones related to metabolism and neurodevelopment, among other functions. In addition to the explosion of fireworks, firework manufacturing sites have also been identified as a source of perchlorate contamination.

Additional research has found that air concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (an animal carcinogen) increase by a factor of 10 during fireworks, and remain elevated the day afterwards.

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Is Glyphosate (Round Up) Safe? A Look at the Science

June 30, 2020 by Katherine Baker Leave a Comment

Hi friends! Today on the blog we are chatting about glyphosate. Glyphosate is a widely-used pesticide that has recently been in the news as Monsanto (Bayer) is facing lawsuits that claim glyphosate has caused cancer. Today we are going to discuss what glyphosate is, and what is known about its safety. I hope you are as excited as I am to explore this intersection of environmental health science and food and nutrition!

If you are interested in reading more about pesticides, I have a whole blog post about chlorpyrifos here. And you can learn more about the benefits and limitations of organic farming in this post. Furthermore, I have a review of existing evidence on GMOs and their safety here.

What is glyphosate?

Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide (pesticide). It has been registered as a pesticide in the US since 1974 and is used to control weeds and grasses in commercial, agricultural, and residential settings. It plays a role in food production, including the control of pests in the production of fruits, vegetables, nuts, corn, soybeans, leafy greens, cereal grains, herbs and spices, sugar, and oilseed crops, among others. It’s also used in parks, pastures, turf grasses, etc.

Glyphosate is used in products such as RoundUp and is available for consumer purchase for at-home applications.

Glyphosate has been subject to controversy. It was introduced by Monsanto (now Bayer), which subsequently developed genetically modified crops that were designed to withstand the pesticide. Many people questioned the motives behind these innovations.

How are people exposed to glyphosate?

The general population may be exposed by skin contact to products or soils that contain chemical residue. People may also be exposed to glyphosate at work, especially if they work in lawn servicing or agriculture.

And, as a result of its widespread use, glyphosate is present in a wide variety of foods at low levels, so many people are exposed to glyphosate via food.

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Industry Funding in Nutrition Research: A public health concern

June 21, 2020 by Katherine Baker Leave a Comment

Have you ever heard about a ‘superfood’? Perhaps you have seen an ad about a particular food or beverage and heard “studies show….XYZ magical power/health benefit comes from eating this superfood!” Have you ever felt confused about conflicting nutrition information you hear reported in the media and wondered why the heck the dialogue has changes on certain foods and eating patterns? What if I told you that there is a lot of industry funding in nutrition research? And what if I told you the reason you may hear health claims about super foods and learn conflicting information about different dietary patterns may be at least partially attributable to industry’s financial hand in nutrition research?

How would that make you feel? Upset? Would you trust the research? Would you trust nutrition science in general? Or would you perhaps have questions about why industry is funding scientific research at all (spoiler alert: it’s primarily in the interest of their marketing)?

In case you haven’t guessed already, today I want to talk about industry funding in nutrition research. It’s an ongoing problem that I see as a public health issue. Not only does it decrease credibility of nutrition science in general, but it also leads to public confusion about dietary patterns while perhaps largely consequential public health implications.

Industry funding is not specific to the nutrition world. The cigarette and pharmaceutical industries have previously invested in scientific research on their products, and have been known to send out bribes to physicians and other health practitioners. Reviews suggest that there is a bias in results of research funded by these industries.

And nutrition is sadly no different. There is a lot of industry-funded nutrition research, and evidence suggests it more often than not is biased towards the sponsoring companies.

What is industry-funded research?

Industry-funded research is scientific research that is financially supported partially or completely by a food or beverage company.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this. Theoretically, it is possible for a scientist to maintain integrity and carry out sound research on the industry’s dime. However, the industry funding research studies often forces a hand in the study design process or in marketing of the results, and this is where there is a large potential for some serious bias.

How does this even happen?

Research is expensive. And federally-funded grants are competitive. Depending on the administration, government funded research may face budget cuts.

The dearth of research funding puts some scientists in a rough position: either don’t continue your research, or seek outside funding. This is where the industry can swoop in and compensate scientists.

I want to make this clear because I believe scientists who accept industry-funding are not inherently bad people or bad scientists. Sometimes they are people just trying to do their best, and doing what they have to do to continue their work and move the field forward.

Industries put out requests for new and continuing research proposals. Here’s an example from California Strawberry commission (CSC). It states, in its opening sentence: “The California Strawberry Commission (CSC) invites qualified researchers from public and private research organizations to request funding for projects that will directly benefit the California strawberry industry.”

By design, only research studies that more or less guarantee a positive result get funding from the CSC. Research study design is hard. It can be challenging to develop a sound, unbiased study. Especially when you consider all researchers inherently have a small to large amount of bias, even if they try to fight it. What’s important is being aware of these biases and actively working to implement study designs that do not allow researchers to carry bias into their work.

How much money does industry put into nutrition research?

A lot. A recent analysis found that the food industry donated $366 million to academic programs between 2000-2016, with purpose for donations rarely stated. That’s a lot of money, with the potential for a lot of power dynamics to sway reporting of research outcomes.

Several academic journals, including the Journal of Nutrition Education, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association all have histories of accepting sponsorship from companies like Coca-Cola, Gerba, Slim Fast, cereal and nutrition supplement companies, and more.

And major scientific authority groups also partner with industry. For example, this year’s virtual ASN conference had sessions sponsored by Northwest Cherries, Pepsico, National Dairy Council, Nestle, Pom Wonderful and Herbalife, among others.

Bias.

So although it is hypothetically possible to carry out unbiased research with industry funding, research suggests that this rarely happens.

For example, a 2007 review of 206 scientific studies, found that the funding source was significantly related to conclusions in the articles. Strikingly, 0% of industry-funded interventional studies reported negative conclusions, compared to 37% of studies that had no industry funding. The authors concluded that industry funding of nutrition-related scientific articles may bias conclusions in favor of the sponsoring industry, with “potentially significant implications for public health.”

A 2016 article by leading expert in food politics, Marion Nestle, found 76 industry-funded studies between March and October of 2015. Of the 76 research studies, 70 reported results that were favorable to the interests of the sponsor.

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Instant Pot Vegan Soy Yogurt

June 14, 2020 by Katherine Baker 2 Comments

Hey everyone! I have a super exciting recipe to share with you today: instant pot vegan soy yogurt!

There are few things I ‘miss’ as a vegan, but if I could name just one thing I miss, it’d have to be plain Greek yogurt. I used to love that tangy thick creamy substance!

I am lactose intolerant (and vegan) so I haven’t been a dairy in years, and even when I did, it didn’t feel so great for my GI tract. Over the years, I’ve tried almost every non-dairy yogurt on the market and I’m always left wanting something more.

Now, there are some decent ones out there. I do really like Nancy’s Oatmilk yogurt (although it is not as good as their discontinued soy yogurt, in my humble opinion). Siggi’s non-dairy is also pretty decent, as is and Kitehill plain Greek style yogurt.

But I find the vast majority of non-dairy yogurts to be too thin, too sweet, and too ‘gooey’ for lack of a better word. I also find they often don’t fill me up for very long, as many of them are low in fat and protein.

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Racism is a public health crisis

June 13, 2020 by Katherine Baker Leave a Comment

Hello everyone! Today I am hoping to discuss racism in public health. According to the American Public Health Association, “racism is on ongoing public health crisis,” and as a public health professional, I hope to spread awareness and help advocate for meaningful, lasting change.

What is racism?

Racism is a social system or structure in which a dominant racial group, based on an ideology of inferiority, ranks people into social groups or ‘races,’ and uses these categorizations to devalue, disempower, or disenfranchise members of certain groups.

Racism plays a role in many inequities, including housing, educational and professional opportunities, access to financial and social resources, environmental exposures, and access to healthcare and medicine, among others.

I’d like to acknowledge that I am a white person, and therefore, I cannot comprehend the experience of racism, nor an I know what the experience is like. I wrote this post to help teach myself and others about the seriousness of racism as a public health issue, and to list some resources for those looking to learn more. Please feel free to comment with additional resources if you have them.

Below I have outlined a few examples of how racism impacts various issues of human health. This is absolutely not a comprehensive list, rather, it is meant to serve as a small survey of the different ways in which racism impacts health. I encourage you to read and learn more about this topic.

I also want to make it very clear that any health disparities mentioned in this post are a result of systemic and systematic inequalities, a lack of disproportionate exposures to risk factors, combined with inadequate access to resources due to our country’s systemic history of unequal treatment of minority populations, and absolutely not the fault of the populations that experience them.

Racism in America’s History and Health History:

Racism is deeply rooted in American history and culture. After all, much of the United States was built on salvery. And while slavery may be outlawed today, racism is still very real. It shows up nearly everywhere – from disproportionate levels of Black Americans facing mass incarceration, to the racially-driven wage gaps, medical bias, and segregated neighborhoods, racism persists as a driving force behind a multitude of inequities.

Racism has played a role in the US healthcare history. For example, the infamous Tuskegee Study of 1932 was an example of racism in medical research. The research team set out to investigate the course of syphilis over 6 months. They recruited 600 Black participants, and without informed consent or choice to leave the study, and studied their disease course over 40 years, and withheld known available treatment (penicillin), allowing participants to suffer and some to die, without their consent, for the sake of the experiment.

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Recent Vegan Eats, Quarantine Edition 3

June 8, 2020 by Katherine Baker Leave a Comment

Hey everyone! I hope you are well. I haven’t done a ‘recent eats’ round up in a while, so I thought I would pop back in with another recent vegan eats, quarantine edition #3.

Before we dive in to the eats, I wanted to acknowledge the injustices in the world. Racism is a deeply rooted, systemic issue that impacts so many aspects of modern life, including medicine, environmental exposures, social and economic opportunities, among others. It is a serious, ongoing public health crisis and I am committed to working towards a more just, equitable future. For more information/resources on racism, please see this list from NPR.

And if you are experiencing distress during this time, please see this list of mental health resources.

If desired, I can write up a blog post about racism in medicine, healthcare, and environmental health, and how this impacts public health. In the meantime, if you are interested in learning about the social determinants of health more generally, please see this blog post.

I sincerely hope all my readers out there are doing okay and staying safe. Please always feel free to reach out to me if there’s anything I can do to help.

Now, for this post at least, it’s time for an insignificant topic: recent vegan eats. If you’re unfamiliar, n this mini series, I share some of the things I have eaten and happened to have photographed in the past several weeks.

As with all posts in this series, this entry is not meant to depict an ideal or healthful diet. In fact, it’s worth noting that this isn’t everything I’ve eaten lately; it’s simply what I’ve happened to photograph with my phone. I simply do these posts to provide entertainment and perhaps some new meal and snack inspirations for fellow vegans and/or my part-time or veg-curious friends.

Just Egg ‘scrambled eggs’

Just Egg (a vegan scrambled egg substitute) went down in price! By $3 (at least where I live)! Because it was rather bit pricy, I rarely bought Just Egg, but at it’s new lower price, I had to give it another whirl. I enjoyed it scrambled with toast, tomatoes, salad, and a purple sweet potato. Such a treat!

I also tried to use some Just Egg to make French Toast, but somehow ended up burning it to the point of almost no return, so I will have to try that again.

A big vegetable plate

In other exciting news – I got an air fryer! Well, it’s more of like a Cuisinart air fryer toaster oven. Whatever it is, it works quite well to make fries, so air fried fries have been a thing lately. This random dinner was leftover Bang Bang (breaded fried sweet and sour) Broccoli, sweet potato fries, a Japanese sweet potato with almond butter, some steamed stir-fry veg, and salad.

Full disclosure: I also made a protein powder mug cake after this for dessert to balance things out a bit. Some days I could just eat fruits or veggies all day because I love them so much, but I know that won’t make me feel the best, so I aim to balance with fats and proteins throughout the day. Because I didn’t feel like opening a can of beans or a package of tofu, a protein powder mug cake was the move!

Air fried cauliflower gnocchi

Okay so this plate of food looks admittedly pretty gross, but air fryer cauliflower gnocchi is so delicious! I tried making it from par-boiled gnocchi and directly from frozen and air frying directly from frozen is the way to go. The gnocchi turn out like crispy tater-tot like nuggets, with a fluffy doughy inside. So good! Paired here with some stir fry veg and tofu.

Cereal

With chilly almond milk. What else is new?

Trader Joe’s marshmallows

A truly supreme marshmallow. Trader Joe’s marshmallows are pillowy soft, with a nice vanilla flavor. Bonus: they are vegan!

Rice Krispy treats

Made with said marshmallows and vegan butter. Honestly, why don’t people make Rice Krispy treats more often? I feel like they’re underrated. These were so sweet and crunchy and satisfying.

A hummus veggie burger wrap

Here’s an easy lunch I’ve been into: a sprouted whole grain wrap (I used Angelic Bakehouse beet wrap), with hummus for fat and flavor, a cooked diced veggie burger for protein, and some dressed lettuce and carrots for fiber, flavor, and crunch. Delicious! Paired with a delightfully crunchy crisp fuji apple.

Hummus pasta made with Banza

I love making hummus pasta, and it’s been in the rotation lately. Here is the recipe for easy hummus pasta if you’d like to try it out yourself!

Salad

With the weather getting warmer, I’ve been loving big salads. The key to a delicious salad is lots of flavors and textures and a good dressing. For this salad, I combined mixed greens, some microwaved frozen stir fry veggies, avocado, mixed beans, and a delicious Angelic Bakehouse roll. I also made a balsamic dressing with some really good balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Delish!

Kix with freeze dried strawberries

Adding freeze dried fruit to salad = an instant upgrade!

Salad with smokey BBQ tempeh, Bang Bang Broccoli, and Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

I got take out one night from Celesta and ate it in a park downtown. It was good! As it always is.

Another salad + fries

I told you salads were a thing these days! This salad has some random salad mix with poppyseed dressing and dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, more steamed stir fry veg, avocado, and air fryer fries for some carbs. Yum!

LaCroix

LaCroix is so trendy and fancy nowadays! As a Wisco kid, I actually grew up drinking LaCroix, and then when it got super popular when I was in college I was partially taken by surprise because in my mind, it was just a Wisco kid thing, but also not suprised because it is delciious.

Anyways, I tried the LimonCello flavor and it is good!

….Another salad plate

With more veggies, avocado, beans, Banza, and a roll! Salad kick is thriving.

Dates with chocolate and sunflower seed butter

A delicious dessert: pit a date, stick in some nut butter, and some dark chocolate. Or, if you’re less lazy than I am, make these delicious salted caramel date truffles!

Vegan lemon bars

These were so good. The recipe for these vegan lemon bar cheesecake things is here, if you’d like to try them!

Apricots!

I got a big box of apricots and they reminded me of my summer in France. Delicious! Paired here with a caracara orange and some peanut butter toast.

Lemon water

Refreshing as heck, and hydrating too, but no, it won’t ‘kick start your metabolism’ nor will it ‘aid digestion’ any more than regular water would. It is important to be hydrated for happy digestive function, but beyond that, lemon water is no magic potion.

In fact, it is pretty darn acidic, and therefore not great for your teeth. Be sure to rinse with plain water after enjoying, avoid sipping all day, and brush about an hour after consumption to avoid any potential negative impacts on your teeth! I talked about lemon water in this video, if you want to learn more.

Homemade vegan soy yogurt

This was so good! I am posting the recipe soon.

Air-fryed buffalo tofu and tempeh

I made both in the air fryer and I must say, I think tempeh wins! A recipe for Baked Buffalo Tofu (similar) is here, and a recipe for Baked Buffalo Tempeh is here (also similar), and the video recipe is here.

Veggie burger sandwich

A cooked veggie burger on two pieces of toasted bread with hummus, guac, and some lettuce and tomato, a side salad, and more air-fried cauliflower gnocchi. A simple yummy meal!

Homemade lentil breakfast sausages

I used this recipe from Abbey’s kitchen, but omitted the mushrooms and added some liquid and coconut aminos for umami flavor. They were so satisfying and scrumptious! Paired with vinegar potatoes and salad.

Nugo bars

I got a bunch of Nugo bars during an online sale and have been eating 1 a day as a snack or after dinner treat. Nugo bars are by far my favorite vegan protein bar. My favorite flavors are dark chocolate salted pretzel, dark chocolate mint, dark chocolate coconut, and the Mint slim.

They have the most satisfying texture and they literally taste like candy bars. I love! I can probably only afford this Nugo-a-day habit because some of my other expenses (parking, etc) are no longer during quarantine.

Chocolate chocolate and chocolate peanut butter cupcakes

I was feeling like a computer vacation last night and stayed up late to make chocolate cupcakes (I used this recipe) with chocolate frosting and peanut butter frosting.

Of course, it was around midnight when these finished cooling and I frosted them, and then I went to put the lid on the Pyrex container and smushed them, so pardon the smushed tops of these cupcakes, but I promise they were delicious none the less. Sometimes you just need a frosted cupcake on a Saturday night!

That is all for now! I will be back to evidence-based content and recipes this week. Until then, Millie sends you a hug.

Feel free to drop us a comment down below, and/or reach out to me on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.

If you liked ‘Recent Vegan Eats: Quarantine Edition’ you may also like:

Is caffeine safe? Is caffeine healthy?

May 30, 2020 by Katherine Baker Leave a Comment

Health and wellness influencers give a lot of advice. Sometimes, their advice may come from a place of good intentions, but it is not uncommon for wellness influencers to give advice that is not backed up by science. So, one of my favorite things to do is fact-check claims made by health influencers. And today we are going to be talking about caffeine. Is caffeine safe? Is caffeine healthy? How much caffeine can you consume? This is what we will discuss today!

*Disclaimer: As always, this is general information intended for healthy adults. Your needs may vary based on medical status, lifestyle, or life-stage. Please never replace generalized health information you’ve read online with individualized clinical care.

First of all, what is caffeine? What foods and beverages contain caffeine?

Caffeine is a bitter substance that occurs naturally in more than 60 substances including coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods (made into coffee), and kola nuts (used to flavor soda).

Caffeine may also be added to various beverages, food products, and supplements, including ‘pre-workout.’ It is also found in some over the counter pain relievers.

Coffee is the primary source of caffeine in the American diet. Soft drinks, energy drinks, teas, supplements, and caffeinated food products are other sources.

A home brewed cup (8 ounces) of coffee contains about 40 mg caffeine. A cup of green tea has about 35 mg. A grande (16 ounce) cup of blonde roast coffee from Starbucks has 360mg. A grande (16 ounce) Nitro Brew from Starbucks has about 280mg caffeine.

Of note, ‘decaffeinated’ beverages are not always void of caffeine. Decaf coffees and teas do have less caffeine than their caffeinated counterparts, however, they may still contain low levels of caffeine. For example, a decaf coffee may have 2-15 mg of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup compared to a usual 40 mg, but it’s not caffeine-free.

What does caffeine do to the human body?

Caffeine has many effects on the human body. Of note, caffeine is considered a mild stimulant, as it stimulates the central nervous system. This can make you feel more awake, mentally alert, help you focus, and/or give you a boost of energy.

Caffeine is also a natural mild diuretic, meaning it helps the body remove extra salt, leading to increased urination.

How long do caffeine’s effects last?

It takes most people 3-6 hours to metabolize half of what has been consumed. Caffeine levels tend to peak 30-120 minutes post-consumption.

How much caffeine is safe?

Generally speaking, for most healthy people, consuming up to 400mg of caffeine per day is considered safe. Caffeine tolerance varies from person to person. Some people may be much tolerant of smaller amounts of caffeine than others.

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The Best Vegan Lemon Bars

May 26, 2020 by Katherine Baker 5 Comments

The other week I was searching for a dessert recipe and somewhere along the way, the interwebs suggested the Pioneer Woman’s lemon bars recipe to me. Immediately, I had an intense craving for lemon bars. But of course, most lemon bars are made with egg yolks and butter, and I wanted vegan lemon bars. Not just any vegan lemon bars, but the best vegan lemon bars.

I’ve made vegan lemon bars a couple of times. But in my experience, most vegan lemon bar recipes are raw and made from soaked cashews or almonds.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m down for a raw dessert now and then, but to me, the custard-like texture of the lemon bar filling was missing from the raw nut-based recipes I’ve made.

I also longed for that shortbread-like crust you find in traditional lemon bar recipes. So, I set out to make my own lemon bars with a shortbread-like crust and a creamy dreamy luscious lemon filling.

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The Carnivore Diet: What does the science say?

May 24, 2020 by Katherine Baker Leave a Comment

Hi everyone! I am back to chat about another health/wellness/diet trend. One of my favorite things to do on this blog is to examine scientific evidence to see what true risks and benefits different wellness trends carry. I’ve covered topics like celery juice, the keto diet, plant-based meat substitutes, supplements for immunity, etc,. And today, I’m going to be discussing the carnivore diet.

Now, as a general disclaimer, yes, I am vegan. That said, I do my best to remain objective when writing and creating content, to separate my own feelings and opinions from scientific evidence. In fact, I’ve pointed out some of the nutritional concerns of the vegan diet (including adequate B-12, DHA, zinc, iron, calorie, and protein consumption) in this post. So, all that’s to say, I will do my best to stick to the facts about this diet, regardless of my own dietary preferences.

Furthermore, as I’ve mentioned repeatedly, there are many ways to have a healthy diet, and the best diet is the one you can maintain long-term that allows you to meet your nutrient requirements. And hypothetically, for most healthy people, all foods can fit into a healthy diet.

With all those disclaimers done, let’s dive into the science of the carnivore diet.

First of all, what is the carnivore diet?

The carnivore diet is a diet that consists entirely of animal products; namely, meat, eggs, fish, and other animal products. Different interpretations of the diet also allow cheese and things like butter.

What are some claims made about the carnivore diet?

Proponents claim that the carnivore diet leads to weight loss, general ‘healing,’ blood sugar regulation, reverses rheumatoid arthritis, improved cognitive function, digestion, and athletic performance, etc. Proponents also like to mention that it is free of ‘anti-nutrients’ including lectins and plant fibers, that may inhibit the absorption of certain nutrients.

It’s also touted as a supreme form of an elimination diet, and many claim it will ‘heal’ the gut, and lead to a longer more prosperous life.

What does the science say about the carnivore diet?

*Full transparency, these ‘meat’ images are all of Beyond or Impossible meat…I don’t eat meat so I have no photographs of it!

Well, the science is supremely lacking. I couldn’t find any scientific evidence that has tested a carnivore diet in humans and measured its ability to ‘heal,’ stabilize blood sugar, improve cognitive function, etc.

Because I could find no scientific studies on the carnivore diet, I read up on similar (but more inclusive) diets, including the Paleo diet and the ketogenic diet.

When it comes to anti-inflammatory claims made by the carnivore diet, a 2017 study on a small sample of mice suggested that a ketogenic diet may suppress inflammation.

However, these results should be interpreted with caution as ketogenic diets include a wider variety of foods than does the carnivore diet, and this study was done on animals, not humans.

When it comes to psychological illness, although there are no studies to support the use of meat-only diets, a 2017 review found that the use of ketogenic supplements may suppress anxiety and depression-related behaviors in rats and mice.

However, many of these studies had small sample sizes, and were short in durations. Furthermore, these animal studies are conducted in controlled environments, and extrapolating these results to humans should be done with caution.

Regarding improved digestion, there is no evidence to support that consuming a carnivore diet will prevent or decrease digestive ailments or symptoms. However, it could be argued that the elimination of fiber may ease IBS symptoms in some people.

One study that many advocates of the carnivore diet like to cite does support the idea of decreasing fiber intake for improved digestive symptoms; however, the study showed improved digestion upon lowering or stopping fiber intake in a sample of 63 people with idiopathic constipation.

This group of individuals was already experiencing severe constipation, therefore it is unclear if these findings are generalizable to the general population.

That said, a diet that only allows three meats is devoid of most fermented oli-, di- and monosaccharides, alcohols and polys (FODMAPs), which may cause or exacerbate IBS symptoms in some people; therefore, elimination of these foods may lead to improvement in functional gastrointestinal symptoms. That said, avoiding fiber may not be best for everyone.

There is ample evidence to suggest that dietary fiber can reduce the risk of diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, including rectal cancer.

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