Carnivore diet, as the name suggests consists entirely of meat and animal products and it excludes all other food items. It is usually claimed to aid weight loss, blood sugar level regulation, mental health, etc. The tradition of this diet emerges from the belief that the ancestral human population was majorly reliant on meat and that is what saved them from chronic diseases. Mental health is highly affected by the kind of diet you take. Mental health issues like that of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) should be considered seriously for timely treatment. You can look for ADHD testing near me and opt for the suitable one to seek online assistance to get the issue treated timely. The increased awareness of keeping mental health intact has raised the question if a carnivore diet is good for mental health or not or does it help to restore it etc. Well, just like any other types of diet plans or medications, carnivore diet has its own benefits and disadvantages must take into account before getting to conclusions:
Table of Contents
What Mental Health Benefits Does A Carnivore Diet Have?
It is also believed that many mental health issues do not only occur due to chemical imbalance in our body rather some of them might be due to nutritional deficiencies and inflammation. Carnivore diet can help you keep your mental health intact by helping you overcome such deficiencies. By providing you with an ample amount of zinc, DHA, vitamin B6, iron and vitamin B12, a plant-free diet can help you cope up with depression effectively.
We can all agree about the fact that meat is rich in nutrients that are essential for our bones and muscles. People with a low level of carnitine suffer from chronic fatigue which in turn causes stress. Having an adequate amount of meat in our body will be more energetic and without any fatigue, we can work all day long. Moreover, being physically fit will also help in keeping our mental health intact.
What Does A Carnivore Diet Include?
Carnivore diet plan requires you to avoid eating all types of plant foo and eat exclusively meat and other animal products and some dairy products. Food that you are required to eat, following this diet plan includes beef, lamb, turkey, chicken, salmon, white fish, heavy cream and hard cheese are also allowed to be eaten. The diet plan encourages you to drink more water and avoid drinking tea, coffee, or some other types of herbal beverages. The diet plan does not specify any calorie intake, a number of meals or snacks per day rather it recommends you eat whenever desired.
What Are The Possible Drawbacks Of A Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet is rich in saturated fats and cholesterol that will raise the LDL cholesterol level in your body which will make you prone to heart diseases. Moreover, processed meats like bacon have a level of sodium. Increased sodium intake increases the risks of high blood pressure, kidney diseases and may have other negative results on our physical and mental health. Processed meat is also known because of different types of cancers.
Carnivore diet eliminates the usage of fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes completely. All of these include vitamins and nutrients that are essential for our body. Eating solely meat will cause the deficiency of nutrients that we get by eating fruits and vegetables and might be problematic for our overall wellbeing. Likewise, meat does not have fiber that is essential for our gut health and healthy bowel movement. Excess of meat intake can cause constipation. The lack of fiber in our body can cause bacterial imbalance in our gut that can result in low immunity or colon cancer. Besides, excess meat intake can aid in weight gain and its persistence can lead to obesity.
The Bottomline:
We can all agree about the fact that excess of one thing can never be beneficial for us because, after a certain point, it stops working for us. We should rather opt for a well-balanced diet that should include everything rich in nutrients. You can try a carnivore diet for some time, but it should not be your only way to treat any of the mental health-related issues. No matter what diet plan you are opting for to cope up with mental health issues, you will always need proper medication and professional guidance for it to work effectively.