What is the carnivore diet that RFK Jr. follows?
Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he follows a carnivore diet, but what is this animal-based diet?
Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke at length about his eating habits during a conversation on USA TODAY’s “Extreme Normal.” So what exactly is he eating and what do nutrition experts think about it?
“I’m on a carnivorous diet. I only eat meat or fermented foods,” RFK Jr. said.
A carnivore diet is an animal-based diet that allows for meat, fish, and small amounts of dairy products, registered dietitian Jamie Nadeau previously told USA TODAY.
That means cutting out vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, Harvard Health added.
“It’s very restrictive and excludes many nutritious foods that research has proven to be health-promoting,” Nadeau said, adding that most notably, “the carnivore diet is not evidence-based, which means there are no studies to verify its claims.”
This diet doesn’t exactly align with President Kennedy’s latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which prioritize protein but also include other food groups in a newly inverted food pyramid.
“In some ways, this overlaps with the carnivore diet’s avoidance of ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates. However, current dietary guidelines also continue to encourage the intake of fruits and vegetables for overall health, which are not included in the carnivore diet,” Yashi Ansari, senior dietitian at UCLA Health Santa Monica, told USA TODAY.
Weight loss with a carnivore diet
Kennedy said at another point in the interview that he didn’t want to be “an example of what people should or shouldn’t do,” but said he had gotten “tremendous benefits” from switching to this diet, claiming he had lost a lot of weight in a short period of time.
“(This diet) may not work for others, but I lost 40 percent of my visceral fat within a month,” Kennedy said. “I saw visible improvements in my mood, mental clarity, and word recall. Some of this may be due to the placebo effect, but I lost 20 pounds in 20 days after switching to this diet.”
Visceral fat is a type of fat that lines the abdominal wall and wraps around many internal organs, explains the Cleveland Clinic. Although beneficial for organ protection, excessive consumption has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Many proponents of this diet cite the same side effects as keto and other low-carb diets for weight loss.
“Technically, any diet can reduce visceral fat in the short term,” Ansari says. “If you restrict calories or make significant changes to your diet, you may see a reduction in visceral fat in the short term.”
However, in the long run, experts argue that it is not realistic and can lead to other health problems.
“When diets become unsustainable, most people not only gain weight back, but many also develop disordered eating behaviors,” Nadeau said, adding that restrictive diets are “really unnecessary and counterproductive for most people.”
Ansari said there is not enough evidence to support its long-term benefits.
“Frankly, a fiber-rich carbohydrate-restrictive approach can have negative effects on gut health,” she says. “The long-term health benefits of consuming a fiber-rich diet such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, chickpeas, and lentils, along with lean protein, far outweigh the short-term results seen with highly restrictive fad diets.”
Additionally, increasing fiber intake can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, Ansari added.
Concerns about cholesterol and other carnivore diets
Ansari, a nutritionist, said she does not recommend carnivore diets because they are “very restrictive in nature” and can lead to nutritional deficiencies over time.
“When you eliminate all plant foods, you increase the risk of losing important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients that support cardiovascular and digestive health,” she says.
As with the keto diet, the fat consumed in a carnivore diet is mostly saturated fat, which can negatively impact cholesterol. According to Harvard Health, diets high in saturated fat are associated with heart disease, and carnivore diets in particular also pose a risk for kidney stones and kidney damage, gout, and osteoporosis.
“While there is strong evidence that a balanced diet rich in plant-based foods is health-promoting, there is no evidence that a carnivore diet has any benefits,” Nadeau said.
Contributor: Hanna Yasharoff
