The carnivore diet is an elimination diet that works on one fundamental principle — you eat nothing but meat and animal-based products. The carnivore diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet that helps to reduce the risk of arthritis.
Arthritis involves the degeneration or inflammation of your joints, and joint stiffness and pain are the main symptoms . Obesity and an unhealthy dietary lifestyle add to the risk of arthritis. The carnivore diet helps with the inflammation of the joints, reduces your weight, and provides you with a healthy way of managing the symptoms of arthritis.
Essential micronutrients such as DHA, potassium, and Vitamin B12 can improve the symptoms of auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and support overall bone health.
Here we break down exactly how the carnivore diet may be helpful to treat arthritis.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Is the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet involves eating meat and animal-based products, such as organ meat, fish, seafood, dairy, and eggs. All vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds are excluded. A carnivore diet with fruit is okay once your body has adapted.
The carnivore diet has plenty of benefits. It eliminates harmful anti-nutrients and plant toxins from your diet since you are eating only animal-based foods. Most of these anti-nutrients are linked to bowel issues and fertility issues. It also helps with weight loss and improves your gut health because there is no sugar to feed bad bacteria in your gut.
Your body takes a long time to break down the calories you get from fat and protein, so the carnivore diet keeps feeling full for longer and reduces your food cravings, helping you lose weight,
Potential Benefits for Arthritis
Here are the potential ways carnivore eating can help arthritis:
Protein
Protein is highly beneficial for those suffering from arthritis. For preserving muscle and bone mass as well as optimal bone mass gain, you need adequate dietary protein. When you are young, insufficient protein intake can impair your bone development.
A low intake of protein lowers the production as well as the action of IGF-1. IGF-1 enhances bone formation and reduces the risk of any deformity. At an older age, dietary protein has an even critical role. BMD (bone mineral density) determines how strong your bones are and is associated with the intake of dietary protein. Seniors who have low protein intake are vulnerable to sarcopenia, frailty, and muscle weakness.
You will get ample protein on the carnivore diet. From beef steaks to grilled chicken, your meals will be full of protein and essential micronutrients.
Vitamin B12
Another important micronutrient that you get from organ meats like the beef brain is Vit B12. It not only supports your bone health but also prevents osteoporosis. Vitamin B12 helps in managing rheumatoid arthritis and keeps you fit and healthy.
Organ meats such as beef kidneys as full of Vitamin B12 too. A single serving of beef kidney will give you all the Vitamin B12 you need for the entire day.
DHA
On a carnivore diet, you eat fish and meat, which contain plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA. Omega-3 fatty acids are helpful when it comes to treating rheumatoid arthritis. DHA is anti-inflammatory in nature, and can reduce symptoms of auto-immune diseases such as arthritis.
Vitamin D
Organ meats such as beef liver contain Vitamin D, which is essential in preventing of thinning of bones, particularly for those who are suffering from osteoporosis or inflammatory arthritis. Vitamin D also helps to retain phosphorus and calcium, both of which are critical for building your bones.
Selenium
Another essential micronutrient that is crucial for the regulation of inflammation in your body is selenium. Selenium helps in producing joint-protecting cartilage. The carnivore diet, particularly organ meats, is a good way to get your recommended daily value of Selenium.
There is an entire organ meats list that you can choose from on a carnivore diet to increase your selenium intake.
Risks of the Carnivore Diet
When you are on the carnivore diet, you have to make sure that you stay away from processed meat. Processed meats are loaded with artificial preservatives and flavorings which are not only against the fundamental principle of the diet itself but are harmful to your health.
You also run the risk of constipation on the carnivore diet. However, this is only because your gut takes a while to adapt to this diet. When you shift from a regular diet to a carnivore diet, the bacteria in your gut microbiome undergo a change.
The bacteria that feed on carbs die out and those that feed on fats proliferate. This shift causes constipation and will settle once you get used to the diet. However, it can be a risk that those with arthritis should consider.
Success Stories
The carnivore diet is a lifestyle that enables you to thrive on your original ancestral diet.
It not only eliminates harmful ingredients from your meals but also increases your protein and crucial micronutrient intake. A lot of people have tried the carnivore diet and have experienced its health benefits firsthand.
From Bruno who said goodbye to joint stiffness to Eric who is healing from arthritis and various other diseases, you will find plenty of success stories of the carnivore diet for arthritis.
Key Takeaways
Autoimmune diseases such as arthritis can seriously affect your life. By following a carnivore diet, you can not only potentially reduce the symptoms of arthritis, but you can also improve your overall bone health. A higher protein intake is beneficial for your health and keeps you mentally and physically fit.
Although there is no specific research on the carnivore diet and arthritis, many people have found this ancestral lifestyle gives them a much higher quality of life.
Here’s how the carnivore diet can help with other health conditions:
- Carnivore diet and erectile dysfunction
- Carnivore diet and hair loss
- Carnivore diet for IBS
- Carnivore diet and inflammation
- Carnivore diet and insomnia
- Carnivore diet and kidney stones
- Carnivore diet and menopause
- Carnivore diet and multiple sclerosis
- Carnivore diet for psoriasis
- Carnivore diet and rosacea
- Carnivore diet for SIBO
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