All-Meat Diet Puts Your Health at Risk

Follow a low-carb diet to lose weight, or keep your blood sugar levels under control, and you’ll typically end up eating more meat, and less foods like bread, pasta, and rice.

There’s another well-known benefit to a low-carb diet: Weight loss.

So does that mean going on an all-meat diet could speed your progress?

Steak, burgers, pork chops, and more at every meal. Sounds pretty good. Right?

Well, not exactly. Ever heard the phrase, “too much of a good thing can be bad for you?”

For best health, you actually need to eat a balanced diet and a variety of foods besides meat, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and of course plenty of water.

But what if you did chomp down on an all-meat diet? Is all-meat diet healthy? Once you realize the risks, you’ll probably give your menu a makeover to tap into the health benefits of a balanced diet.

What’s the beef about an all-meat diet? Here’s a quick look at the impact of an all-meat diet:

Lack of fiber

You’re not going to find any fiber in a T-Bone steak, and only trace amounts in a grilled burger. But most adults need around 25 to 25 grams of fiber per day for best health. Without enough fiber in your diet, you’ll likely experience constipation, and stomach discomfort. And you’ll be missing out on other health benefits of fiber which can help control appetite, regular blood sugar levels, and improve heart health.

Low energy

A balanced diet typically includes 30 to 50 percent of calories from carbohydrates. Your body uses carbs as its first source for energy. But if you’re not getting enough carbs with an all-meat diet, your body will convert fat into energy. If you’ve got some weight to lose, that’s great...to a point. Go without carbs long enough, and your body will begin burning muscle tissue for energy. And you can pretty much guarantee energy levels will drop, and hunger cravings for carbs to spike.

Excess protein

Bodybuilders are probably the most recognized for consuming large amounts of protein to  build muscle. But even the pros don’t overload on protein or follow an all-meat diet all the time. Too much protein can have dire consequences like vomiting, chronic diarrhea, and elevated levels of urea that can put your liver, kidneys, and your health at risk.

Lack of vitamin C

You might think scurvy is an old-school disease only pirates at sea for months had to worry about. But if you followed an all-meat diet, you’d be at risk for scurvy, too, along with mental health issues, and even death without getting vitamin C from fruits and vegetables.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a Low-Carb diet, which typically includes eating more meat and protein than fats and carbohydrates. But you still need vitamins and nutrients from fruits and vegetables for best health.

Hungry? Check out these Low-Carb meals that include beef, chicken, fish, turkey, and pork, along with healthy sides.