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Paper

[Paper] The gut microbiome without any plant food? A case study on the gut microbiome of a healthy carnivore - 2024

The gut microbiome of the carnivore was dominated by the phylum Firmicutes and the genera Faecalibacterium, Blautia, unspecific Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroides, and Roseburia—bacteria known for fiber degradation. Furthermore, neither alpha- nor beta-diversity, nor the functional capacity of the gut microbiome, showed differences when compared to the control groups. Additionally, the gut microbiome of the carnivore showed the least similarities with the microbiome of the cohort consuming meat on a daily basis.

In our study, we showcase the compositional and functional characteristics of the gut microbiome in an individual on a carnivorous diet, finding no differences in comparison to a control cohort. Further research is needed to investigate the short- and long-term impacts of a carnivorous diet on gut health through cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Full Paper - https://doi.org/10.1530/MAH-24-0006

1 comments

  • Obviously a single case study is a very limited slice and not generalizable, but it does demonstrate - in this one instance - the gut biome being comparable to the controls (i.e. not terrible for gut health).

    This is a 4 year fiber elimination diet, so it goes against the hypothesis that fiber is necessary for gut health.

    Issues:

    • Self-reported 4 year carnivore
    • sample size of 1
    • we don't know what a healthy gut looks like objectively.

    Our study indicates that adherence to a carnivorous diet does not cause detrimental changes in the gut microbiome. Instead, it suggests that the effects on the gut microbiome are due to the combined influences of dietary regime and lifestyle, rather than meat consumption alone.

    studies on Western-style diets, which are rich in animal products but also high in processed foods, are not directly comparable to the potential effects of the carnivore diet, which lacks processed foods and may differently impact gut health (Chassaing et al. 2022, Sellem et al. 2024).

    This is a great point we bring up each time we read a epidemiological paper.

    He declared that the motivation for the carnivore diet to be neither health nor mindset related. The subject reports enjoying preferably food encompassed by this specific dietary regime (meat, butter, eggs) and that it facilitates his everyday life (groceries, meal preparation).

    Nice, this guy really knows himself!

    Occasionally, he tests food containing carbohydrates due to professional reasons, but this occurs less than once a month and does not exceed more than a spoon of food containing carbohydrates

    Hrmm, could one spoon of carbohydates a month skew the gut biome results?

    The urine was slightly acidic and positive for ketone bodies which could be attributed to ketoacidosis.

    This has to be a typo, they meant ketosis. Ketoacidosis is a medical emergency, or maybe only DKA is a emergency? this confuses me