I was scrolling through Instagram, like the rest of my millennial superstars and saw a popular content creator starting a new diet. Short term diets are usually a failure unless they are being used for therapeutic reasons such as mineral restriction for kidney function or exclusion diets that identify intolerances. Fancy diets like juicing go as fast as they come because results last the same as the thrill for starting a new diet. Fad diets are old news.

The popular diet in question on my Instagram was the carnivore diet – a diet very similar to the keto diet, with further restrictions that eliminate all carbohydrates. The carnivore diet focuses on consuming meat, poultry, fish, eggs, minimal dairy and water while excluding all plant foods and alcohol. That means excluding vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and seeds. A 2021 study among social media users following a carnivore diet found that those following this extreme diet for six months or longer lost weight. While the weight loss among participants in this study is interesting, this was all self-reported and likely due to a reduction in overall calories, which any weight loss approach that substantially reduces calories can achieve.

Additionally, when our diet does not provide enough energy from sugars or carbohydrates, the body will burn fats as its energy source—using fats as energy is also known as ketosis and can lead to short-term weight loss. A diet that keeps you full? What’s wrong with that? Eating a high-fat diet can lead to increased risk of osteoporosis, decline in kidney function, increased LDL cholesterol, decreased HDL cholesterol, and overall increased risk of heart disease. Constipation may also  result  from a lack of eating enough fiber  found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

Furthermore, the comment section on the influencer’s instagram post was more interesting than this restrictive diet itself.. Many argued about the importance of meat for brain health stating, “The brain needs cholesterol to prevent Alzheimer’s.” So, that got me thinking: is dietary cholesterol from meat crucial to brain health? I did some digging.

The short answer is no. Current research shows that a high-cholesterol diet is not beneficial for optimal brain health. The overwhelming evidence demonstrates that individuals age 42 and older with high cholesterol are more likely to develop dementia. According to researchers at UVA’s School of Medicine, increased dementia risk may be related to cholesterol’s relationship with the creation of amyloid plaques in the brain. However, this occurs from cholesterol that is produced in the brain. Cholesterol consumed from our diet does not make its way to the brain, as it cannot cross the blood brain barrier. Dr. David Reynolds of Alzheimer’s Research UK summarized this best, “…cholesterol in our diet can have a big impact on heart health and maintaining a healthy blood supply to the brain can help keep dementia risk as low as possible.”

Current recommendations for lowering LDL cholesterol include limiting saturated fats, selecting lean proteins, and eating a variety of high-fiber plant foods, Plant sterols and stanols, which occur naturally in plants like nuts, seeds, wheat bran, apples and avocados, and have a similar structure as cholesterol, also help lower LDL cholesterol. A diet high in saturated fat also increases LDL cholesterol. Thus, focus on choosing lean proteins, which have less saturated fat. Lean proteins include poultry without skin, meats with words such as “loin” or “round”, and broiled, baked, or grilled foods rather than fried. Dairy products such as heavy whipping cream, full-fat butter and cheeses are also high in saturated fat. Soluble fiber, in particular, has cholesterol lowering effects. The soluble fiber, found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds can bind to cholesterol in the intestinal tract and remove it from the body. Given their similar structure to cholesterol, sterols, and stanols can also help remove cholesterol from the body and may be absorbed in place of cholesterol in the digestive tract.

Given the information above, my vote on the carnivore diet is a hard pass. For me and most of the scientific community, the increased risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s associated with a high-fat diet, particularly a diet high in saturated fat, is not worth the short-term weight loss one may experience following a carnivore diet. The brain and the heart are not mutually exclusive. The instagram user making claims about brain health and cholesterol has failed in persuading me to follow a high-fat, meat-exclusive diet. Additionally, it is known that cholesterol and saturated fats can cause heart trouble. In conclusion, we should limit our cholesterol and saturated fat intake for a healthy heart and brain. As always, consult your healthcare provider before attempting a restrictive diet. If you are or have ever thought about trying the carnivore diet, please inquire with your healthcare provider to see what is right for you.

This article was coauthored by Extension Specialist and Registered Dietitian Dr. Basheerah Enahora.

Erin Massey in Transylvania Counties’ Family and Consumer Science Agent (FCS) as well as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Erin provides families and community members with workshops, classes, and demonstrations related to food and nutrition.

Erin’s expertise ranges from food safety and cooking skills to specific dietary restriction and disease specific nutritional needs.

Have a nutrition or other food-related question? Ask Erin at 828.884.3109 or visit

https://transylvania.ces.ncsu.edu/ for current news and ongoing classes within

Transylvania County Extension.

This article has been cross published in the Transylvania Times.

Wang, H. Kula. JA, Wang, C, Hansen SB. Regulation of beta-amyloid production in neurons by astrocyte-derived cholesterol. Biol Sci 2021. Vol 119 (33) https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2102191118.

American Heart Association. HDL, (good), LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/hdl-good-ldl-bad-cholesterol-and-triglycerides. Updated February 19^th 2024. Accessed March 1^st 2025.

Barney, J. Cholesterol drives Alzheimer’s plague formation, study finds. UVA Today. September 13^th 2021. https://news.virginia.edu/content/cholesterol-drives-alzheimers-plaque-formation-study-finds.