The carnivore diet and intermittent fasting are two popular approaches to health and wellness. From the perspective of dietary evolution, carnivore and IF align with ancestral eating patterns.
In other words, our bodies are designed to thrive on a fast-and-feast cycle.
In this article, we’ll explore the science-backed benefits of combining carnivore and intermittent fasting and provide a seven-day carnivore diet and intermittent fasting meal plan.
Recent research has revealed that for over 2 million years, humans were hypercarnivorous apex predators that fasted and feasted on fatty meat. 2
Source: Dr Miki Ben Dor
When our ancestors were successful at hunting or scavenging megafauna (giant animals) feasted. Between successful hunts, they fasted.
As this pattern played out over eons, the early humans who functioned best in fasted states became the best at hunting and, therefore, surviving and reproducing.
We modern humans are the recipients of this genetic predisposition towards feasting on fatty meat and fasting between meals.
This metabolic genetic inheritance is evident in the way our bodies
Intermittent fasting (IF) means cycling between specific periods of eating and not eating.
There are numerous intermittent fasting methods. Here are a few popular options
When combined with ancestrally aligned foods–namely fatty meat–IF has been shown to offer numerous benefits, including 2 3 4
The carnivore diet means eating only animal products and eliminating all processed foods and plant foods. These include toxic seed “vegetable” oils, grains, added sugars, as well as fruits and vegetables.
Of course, there are variations on this approach, with some approaches being more restrictive than others.
For example, many people begin with a carnivore elimination diet of red meat, salt, and water. This approach was popularised by Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan.
Dr. Kiltz’s BEBBIIS is a more inclusive approach that may be better for long-term use. It calls for all kinds of meats, blue cheese, duck liver, and even allows for occasional treats like homemade low-carb ice cream and french fries fried in tallow.
All of these approaches are low-carb high-fat ketogenic diet. This means that you’ll be consuming between 70-80% of your calories from animal fats.
According to a Harvard University survey study on the carnivore diet, of the 2029 participants, 64% ate two meals a day, 17% ate only one meal a day, and 2% ate less than one meal a day. 6 This means that 83% of carnivore dieters surveyed practiced some form of intermittent fasting. And the reported results were dramatically beneficial.
The study revealed the following results:
Other benefits that can come from combining a carnivore diet meal plan with intermittent fasting include
Let’s take a closer look at a few of these key benefits.
Worldwide 3 out of 5 people die from chronic inflammatory diseases, including[1] [2]
Intermittent fasting and low-carb diets like carnivore have both been shown to be powerful interventions against inflammation.
One key factor is that carnivore dramatically reduces carbs.
Numerous studies show that high-carb diets promote inflammation while low-carb diets decrease inflammation. 2 1 6 9 10 11
Studies on intermittent fasting show that it effectively reduces markers of inflammation, including cells called monocytes, C-reactive protein, and cortisol. 5 7 8 5
Reducing levels of inflammation is associated with powerful “downstream” benefits, including [11]:
Combining the carnivore diet with intermittent fasting simulated the ancestral pattern of feasting on fatty meats and fasting in between successful hunts.
Research shows that when we are in a state of caloric restriction, we have faster cognition, our blood vessels become dilated, and our muscles are more resistant to lactic acid. [3]
From an ancestral perspective, this all adds up to us being better hunters. While in modern life, these factors enhance our quality of life
On the other hand, when we’re constantly eating we trigger hormone imbalances like leptin resistance that make us fat, inflamed, and less motivated.[4] 12 16
A 2020 study looking at the effects of combining a ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting found that doing so reduced biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. 4
Another study found that keto and fasting can improve cognitive function for people already suffering from age-related cognitive impairment. 5
While numerous studies on ketogenic diets have found that they promote cognitive abilities and tackle disease progression.6
Source: Jensen, Nicole Jacqueline et al. “Effects of Ketone Bodies on Brain Metabolism and Function in Neurodegenerative Diseases.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21 (2020)
Research shows that intermittent fasting can reduce endotoxins–toxic substances released when bacteria break down in our gut.
It’s important to eliminate endotoxins because their closely linked to intestinal permeability and systemic inflammation. 2 [4] [2]
Both the carnivore diet and intermittent fasting compel the body to break down fats into energy molecules called ketones. These molecules nourish stem cells that regenerate the intestinal lining. Energized stem cells in the gut help heal intestinal permeability. [26] 4
The carnivore diet also eliminates nearly all sugars along with fiber, and plant antinutrients and toxins. All of these substances have been shown to damage the intestinal lining and promote bacterial overgrowth. 5 5 13
Low-carb eating and intermittent fasting have both been shown to promote weight loss.4
Research on intermittent fasting has found that eating within a four-hour window is significantly more effective for losing weight than restricting calories while consuming three meals a day. [5]
While studies have found that intermittent fasting may be even more effective in reducing weight than reducing carbs. [6]
Combining these approaches likely enhances the weight-reducing benefits of each.
Intermittent fasting promotes a process of cellular renewal called autophagy which means “self-devouring.”
During this process, your body breaks down old and damaged cells and cell components and recycles them into new parts and cells.
Studies show that autophagy kicks in when you fast for at least 16-18 hours overnight. [1] [2] 6 [3]
Autophagy supports many important physiological functions, including
Combining carnivore with IF means that you’re nourishing your new cells with nutrient-dense foods loaded with fats and cholesterol that make up the membranes of all living cells.
The standard American diet calls for eating three high-carb meals per day with snacks in between.
This eating pattern leads to chronically high insulin levels, which are associated with
Intermittent fasting has been used to reduce hyperinsulinemia for over 100 years. [17]
Additionally, numerous studies show that diets that dramatically reduce carbs (like carnivore) can quickly reverse hyperinsulinemia. 4 5 6
Part and parcel to the standard American diet is food addiction. Addictive, hyper-palatable junk food is available everywhere, twenty-four hours a day.
A 2020 study in the Journal of Addiction Research looking at intermittent fasting as a treatment for food addiction found that “most if not all organ systems respond to intermittent fasting in ways that enable the organism to tolerate or overcome” food addiction. [27]
The researchers point out that after a fasting period, the type of food you refuel with is important for keeping food addiction in remission.
This is where combining IF with carnivore makes it an especially potent one-two punch that can knock out carb cravings and the addictive cycle that comes with them.
Here are a few tips for successfully combining the carnivore diet with intermittent fasting:
The Carnivore and intermittent fasting are a match made in metabolic heaven.
Studies show that for nearly 2 million years hunter-gatherers thrived on a hyper-carnivorous diet of fatty meats. Without refrigeration, our ancestors had to feast on meat while it was fresh. Between successful hunts (and feasts) they fasted. [1]
Our bodies are primed by millions of years of evolution to thrive on exactly this combination of eating practices.
Some of the key benefits of combining carnivore with intermittent fasting include:
Many carnivore dieters find that intermittent fasting is a natural response to eating highly satiating, nutrient-dense foods. In other words, it’s a no-brainer.
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