How Do You Get Fiber on a Carnivore Diet?
3 years ago
The carnivore diet has been getting more attention in recent times. It is rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals. It is an ideal diet to improve your health and longevity. Many studies recommend the carnivore diet as a lifestyle change because of its health benefits.
Most of you might be wondering, how do I get fiber in plant-free food? Or, Do I need to add fiber to a carnivore diet? Or should I need some supplements?
This article helps you to understand better the role of fiber in your carnivore diet.
The carnivore diet aims for zero carbs. The carnivore diet is all about eating animal sources with zero carbs and eliminating plant foods. Carnivore diet recommends eating head to tail, fatty meals to get all the essential nutrients.
Fiber is a type of carb that cannot be digested. Although most of the carbs are broken down into sugar molecules, fiber cannot be broken down into sugar molecules. Instead, it passes through the body undigested. There are two types of fiber, namely soluble and insoluble.
It is found in veggies, fruits, oats, and oat bran, as these absorb water and slow down digestion.
It is found in fruit peels, whole grains, corn, and brown rice. This type of fiber improves digestion.
Many of you might have heard that fiber is essential for a healthy gut. Fiber is good for gut health and reduces heart diseases, stroke, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. In fact, experts recommend children and adults should consume only 20 to 30 gms of fiber. However, too much fiber in your diet might lead to several health problems such as bloating of the stomach, cramping, and intestinal gas.
Also, recent studies claim fiber is not necessary for healthy digestion. They may interrupt the functionality of the colon. The colon’s main function is to absorb water; fiber does most of the functions of the colon when you eat high-fiber diet foods. Fiber absorbs the water, creates bulk and consistency of stool. Due to this, the colon becomes Less functional, and the colon muscle becomes weak. This happens when you choose to be vegan or if you choose a high plant food-based diet.
If you plan to switch from a plant-based diet to a carnivore diet, you might wonder how I get fiber in a carnivore diet? You don’t need fiber in a carnivore diet.
Many experts, dietitians, and nutritionists complain that a carnivore diet would lead to constipation. But it’s normal to poop less in a fiber-free diet. Meat takes more time to digest when compared to plant foods; your body needs to adapt to a new diet and hence, expect to experience a new pooping schedule. When you are on a carnivore diet, your poop will be regular, predictable, and yet less frequent. Hence, do not panic; give some time for your body to heal.
Another reason is the body would be completely dependent on fiber for easy digestion due to your colon muscles being completely weak; it does need some time to recover. During this phase of time, you might feel uncomfortable and may experience loose stools. Hence, in such conditions, keep yourself hydrated and drink lots of water.
Studies suggest that fiber is good for intestinal bacteria; it helps grow gut bacteria and releases unwanted gas. What happens in a carnivore diet? Meat is enriched with micronutrients such as iron, selenium, vitamin A, B12, and folic acid. These nutrients are absent in plant foods. Meat is rich in proteins and has low carbs; hence, the absorption rate of meat is good, and no nutrients are wasted.
According to Studies, meat is the best source of protein and a low-carb product. It contributes to the low glycemic index, which is assumed to be beneficial for overweight, diabetes, and cancer.
Some studies suggest that one can include dietary fiber in meat products. This will add to many benefits such as water retention, emulsion stability, texture modification, and neutral flavor. But all these are still in the research stage, and no evident data has been provided.
Colon is enough to digest the meat; you do not require dietary fiber. You can take advice from your dietitian before considering dietary fiber supplements. It would be an easy go-to to restrict carbs and switch to a carnivore diet if you are on a keto diet. You might have keto flu for some days, after which your body will get adjusted to the diet.
There are several reasons for constipation when you start a carnivore diet.
All you need to remember is your body needs time to heal. When you shift suddenly from low fat, high fiber plant diet to a high fat, high protein, and zero carb diet, your gut takes time to get adapted to a new change. During this phase, you can experience constipation, diarrhea, and other unusual bowel issues.
Your gut microbiome is the home of various bacteria. When you shift from a high carb, high fiber diet to a carnivore diet, they need time to adapt. Some bacteria that feed on carbs will die, and bacteria that feed on fat will multiply. This is temporary, and during this face, you may experience constipation.
The carnivore diet is protein-rich; it consists of long chains of amino acids. Your gastric juices and digestive enzymes break down the protein and later get absorbed in the small intestine. When you consume more protein, your body produces more acid to digest it; hence you might feel acidic in the initial stages.
Experts say that in human evolution, it was seen that humans had naturally high stomach acid, which proves that humans used to eat a lot of meat.
Bile production also would increase as it is a must for fat digestion. When you consume more fat in the carnivore diet, your body reacts and produces more bile juice to break down your body fat. Similarly, gastric juices may even take some time to get adjusted to your body.
Excess proteins in your carnivore diet are the main reason behind constipation. When pumping too much protein into your body, your system needs time to adjust and digest these proteins. Hence in the carnivore diet, initially, you should include more fat-cut meat. Fatty meat helps you to avoid gluconeogenesis.
Yes, you can reduce the symptoms of keto flu and constipation. Here are some tips
The carnivore diet is not a new trend; we have evolved from eating meat. Hence, our body is used to eating and digesting meat. Although you may need some time to get adjusted, that’s fine. Keep yourself hydrated and stay active. You can talk to your health experts if you need any dietary fiber supplements.
Dr. Rashmi Byakodi is a health and wellness writer who aims to spread awareness about health through her words. With her medical background and a passion for writing, she has been creating health content on various platforms. Dr. Rashmi believes that with the right knowledge and a healthy lifestyle, we can combat many health issues, and she strives to spread the same through her blog posts.
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