@DrEricBerg Thinks People Should Experiment with the Carnivore Diet (RESPONSE)

Why Diets Should Be Personalized 0:00

I think it's very important for everyone to experiment and try different diets because the body is very, very different. You have different genetics, you have difference environments, different body problems. What's good for one person might not be the best for another. Of course, some people do have allergies or intolerances or may just feel better on a bit of a higher or lower carb diet, for example, but the foundations of healthy diet are pretty consistent across populations.

Core Principles of a Healthy Diet 0:18

Those foundations being a high fiber content from foods like fruits and vegetables while also focusing on protein from plant sources, with or without low saturated fat animal protein sources such as fish. So if Eric Berg is suggesting experimenting within that framework, it's pretty tough to argue from a health standpoint, but unfortunately this is what he says next. That being said, the carnivore diet produces some really amazing results for a lot of people.

Carnivore Diet Claims and Anecdotes 0:43

And I'm talking about anyone with gut issues, autoimmune problems. I suspect he's basing these claims on anecdotes, since I am not aware of any high quality data supporting a carnival diet in those contexts. But should people really experiment with diets as he suggests, just based on anecdote? Should people just go and try the cookie diet or the Twinkie diet as Mark Hobb, a researcher from Kansas State University did, where he lost weight, improved his biomarkers, and actually felt better? I don't think most people would get behind that, especially for long term health.

And we can find short term anecdotes for just about any kind of crazy diet out there.

Limits of Extreme Diet Experiments 1:16

Not to mention the many negative experiences of people trying the carnivore diet, which are almost never mentioned. But at the end of the day, we have a pretty good grasp on what's best longterm, and there's certainly room for experimenting within that. In case you're wondering, a zero fiber diet loaded with red meat does not fit that mold. Yes, people are different, but we're not that different.

Genetics and the Blood Type Diet 1:38

And studies assessing how genetics may influence how we respond to different diets have been underwhelming, to say the least. There's basically zero evidence to support the blood type diet, which is another one of these ideas.