What If You Only Ate Meat?

Our initial meat-eating history dates back 2.5 million years. Before then, our ancestors exclusively consumed berries and blossoms as a vegan diet. Our systems only started to adapt to manage meat when early hominins started consuming more seeds and nuts, which resulted in greater fat and lower fiber intake. But what would happen if you stopped eating meat entirely?

In the absence of foods high in fiber, such as beans, broccoli, and lentils, you will have discomfort and constipation. Not to add, turning carbs into glucose is the easiest way for the body to produce energy. Your body will have to burn fat and break down essential proteins if you don't eat carbohydrates. Gluconeogenesis, the process by which protein is transformed into glucose, takes place in the liver and results in nitrogen waste that is transformed into urea. Protein poisoning, which can cause symptoms including nausea and diarrhea as well as perhaps fatality, can result from consuming too much.

It has even been proven that you could eat indefinitely and yet end up fading away if you just consumed lean meat, such as rabbit, which has very little fat. Low vitamin C levels might be another deadly factor. One of the few species that cannot produce vitamin B12 on their own is the human. Your body cannot properly produce collagen, a structural protein present in your tendons, ligaments, and skin, if it does not have easy access to Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables.

This will result in poor wound healing, decaying gums, personality changes, and an increased risk of scurvy. You would bleed or become infected and die if you were not treated. However, consuming raw meat may be a workaround for this. The majority of the vitamin C in meat is destroyed during cooking, yet whale blubber and its thick, chewy, collagen-rich skin may still absorb 36 mg of vitamin C per 100g meal. Much higher than the 10 mg required to prevent scurvy.

This takes us to an intriguing case: an Inuit traditional diet consisted mostly of what was hunted and fished, with little to no plant food, dairy products, or carbs. The Inuit were sculpted by low temperatures and a harsh environment. In spite of this, the rate of cardiac deaths was half that of Canadians and other Americans. When eating a high-fat diet devoid of fruits and vegetables, how can one stay healthy?

You can acquire your required intake of Vitamin A (essential for eyes and bones) and Vitamin D (important for bones) by snacking on organ meats like liver. Additionally, the vascular system and heart will benefit from eating oily fish high in omega-3 fatty acids. The bodies of Inuit people have evolved to regulate gluconeogenesis; they have bigger livers and produce more urine to eliminate the excess urea. A new genetic study that looked into the genomes of Greenland Inuit people discovered variations that had a protective impact against triglycerides and cholesterol.

It is therefore feasible to survive only on meat, but it is crucial to keep in mind that Northern societies have historically depended on animal diet due to necessity and situation. Unlike current low-carb diets, their high-fat diet was designed to maintain weight during days of hunting and times when food was scarce. Consider adhering to a balanced diet that includes foods from all the main food categories, unless you want to consume raw whale fat and organ meat and are blessed with favorable genetics.

**Conclusion**

In summary, the human diet has evolved significantly over millions of years, from a plant-based intake to one that includes meat. While our ancestors adapted to include meat as a vital part of their diet, eliminating meat entirely in the modern context presents challenges and potential health risks. A diet devoid of meat can lead to nutritional deficiencies, such as inadequate fiber intake, vitamin C deficiency, and issues related to protein metabolism. However, the case of the Inuit highlights that it is possible to thrive on a predominantly meat-based diet, provided it is balanced with essential nutrients and adapted to specific genetic and environmental factors.

Inuit populations, for example, have adapted to their harsh environment with unique physiological traits that allow them to maintain health on a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. Their ability to process high levels of fat and excrete excess urea is a testament to the body’s remarkable adaptability. Yet, this adaptation is specific to their historical and environmental context.

For most people today, achieving optimal health generally involves a balanced diet that includes a variety of food groups. While it is feasible to survive on a meat-only diet, incorporating a range of nutrients from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains supports overall well-being and prevents deficiencies. Unless one is prepared to embrace extreme dietary measures and has a genetic predisposition that supports such a lifestyle, a balanced diet remains the most practical and healthful approach for the majority of individuals.