Carnivore Diets for Mental Health? Exploring the Science Behind Meat, Mood, and Metabolism

As rates of depression, anxiety, and treatment-resistant mental illness rise globally, many individuals are experimenting with unconventional dietary approaches to try and resolve their symptoms. One of the most radical and potentially the most promising is the carnivore diet: a way of eating that includes only animal-based foods like meat, fish, eggs, organ meat and animal fats.

While this zero-carb, high-fat diet may seem extreme, there are many reasons that it may offer unique benefits for brain health by targeting the root causes of mental illness, including mitochondrial dysfunction, insulin resistance, inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and neurotransmitter imbalances. This blog explores how a carnivore or animal-based diet may support mental health and examines the scientific studies backing it up.

💭Mental Illness as a Metabolic Condition

Traditional psychiatry often views mental illness through a psychological or neurochemical lens, but this way of thinking is changing. An alternative view that is starting to gain widespread support proposes that disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are rooted in metabolic dysfunction of the brain, particularly at the level of the mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles within brain cells. I covered this in my blog ‘Rewire Your Brain Energy: Are Mitochondria The Keys To Mental Health - Part One’ and I recommend you have a read of it too. The bottom line is that when mitochondria become dysfunctional, neurons start to struggle which may manifest as brain fog, low mood, anxiety, psychosis, or cognitive decline.

Metabolic strategies like ketogenic diets, including meat-based versions such as the carnivore diet, may help restore brain energy production and mental stability. This blog breaks down the science to help provide information on why a carnivore ketogenic approach may be so helpful for some people.

🥩Carnivore Diets, Ketosis & Mitochondrial Function

A well formulated carnivore diet is inherently low in carbohydrates and high in fat, it is in effect a ketogenic diet meaning that it promotes ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat for fuel and produces ketone molecules like beta-hydroxybutyrate. In this situation there are insufficient carbohydrates to meet metabolic requirements, causing ketones to replace glucose as a preferential energy source. Ketosis, the state when we are making and burning ketones, is an evolutionarily conserved metabolic state that enables us to survive in times of food scarcity by burning our own body fat. Most anthropologists believe that modern humans evolved as Homo Sapiens eating a diet high in fatty animal foods and low in starchy plant foods, meaning that we were likely in a state of nutritional ketosis for much of the time. In fact we were hyper carnivores getting most of our energy from meat, seafood and eggs with small amount of tubers and berries.

Ketones have a positive impact on brain health in many different ways, all of which target mechanisms that might be dysfunctional in someone with poor metabolic health.

• Efficient Energy Source: Ketones, particularly beta-hydroxybutyrate, provide an efficient and stable energy source for the brain, heart, and muscles.

• Reduction of Oxidative Stress & Inflammation: Ketones reduce oxidative stress by lowering the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during energy production and signal to directly dampen inflammation via the NLRP3 inflammasome helping prevent and resolve inflammation.

• Neuroprotective Effects: Ketones support brain health by providing an alternative fuel that can bypass problems with the burning of glucose, they can also help to promote the ability of neurons to grow and reorganise or rewire connections and support the production of neurotrophic factors (such as brain derived neurotrophic factor). In addition, ketones can help prevent neurons from self-destructing, something called apoptosis.

• Neurotransmitters: Ketogenic diets have been shown to help balance the level of GABA and glutamate two important neurotransmitters. GABA is a calming neurotransmitter and puts the brakes on brain activity whereas glutamate is excitatory and ramps it up. Ketones increase GABA production and dampen glutamate.

• Mitohormesis: when a small amount of stress has a beneficial effect on the mitochondria. The moderate level of free radicals produced by mitochondria when eating a ketogenic diet have been shown to protect against chronic disease by upregulating mitochondrial capacity and endogenous (internally produced) antioxidants.

You can read more about these mechanisms in part 2 of the blog mentioned above.

So, you might be wondering what does all this have to do with a carnivore diet? Well nothing really as you can eat a ketogenic diet and avoid all animal products (although it is difficult to do) and potentially still get these benefits. But there are additional reasons that you might want to try eating a carnivore ketogenic diet.

🦠Gut Health & A Carnivore Diet

The first is improved gut health. There is plenty of evidence that gut health is linked with mental health. The gut-brain axis is the communication pathway between the digestive tract and the central nervous system. Emerging research links gut inflammation and dysbiosis to depression, anxiety, and even autism spectrum disorder. Improving gut health might therefore be key to improving mental health.

It could be argued that the worst gut health might be found in inflammatory bowel conditions like Chron’s disease and Ulcerative colitis. Many people have reported that low fibre diets have been helpful for this condition, and they are even used in the NHS to help manage inflammatory flare-ups. A low fibre diet means less plant food which means more animal food. A case report of 10 people using a carnivore diet for inflammatory bowel disease found clinical improvements were universal, with clinical improvement scores ranging between 72 and 165 points using the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire. The diets comprised mostly meat, eggs, and animal fats and the individuals reported it was pleasurable, sustainable, and unequivocally enhance their quality of life.

🌿Eliminating Plant Foods

The second potential benefit of a carnivore diet is that it removes plant foods which contains antinutrients like lectins, phytates and oxalates. In addition, all processed food additives, and some dietary irritants such as gluten are also excluded. Gluten itself has been reported as a cause of mental illness with case reports attributing the onset of psychosis to gluten consumption. There are many anecdotal reports that removing these irritants improves gut health, reduces bloating and IBS symptoms, and enhances mood and cognitive clarity.

Examples of nutrients blocked by anti-nutrients which are needed for brain health include:

• Iron (especially heme iron), blocked by: phytates (found in grains, legumes, nuts, seeds); polyphenols (in tea, coffee and some fruits).

• Zinc, blocked by: phytates.

• Magnesium, blocked by: phytates, oxalates (in spinach, beets, almonds).

You can read more about anti-nutrients in this blog about autoimmunity.

🔥Inflammation & A Carnivore Diet

Third, carnivore diets may reduce inflammation. Chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation interferes with neurotransmitter function, brain plasticity, and energy metabolism, all linked to psychiatric conditions. This might be because the diet eliminating inflammatory seed oils and sugar, it provides a good balance of fatty acids including a human species appropriate balance of omega 3:6 fats.

🧠Nutrients for Brain Health and a Carnivore Diet

Fourth, carnivore diets provide abundance nutrients required for optimal neurotransmitter function. Protein and in particular the amino acids tryptophan are important for the production of neurotransmitters, in addition there are important micronutrients that acts as essential cofactors including choline, B vitamins, zinc, iron, copper, calcium, selenium, magnesium, vitamin D and omega-3 fats.

So lets take a look at the nutrients that we need to support brain health in more detail.

Nutrients That Support Mental Health

Optimal brain function depends on a steady supply of key nutrients, many of which are most abundant and bioavailable in animal foods (highlighted below). These nutrients support neurotransmitter production, protect against inflammation, and keep brain cells energized and resilient.

🔹 Vitamin B12

Essential for brain and nervous system health, B12 helps build the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibres, supports neurotransmitter synthesis, and reduces homocysteine, which can cause neurodegeneration. Also required for energy production, methylation and phospholipid production (essential for cell membranes). Deficiency is linked to depression, cognitive decline, and even psychosis. Only found in animal foods: liver, beef, sardines, salmon, eggs, dairy.

🔹 Other B Vitamins (B1, B6, B9)

The B-complex vitamins are critical for producing brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. B1 (Thiamine): supports acetylcholine and serotonin production. Food sources include pork, liver and eggs. B2 (Riboflavin) involved with mitochondrial energy production, antioxidant support (in particular glutathione recycling). Best sources are liver, eggs, dairy (if tolerated), beef. B3 (Niacin): roles in DNA repair, mitochondrial energy production and neuroprotection. Good sources include: liver, chicken and turkey, beef, tuna, salmon. B5 (Pantothenic Acid): supports acetylcholine synthesis which acts as a neurotransmitter. Best animal food sources: liver, egg yolks, chicken. B6 (Pyridoxine): helps synthesize GABA, serotonin, and dopamine; also important for myelin formation. Food sources include liver, salmon, chicken. B9 (Folate): involved in mood-regulating neurotransmitters and methylation. Good levels found in liver and eggs to a lesser extent.

🔹 Zinc

Zinc regulates neurotransmission, supports brain plasticity, and helps control stress hormones like cortisol. It also modulates glutamate activity, which may reduce excitotoxicity, and promotes BDNF expression, key for learning and memory.

🔹 Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA & EPA)

These fats are key structural components of brain cell membranes. DHA is especially important for membrane fluidity and neuronal signalling, while EPA has anti-inflammatory effects that may benefit mood and cognition.

🔹 Choline

Choline is a precursor for acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory and attention. It also supports methylation and brain development. Rich sources include egg yolks, liver, beef, and fish.

🔹 Iron, Zinc, and Copper

These trace minerals are co-factors in dopamine and serotonin synthesis. Iron also helps deliver oxygen to the brain and supports energy production at the mitochondrial level. Iron is found in beef, lamb and dark poultry meat. Zinc in oysters (the richest source), beef, liver, lamb, egg yolks, cheese. Copper is found in liver (especially beef liver), kidneys, shellfish (especially oysters and crab), heart (especially lamb and beef).

🔹 Tryptophan

An amino acid found in meat, eggs, and fish, tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, and appetite.

🔹 Vitamin D

With receptors throughout the brain, vitamin D supports the production of neurotrophic factors like BDNF and helps regulate immune responses and inflammation. It also plays a role in serotonin and dopamine balance. It is found in cod liver oil as well as fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, anchovies, sardines), egg yolks, beef liver, cheese, oysters and shrimp.

Comparison of Brain-Supportive Nutrients: Animal vs Plant Foods

🍖What Does the Research Say About A Carnivore or Meat Diet and Mental Health?

As you might expect there are not that many recent studies provide growing support for the role of meat in supporting mental well-being, but what there has been proves interesting and supportive of the benefits of a carnivore approach. There are a few observational studies and one study of self-reported benefits of a carnivore diet.

✅ More Meat Consumption – Improved Well-being

A scoping review Dobersek et al. (2023) found that in several studies, meat consumption was associated with greater psychological well-being, including higher self-esteem and a greater sense of meaning in life.

✅ Red Meat Reduces Anxiety

An Australian study Jacka et al. (2012) found that women consuming red meat within recommended levels had significantly lower risk of mood and anxiety disorders compared to those who ate too little.

✅ Carnivore Diet Improves Mood

A social media survey study of 2,029 people Lennerz et al. (2021) following a strict carnivore diet found that 95% reported improvements in mental clarity, mood, and anxiety. Most participants also reported resolution of pre-existing psychiatric symptoms without medications.

✅ Subjective Experiences Following a Self-Conceived “Carnivore Diet”

Klement and Matzat (2025) surveyed 24 individuals about why they adopted a carnivore diet, what they consumed as part of it and what their self-perceived health outcomes were. The majority of participants reported improvements in all health-related categories including mental clarity, memory, focus and energy, however, these participants did not all have mental health conditions.

Figure 2 Subjective changes in health-related categories after switching to a carnivore diet from Klement and Matzat (2025).

There are many anecdotal tales of people achieving complete remission of serious mental illness. I have seen this myself as a nutritional therapy practitioner, I have a case report of remission of schizophrenia using a carnivore diet currently awaiting publication. I have another case report for anxiety using a carnivore diet also ready to go. Many of my clients who want to improve their mental health get the best results when they move towards an animal-based approach or a carnivore diet. In my experience adding more animal products, especially red meat, into the diet makes a significant difference.

Taking this back to how we evolved as humans, the work of researchers like Mann and Cordain demonstrate how changes to our diet started during the Neolithic period when early man began to domesticate animals and grow crops and intensified more recently in the Industrial Revolution. This reduced the intake of meat and increased consumption of foods high in starch and sugars, ultimately changing the macro and micronutrient content of the diet with far reaching health consequences. Perhaps this is the final bit of information you might need to try adding more red meat to your diet to help complete the puzzle to find the solution to your own health problems.

📓Summary

The carnivore diet is not likely to suit everyone and but for those who have struggled to find a way forward and have treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or cognitive fog, moving towards an animal-based approach offers a powerful nutritional intervention targeting many root causes of brain dysfunction. By supporting mitochondria, improving insulin signalling, healing the gut-brain axis, calming inflammation, and supplying brain-critical nutrients… this way of eating may offer something no pill can match.

As always, any dietary change, especially one as radical as carnivore, it should be done thoughtfully, ideally working with a suitably qualified nutrition professional. In addition, if you have a serious mental illness or are taking medication then it should be done in collaboration with your medical provider. Because it can be a powerful therapeutic tool medication often needs to be reduced and it is important to get good advice on how to taper safely.

It also doesn’t necessarily mean that you must stay on a strict carnivore diet forever, my clients can often add back in some vegetables and fruit once they have healed their gut and brain and opt for a more liberal ketogenic approach. For those who’ve exhausted conventional approaches, eating meat might just be the missing piece of the puzzle!

Perhaps you might like to check out my Carnivore Reset Challenge Guides

You can also book a free 30-minute call with me to find out how I can help support you to achieve your health goals.

Disclaimer: Before changing your diet or lifestyle and taking any supplements always seek the advice of your doctor or another suitably qualified professional such as a nutritional therapist. The content of this blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with regards to any questions you have about a medical condition.

References

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