Nicolette: 0:01

Welcome to the Health Pulse, your go-to source for quick, actionable insights on health, wellness and diagnostics. Whether you're looking to optimize your well-being or stay informed about the latest in medical testing, we've got you covered. Join us as we break down key health topics in just minutes. Let's dive in.

Rachel: 0:26

Welcome to the Deep Dive, your shortcut to being well-informed. Today we're jumping into a topic that well, it touches millions of lives and, honestly, it sparks some really fascinating, maybe even controversial, conversations. We're talking about fibromyalgia, and this isn't just, you know, everyday aches and pains. It's this complex, often really misunderstood condition Think chronic, widespread pain, unrelenting fatigue and just a whole host of other debilitating symptoms that can make daily life a real struggle. Buzz, this real curiosity about how diet fits into managing these symptoms. And this is where it gets really interesting, maybe even a bit wild. We're going to deep dive into the carnivore diet. Yeah, you heard that right. An eating pattern that's only animal products, no plants at all. It sounds pretty extreme, right, like a total 180.

Mark: 1:18

It absolutely can feel that way. But you know, what's truly fascinating here is that for some people really struggling with fibromyalgia making this radical shift, they've reported some pretty significant breakthroughs, things like fewer flare-ups, a noticeable boost in energy and just a much better quality of life overall. Now the direct large-scale research specifically on carnivore for fibromyalgia it's still coming along. But these anecdotal stories, they're really compelling and the early science does suggest that certain dietary interventions, especially where it's focused on lowering inflammation or acting as like a deep elimination diet, they might play a much bigger role than we used to think.

Rachel: 1:55

Okay. So our mission for this deep dive is clear. Then we're going to try and unearth how this carnivore diet might actually influence inflammation, gut health, those tricky chronic pain pathways in fibromyalgia. We'll look at the evidence we have, talk about real-world experiences and, crucially, try to cut through some of the noise about potential risks so you walk away with a really solid understanding. Let's unpack this All right. So, now that we've kind of set the stage for this pretty unique dietary approach, let's zoom back in on fibromyalgia itself, because to really get how the carnivore diet might help, we first need to grasp just how complex this condition is.

Rachel: 2:36

And it's not rare. The CDC estimates about 4 million adults in the US have it. The main things widespread musculoskeletal pain, often really severe fatigue, sleep problems and that frustrating brain fog people call fibro fog really severe fatigue, sleep problems and that frustrating brain fog people call fibrofog. Plus, there's this heightened sensitivity to pain. Even like a light touch can be agonizing for some. And what makes it so challenging for both patients and doctors is there's no single cause we can point to, no simple test. It seems to be this complex mix of factors.

Mark: 2:58

Exactly. Think of it like your body's pain messaging system getting kind of overloaded and hypersensitive. We call it central sensitization. Your brain and spinal cord basically start amplifying pain signals instead of calming them down. We also often see imbalances in key brain chemicals, neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which you know manage pain, mood, sleep. Then there can be hormonal things going on, maybe altered cortisol, thyroid issues, even down to the cellular level, those tiny energy factories, the mitochondria. They might not be working efficiently. That leads to oxidative stress, more inflammation feeding into the fatigue and pain cycle and increasingly we're seeing really strong links to gut dysbiosis. That's an imbalance in your gut bacteria and it's tied to inflammation throughout the whole body.

Rachel: 3:42

Wow, Okay, it sounds incredibly intricate, like a puzzle with lots of moving parts, and even with standard treatments things like antidepressants, nerve pain meds, exercise, better sleep habits, CBT a lot of patients still feel like they hit a wall, and it's that struggle right that pushes people to look for something different. Often, dietary changes are high on that list, which brings us right back to the carnivore diet. It might seem totally counterintuitive I mean it's so restrictive but it's grabbed attention precisely because of how it might impact inflammation, gut health, maybe even those autoimmune-like symptoms that often overlap with fibro. So let's get down to brass tacks. What is the carnivore diet exactly? At its core, it's super restrictive. You're eating only animal-based foods. So meat, beef, pork, lamb, chicken, fish, seafood, also eggs, Animal fats like tallow butter, ghee are usually in and for people really focused on nutrients, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds zero, Some people are even stricter and avoid dairy, while others might include some low-lactose options like hard cheese or butter.

Mark: 4:53

The main argument you know from people who promote it is that it acts as the ultimate elimination diet. It just systematically removes a whole bunch of common dietary triggers.

Rachel: 5:02

Okay, and what kind of triggers are we talking about?

Mark: 5:04

Well, things like oxalates you find those in spinach, nuts, that kind of thing Lectins, which are proteins, and legumes and grains that some people react badly to. Gluten, obviously, Other plant proteins and even things like fermentable fibers, FODMEPs, Stuff that's often healthy for most people but can cause major digestive upset, bloating pain for others, right.

Rachel: 5:24

So the idea is by stripping it all back to just animal foods, people report what kind of improvements.

Mark: 5:30

Anecdotally. You hear about a lot Joint and muscle pain easing up significantly, gut symptoms like bloating or IBS just disappearing. People talk about better mental clarity, like the fibro fog lifting, yeah, and more stable energy levels, fewer crashes.

Rachel: 5:44

So these are mostly individual stories, but they've definitely sparked a lot of interest, Using carnivore as this like radical tool for autoimmune issues, inflammation, chronic pain like fibromyalgia. But what's the science? How could this possibly work?

Mark: 5:56

That's the million dollar question. Right and look, we have to be upfront Direct big studies on carnivores specifically for fibromyalgia. They're pretty limited right now, but there are several really compelling biological mechanisms that suggest why it might actually offer real benefits for some people dealing with these kinds of chronic pain and fatigue syndromes. Okay, so number one probably the biggest reason it gets attention for chronic pain is its potential anti-inflammatory effect. We know chronic low-grade inflammation is a big piece of the fibromyalgia puzzle. Think about it the standard Western diet is often loaded with things that promote inflammation Refined carbs, seed oils high in omega-6, additives, sugar, artificial sweeteners all that stuff. The carnivore diet just wipes the slate clean of all of those and what's more? Animal foods, especially things like fatty fish or grass-fed meat, are naturally rich in compounds that can fight inflammation Omega-3s, cla, taurine, carnosine. These might directly help modulate immune responses and dial down pain signaling.

Rachel: 6:57

Okay, inflammation makes sense. What else?

Mark: 6:59

Next up, let's talk about gut health. There's more and more research linking gut problems like leaky gut or just an imbalance in bacteria dysbiosis, to chronic pain and even neuroinflammation and fibromyalgia. Now usually we hear about fiber for gut health right, but for some people certain plant compounds, fodmaps, lectins, maybe nightshades are actually major irritants. By removing all of those, the carnivore diet can act like a powerful gut reset for certain individuals Better digestion, less bloating, maybe fewer systemic symptoms that actually start in the gut.

Rachel: 7:32

Interesting, a gut reset. Okay, what's mechanism number three?

Mark: 7:35

Stabilized blood sugar and insulin. This is a big one, we know. Fibromyalgia is often linked with issues in how the body handles glucose, sometimes even insulin resistance. Big blood sugar spikes and crashes. They can absolutely worsen fatigue, inflammation and pain sensitivity. Because the carnivore diet has virtually zero carbs, it naturally keeps blood sugar super stable and lowers the insulin load. That alone could have a huge impact on energy regulation and reducing those inflammation cascades tied to metabolic issues.

Rachel: 8:04

Right Avoiding those sugar highs and lows Makes sense.

Mark: 8:07

Then there's the potential benefit of ketosis. When you eliminate carbs, your body can switch to burning fat for fuel and produce ketones like beta-hydroxybutyrate or BHB. And what's cool here is that ketones themselves seem to have beneficial effects. They've been shown to reduce neuroinflammation, make those cellular power plants, the mitochondria, run more efficiently and even directly modulate pain receptors. So this could lead to less perceived pain and more energy, hitting two major fibromyalgia symptoms right there.

Rachel: 8:35

Wow, okay, so ketones aren't just fuel. They have other effects too.

Mark: 8:38

Exactly. And finally, we can't ignore nutrient density. Animal foods are packed with highly bioavailable nutrients, things crucial for cell function, managing pain, making neurotransmitters. We're talking vitamin B12, iron in the heme form, which is easy to absorb, zinc, creatine, carnitine, coq10. The list goes on. A lot of these are harder to get or absorb well from plants and there's some evidence that people with fibromyalgia might actually be deficient in some of these key nutrients.

Rachel: 9:08

Okay, so pulling all that together, it really paints a picture, doesn't it? A compelling hypothesis at least, that for some people, fibromyalgia symptoms might really respond well to this kind of low-inflammatory, nutrient-packed animal-based approach Makes you think.

Mark: 9:21

And that brings us neatly, to the evidence. Again got to stress no huge clinical trials specifically on carnivore and fibromyalgia yet, but what we do have is growing indirect evidence supporting those mechanisms we just talked about, plus, honestly, incredibly compelling anecdotal support, especially from people with autoimmune or chronic pain issues who've tried it. I mean you can find thousands of reports online people saying they've had significant improvements in their fibro symptoms after going carnivore Things like less pain and tenderness, sleeping better, more energy, clearer thinking, less bloating and, really importantly, fewer of those awful flare-ups or crashes. You see these stories on places like Rivero, that health community. On Reddit threads our carnivore diet, our fibromyalgia. Tons of YouTube testimonials too People feeling like they've genuinely gotten their lives back.

Rachel: 10:07

Yeah, those stories are powerful, no doubt, but you know, for listeners wanting a bit more concrete data, even if direct carnivore studies are lacking, is there other science that kind of backs up why these experiences might be happening, like around the inflammation or gut health links?

Mark: 10:24

Absolutely. There's definitely a scientific foundation that supports the ideas behind it, even if the diet itself isn't named in this study. For example, there was a 2017 study showing fibromyalgia patients often have insulin resistance, even if they aren't diabetic. That strongly links metabolic health to chronic pain. Then, really interesting research in the journal Pain back in 2018 found significant gut microbiome imbalances in women with fibromyalgia. That clearly points to a gut pain connection. And we do have studies on ketogenic diets, which are pretty similar you know, low carb, high fat showing they can reduce pain sensitivity and improve fatigue and brain function in chronic pain patients.

Rachel: 11:01

Okay, so the pieces are there, scientifically speaking.

Mark: 11:04

Exactly, if you connect the dots these studies, they build a scientific rationale for why a diet like carnivore might help, especially if someone's fibromyalgia seems really driven by gut issues or inflammation or metabolic stress. But and this is the crucial, but it's definitely not a guaranteed fix. It's not going to be a miracle cure for every single person.

Rachel: 11:24

That's for really important reality check and it leads us right into the controversy, the concerns. We need to guide people through the valid cautions versus maybe some overstated fears. Let's start with nutrient variety and, you know, can people actually stick with this long term? Critics often worry about missing vitamin C, fiber, all those plant phytonutrients.

Mark: 11:43

Right, and this is where we need some nuance. It's fascinating, actually, organ meats, especially liver they do contain vitamin C, along with tons of other micronutrients, so you're eating truly nose to tail. It's not like vitamin C is completely absent. And fiber we've always heard it's essential, right, but it might not be for everyone. There was actually a randomized trial in 2012 that found reducing or even eliminating fiber improves constipation for some people.

Rachel: 12:08

It kind of challenges that OK, the liver thing is interesting about vitamin C, but let's be honest, how many people are really going to eat liver regularly? Is that practical and beyond nutrients? What about the social side? I mean this diet is so restrictive it could easily lead to feeling isolated, make eating out super hard. Couldn't it also risk triggering disordered eating for some people and just be plain difficult to sustain?

Mark: 12:35

That's an absolutely critical point. Fibromyalgia patients often already carry a heavy psychological burden. Depression anxieties are common. So you have to ask how do you balance this kind of dietary rigidity with mental well-being, with flexibility? It's a huge factor for sticking with anything long-term and for overall quality of life, not just symptom scores.

Rachel: 12:56

Totally. And then there's the big one everyone hears about the link between red or processed meat and cancer, especially colorectal cancer.

Mark: 13:03

Yeah, and this really needs a closer look. What's interesting is most of that research it's observational. It can show a link, a correlation, but it can't prove cause and effect, and these studies often struggle to properly account for other lifestyle factors. Smoking, drinking, being sedentary, eating lots of refined carbs All things we know increase cancer risk. Plus, they often lump highly processed meats like hot dogs or deli meats together with unprocessed meat like a steak, and those are really different things nutritionally and how they're made. Nutritionally and how they're made. There was a big umbrella review in Nature Medicine in 2022 that looked at all the evidence. It concluded the certainty of a direct causal link between unprocessed red meat and chronic disease was low to very low. It doesn't mean zero risk, especially with lots of processed or charred meat, but it strongly suggests context and quality matter. It's just not as simple as red meat is bad.

Rachel: 13:55

That context is so important. Okay, another common concern kidney strain from all the protein, especially if someone already has kidney issues. But what about? For healthy people? Is a high-protein diet really hard on the kidneys?

Mark: 14:07

This is a really common misconception. The overwhelming evidence now shows that high-protein diets do not harm kidney function in people with healthy kidneys. Our kidneys are incredibly adaptive. Study after study shows healthy kidneys just adapt to handle more protein without losing function. That idea of strain isn't necessarily harmful unless you already have kidney disease or maybe uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension. A 2021 review in a major kidney journal confirmed this. Healthy people on higher protein diets showed no decline in kidney function. When measured accurately, healthy kidneys can handle it.

Rachel: 14:42

Okay, that's a crucial clarification for healthy folks, but it's absolutely vital to stress if you do have pre-existing chronic kidney disease, CKD or any kidney impairment.

Mark: 14:53

Absolutely.

Rachel: 14:53

Protein intake needs to be carefully managed with your doctor. This is not something to experiment with casually if your kidneys aren't working well.

Mark: 15:00

Couldn't agree more. Medical supervision is key there.

Rachel: 15:02

So, wrapping this section up, it seems clear the carnivore diet isn't some magic bullet for everyone, but it could be a really valuable tool for a specific group of people with fibromyalgia, especially maybe those who haven't found relief elsewhere or have really strong food sensitivities.

Mark: 15:18

Right If we try to picture who might benefit most well, definitely people with fibro who also have major gut issues, bloating, ibs, lots of food sensitivities. This diet might calm that gut-brain connection down. Also, maybe those with suspected autoimmune overlap things like Hashimoto's, lupus, ra. Anecdotally some see improvements, possibly because those plant compounds that might trigger immune reactions are gone. People who already know certain foods make them worse Grains, legumes, nightshades, maybe high oxalate foods. Carnivore gives them a really clean baseline. And maybe folks struggling with energy crashes, blood sugar swings. That metabolic stability could be huge for them.

Rachel: 15:57

OK, and on the flip side, who really needs to be cautious, or maybe avoid it altogether?

Mark: 16:02

Well, anyone with a history of eating disorders really needs to tread carefully. The extreme restriction could be triggering or reinforce unhealthy patterns. Psychological readiness is key and, as we just stressed, people with advanced chronic kidney disease. High protein is fine for healthy kidneys, but not necessarily for damaged ones without medical guidance.

Rachel: 16:21

Right.

Mark: 16:22

Pregnant or breastfeeding women too. Nutritional needs are sky high then, and we just don't have long-term safety data. It might be possible with careful planning, but it's probably not ideal. And finally, if you're on certain medications diuretics, blood pressure beds, lithium definitely talk to your doctor first. Low carb diets can affect how these work.

Rachel: 16:46

So what really stands out here is that this carnivore approach. It can be seen as a kind of therapeutic experiment for some fibromyalgia sufferers, a potential tool, but you absolutely have to go in with your eyes open, be flexible and keep evaluating how it's working for you. It's not a universal fix.

Mark: 16:58

Exactly, and if you're considering trying to manage fibromyalgia, it's really important to do it strategically. It's not just about cutting out plants. You need to think about nutrients hydration monitoring First off. Maybe think of it as a short-term trial initially, say two to four weeks. Treat it like an elimination protocol. See how your symptoms change, reset things, maybe identify sensitivities if you decide to reintroduce foods later and track everything your pain levels, energy, mood, digestion Keep a log. That way you can look back objectively and see if it actually made a difference for you.

Rachel: 17:30

Good tip Track everything, what else?

Mark: 17:33

Second, prioritize nutrient density. Don't just eat lean chicken breasts right To avoid deficiencies. You really want to try and include organ meats liver, heart, kidney. They're powerhouses for vitamin A, b12, iron, choline. Also, eat fatty cuts of meat for energy and consider things like bone broth for collagen, glycine, minerals. That whole nose-to-tail idea is really about maximizing nutrition from the animal.

Rachel: 17:56

Okay, so focus on quality and variety within animal foods. Got it.

Mark: 18:00

Third, hydration and electrolytes are key. When you cut carbs way down, your insulin drops and you can lose more sodium. This can lead to fatigue headaches that keto flu people talk about. So make sure you're adding enough salt, like sea salt, to your food. Maybe consider magnesium and potassium supplements, especially at the start, and drink plenty of water Super important that first week or two.

Rachel: 18:21

Right Electrolytes often overlooked.

Mark: 18:28

Fourth, think about getting some lab work done Before you start. Maybe baseline tests for kidney function, egfr, maybe cystatin C, liver enzymes, lipids, maybe an inflammation marker like CRP. Then maybe repeat some key labs after, say, six to 12 weeks, see how things are changing. It gives you objective data and helps ensure you're doing okay, especially if you have other health conditions.

Rachel: 18:44

Monitoring labs makes sense for such a big change.

Mark: 18:47

Fifth, and this is probably the most important, try to work with a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner if you can, especially if you have CKD, diabetes, autoimmune issues. They can help track those labs, adjust medications if needed because sometimes dosages need to change on low-carb diets and just help personalize things based on how your body is responding. That guidance can be invaluable.

Rachel: 19:10

Yeah, having a partner in this journey seems wise.

Mark: 19:13

And finally, listen to your body Watch for warning signs. If you feel persistently awful, really fatigued, lightheaded, severely constipated, losing appetite, losing weight too fast, or if your fibro symptoms actually get worse after the initial adjustment period, then this might not be the right approach for you right now. It's okay to modify it or stop. Remember the best diet is always the one that works best for you as an individual.

Rachel: 19:36

That's such a crucial final point. So, pulling all this together, what's the big takeaway? Fibromyalgia it's undeniably complex. It often sends people down this long, frustrating road of trial and error trying to find relief. The carnivore diet yeah, it's unconventional, but it offers this really structured, deeply anti-inflammatory approach that honestly seems worth considering, particularly if you're dealing with major gut issues, maybe autoimmune overlap or just unrelenting chronic pain that hasn't budged with other treatments.

Mark: 20:05

I agree. The emerging science, even indirectly, plus those thousands of anecdotal reports. They point to real, plausible mechanisms for how carnivore might reduce fibromyalgia flares, boost energy and genuinely improve quality of life for some individuals. But we have to say it again, it is not cure and it's definitely not right or helpful for everyone. It's a powerful tool potentially, but needs to be used wisely.

Rachel: 20:30

So the key advice we've talked through today approach it with an open mind, but also with real strategy. Think short trial, first track everything meticulously, focus on nutrient density and electrolytes and please, if possible, work with a knowledgeable practitioner, especially if you have underlying health conditions.

Mark: 20:53

Absolutely. And maybe a final thought for you listening whether going carnivore ends up being a long-term path for you or maybe just a short-term experiment on your health journey, you could offer some really valuable insights, maybe significant relief and perhaps most importantly, a renewed sense of control over your fibromyalgia.

Nicolette: 21:07

Thanks for tuning into the Health Pulse. If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe and share it with someone who might benefit. For more health insights and diagnostics, visit us online at wwwquicklabmobilecom. Stay informed, stay healthy and we'll catch you in the next episode.