Food Freedom Friday Edition 285 - Carnivore Digestion Concerns

Often, the challenges people experience on a carnivore diet come back to dysfunction in the digestive system. Digestive dysfunction is extremely common as a result of a Standard American Diet, and digestion is poor prior to adopting a carnivore or meat-base diet, the diet can, unfortunately, highlight these issues further. This doesn't mean carnivore is bad! In fact, through an adaptation process a carnivore diet may the best way to reverse digestive dysfunction, and by identifying and addressing the roots of your digestive dysfunction you can reap the benefits of a carnivore diet more than ever before.

There are several common complaints from those following a carnivore way of eating that can make people wonder if this diet is right for them, or cause them to abandon it before they've experienced the benefits. Most commonly people experience a lack of appetite, or, on the other hand, insatiable hunger; they lose their appetite for fat or meat; they struggle with diarrhea or constipation and lastly, they experience weight gain.

Most or all of these complaints can be directly tied to poor digestion, originating in the stomach, pancreas and especially the fat metabolism functions of the gallbladder.

After the digestion process starts with chewing in the mouth, food travels to the stomach where sufficient levels of hydrochloric acid are needed to begin the process of breaking down the food. Next it travels into the duodenum, the lower part of the stomach, where pancreatic enzymes are secreted to break down proteins and fats, and where bile is secreted from the liver and gallbladder to break down fats into fatty acids. These broken-down food particles can then move into the intestines where nutrients and fatty acids are absorbed into the blood stream and used by the body. If the body is not able to perform any of these functions sufficiently, you fail to receive the benefits of the micro and macro nutrients of your food, and experience symptoms directly related to poor digestion.

Digestive dysfunction can cause a myriad of problems for people eating any diet, probably most notably long-term nutrient deficiencies, but they can get by day-to-day with minimal symptoms by eating foods that are simple to digest. If one has pre-existing digestive dysfunction, a carnivore diet may demand attention to the digestive system right at the start.

There are several reasons the carnivore diet exacerbates digestive dysfunction.

The fats found in animal products contain longer chain fatty acids than those fats from plant products and therefore require extra work to digest. Even fats like coconut oil and MCT oil, very popular in ketogenic diets, do not depend upon bile emulsification or pancreatic lipase for assimilation like animal fats, so dysfunction in the gallbladder or pancreas won't cause issues with them the same way it will for digesting animal fats.

Protein is also a significantly more complex molecule than that of fat and especially carbohydrates. A carnivore diet generally includes higher protein than even a ketogenic diet, and these proteins require some extra work and time to digest. When proteins aren't digested properly, they are very prone to stay in the digestive system and putrefy. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are a very quick, simple source of energy, they are easy and simple for the body to digest.

This doesn't imply that meat-based diets are bad, or even bad for someone with digestive issues! In a healthy state, which can be achieved by identifying and addressing the root causes of compromised digestion, proteins and animal fats can easily be digested properly and the body can reap all the amazing benefits.

Symptoms Of Poor Digestion

Nausea

Along with breaking down fats, bile from the liver and gallbladder is essential for eliminating toxins. Without sufficient bile, toxins can build up resulting in nausea associated with eating. Detox reactions are common with a carnivore diet as the body, finally equipped with extremely nutrient dense foods and unimpaired by sugar and phytonutrients, adjusts hormones and toxins. Impaired bile production could significantly delay these adaptations.

Sub-Optimal Stools

It may be a good habit to start checking out your stool regularly because it can be very indicative of the state of your digestion! If your stool is Floating, greasy or shiny or light or clay colored, this is an indicator that your body is not digesting the fat in your diet well. Without sufficient bile, the fat you eat is passing right through you and showing up in your stools, rather than getting broken down into the fatty acids and being used for energy the way you need. Since fat and water do not mix, the undigested fat in stools causes them to float, and shiny looking stools are full of the fat that should not have made its way all the way through your digestive system.

Intolerance To Eating Fat/Loss Of Taste For Meat

These are simple, strong signs from your body that it is not digesting fats or proteins. If fats are not tolerated, the issue almost certainly resides in bile production, while undigested protein most likely stems from low stomach acid.

Bloating, Belching & Gas

These are some of the main symptoms people are relieved to lose when switching to carnivore, but unfortunately for others they persist. Generally bloating and gas are simple indications that your body is struggling to digest a certain food, which is why it's commonplace to experience them when eating indigestible foods like grains and high fiber. In fact, following a carnivore diet usually increases sensitivity to plant-based foods and bloating can be an immediate sign that some snuck into your diet. If bloating, belching, or gas occurs from simply eating animal-based products, it can be a sign that this food is not being digested. Gas builds up in the digestive system as undigested foods, especially protein, putrefy and create gas.

Experiencing symptoms within an hour of eating is a sign that this is happening higher up in the digestive system, probably as a result of low stomach acid, while symptoms an hour or more after eating are probably a sign that the undigested food is further along, associated with insufficient pancreatic enzymes.

Lack Of Appetite

If you are following a ketogenic or carnivore diet and wake up not feeling like eating until late morning or lunch time, the first assumption is that this is sign of fat adaption, as you are hungry less often and your body is affording you the opportunity to fast a little each day. However, it could also be a sign that food is digesting too slowly from the night before because of insufficient hydrochloric acid and/or pancreatic enzymes.

Weight Loss Resistance Or Weight Gain

Weight gain and weight loss stalls on keto and carnivore are hot topics that are still being fully understood. It is important to realize that these cases are the exception, as opposed to the norm, and any high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet is without a doubt the best method for losing weight. However, impaired digestion of micro and macro nutrients can affect weight gain and weight loss through impaired satiety and metabolism.

Diarrhea Or Constipation

Although these symptoms are opposites, both can be signs of impaired digestion. Both have a variety of different causes. It can be common for diarrhea to be a normal adaptation to a carnivore diet, even when coming from keto. But when bile is improperly reabsorbed in the small intestine, often as a result of the walls of the small intestine being compromised by undigested food particles originating in the stomach and duodenum, the bile in the small intestine can cause diarrhea. Undigested fat in the small intestine as a result of insufficient bile flow can stick to the walls of the small intestine can cause constipation. If diarrhea or constipation last more than four to six weeks after switching to carnivore, the cause is likely other than adaption.

Insatiety

If food, especially the high-fat, quality foods eaten on a carnivore diet, do not seem to be filling you up, causing you to constantly feel hungry or overeat, it may be because you are simply not digesting them. If pancreatic or bile insufficiency is keeping fats and proteins from being absorbed, it may feel quite simply like you are not eating these foods at all, because in reality, you are not. This means you can also look for any symptoms of a low-fat, low-protein, or even low-calorie diet, such as low-energy and nutrient deficiencies. If someone on a carnivore diet is experiencing symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, it is much more likely that they are not absorbing those nutrients than that they are not eating them. Undigested food in the stools is also a sign of pancreatic insufficiency.

Causes Of Digestive Dysfunction

High Carbohydrate Diet

Low stomach acid can easily result from the carbohydrate load of a Standard American Diet, likely as a result of the inflammation and stress on the body its effect on the microbiome.

Stress

Chronic stress, extremely common modern lifestyles, puts the body in a "fight-or-flight" type response, which devotes the body's resources to life saving functions rather than, say, digestion. Over time stress can significantly impair all digestive processes, especially stomach acid levels.

Impaired Gut Bacteria

Keeping the digestive system working properly is one of its many important functions of gut bacteria. Without healthy gut bacteria, stomach acid, bile production, and macro and micro nutrient absorption are impaired. There are many reasons one could end up with impaired gut bacteria including chronic stress, exposure to toxins, antibiotic usage, a history of poor diet, low exposure to environmental and dietary bacteria, and even factors occurring very early in life.

Acid Blockers

There are a variety of over-the-counter and prescription drugs that are designed to inhibit stomach acid for acid reflux relief. However, this directly inhibits the critical digestive functions of stomach acid and over time can significantly repress digestive function in general. Ironically, acid reflux is actually associated with low stomach acid, because it is not caused by a dysfunction of too much stomach acid, but by the esophageal sphincter letting acid into the esophagus, which is usually associated with low stomach acid and other digestive dysfunction.

Poor Diet

The main culprit in impaired bile function is a history of a low-fat diet or a diet of poor, processed vegetable fats. Bile is produced in the liver and stored and concentrated in the gallbladder where it is secreted to help with fat digestion. When sufficient fat never triggers emptying of the gallbladder, it remains in the gallbladder and becomes sluggish and might create stones. Sufficient bile will not be able to be secreted in the future, and could be painful.

Liver Damage

Because of the liver's many important functions including those involved with digestion, impaired liver function can affect bile production as well. Sources of liver damage include low stomach acid, a high-carbohydrate diet, and toxic overloads.

Strengthening Digestion

Following a meat-based or carnivore diet, is the best thing you can do to help re-set these impaired digestive processes.

If your gallbladder is sluggish due to a history of low or poor fat diets, it can re-adapt with increased fat in your diet. The old, sluggish bile that is trapped inside the gallbladder will eventually get released as a high-fat diet starts triggering bile release again, resulting in the gallbladder functioning well once again.

If a history of a poor, high-carbohydrate diet has caused low stomach acid, it will rebuild as you move to a quality carnivore diet.

It's been posited that one of the main culprits behind pancreatic enzyme insufficiency is the blockage of pancreatic ducts by fiber. Following a low or no-fiber diet would thus free up these pancreatic enzymes.

Removing sugar and fiber, from the diet will stop feeding harmful gut bacteria allowing beneficial gut microbiome to rebuild.

All of these body processes are connected, and as they each heal, in time, the others will be able to as well. For example, sufficient pancreatic enzymes will be able to properly neutralize stomach contents and prevent unintended acidity from damaging the gut bacteria, which will therefore be able to support proper stomach acid and bile production.

The process of these digestive dysfunctions causing symptoms, and then healing, could be a reason for some of the adaption symptoms people experience when transitioning to a carnivore way of eating. There are a few action items one can take to provide assistance during the transition and re-setting particularly insufficient digestive processes,

Supplement

The functions of the stomach, gallbladder, and pancreas can be directly supported with supplementation of stomach acid in the form of betaine hydrochloric acid, bile acid and bile salts, and pancreatic enzymes.

Chew

The digestion process starts in the mouth and simply focusing on chewing your food more can give your digestive process a significant start.

Relax

Likewise, ensuring you are eating in a relaxed, parasympathetic state will ensure the digestive system is unimpaired and the functions of digestive organs can heal. Avoid eating while driving, working, or any time you feel anxious, if at all possible.

Eat Larger, Less Frequent Meals

Bile accumulates in the gallbladder from a steady production from the liver, but frequent eating will trigger bile to be secreted before it has sufficiently accumulated in the gallbladder. Eating less frequently will give the bile the chance to re-set and be able to handle the fat load of a carnivore meal.

Rebuild Gut Bacteria

By avoiding sugar and fiber and increasing micro-nutrients, the carnivore diet should give the digestive system great resources to rebuild, but if you suspect your microbiome needs some outside help, try a probiotic supplement or try to include carnivore friendly, fermented foods in your diet such as raw dairy products or kefir

Digestion is key to optimizing the results from your nutrients – this is especially true when adopting a meat-based diet.