The Animal-Based Diet
Paul Saladino's animal-based diet centers meat, organs, fruit, honey and dairy while de-emphasizing most plants, a contested, minority approach. Critics warn it reliably raises LDL and apoB, a cardiovascular risk marker, and removes fibre; Saladino himself already reversed his stricter carnivore stance, so treat this as one evolving experiment, not a recommendation.
Know this is a minority, contested approach Read the cautions before starting; mainstream nutrition does not endorse this, and the long-term evidence is thin
Going in informed about the cardiovascular debate is the single most important step here.
Build meals around meat, eggs and fish Quality ruminant meat, eggs and fish as the base; Saladino emphasises sourcing
These are the core of the framework and supply protein and key micronutrients.
Include organ meats for nutrient density Saladino suggests small amounts of liver and other organs; desiccated organ capsules are an alternative
Organs are nutrient-dense; this is central to his nutrient-density argument.
Use fruit and honey for carbohydrate His key shift away from strict carnivore: fruit and raw honey rather than grains
Adding these resolved issues he attributed to zero-carb eating.
Dairy yes, but be careful with raw Saladino includes dairy, sometimes raw; raw dairy carries genuine infection risk, see cautions
Raw dairy is a meaningful safety issue, not just a preference.
Test lipids and markers, with a doctor Get baseline LDL, apoB and metabolic markers, and retest at ~8 to 12 weeks; act on the results
Even sympathetic sources advise this; the LDL/apoB response can be significant.
The case Saladino makes: animal foods supply highly bioavailable protein and micronutrients (B12, iron, creatine, choline), and removing plant 'anti-nutrients' (oxalates, lectins) relieves digestive issues for some; he added fruit and honey back for carbohydrate energy.
View sources
Paul Saladino: Is Oatmeal Bad For Us? Why Women Should Eat Meat, Plant Toxicity... (Pursuit of Wellness)
Paul Saladino Changed His Mind on the Carnivore Diet - Is He Now Carnivore 2.0? (Jesse Chappus)
The Animal-Based Diet: Saladino's framework and food calculator (Paul Saladino MD)
Paul Saladino changed his diet: should you? A critical look at the LDL evidence (Gene Food)
Carnivore and animal-based diets: what to know (US News Health)
Not medical advice. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a qualified clinician before changing your health routine.
Independent curation. YourProtocol is an independent platform. This protocol is based on the publicly available work of Paul Saladino and is not created, reviewed, endorsed by, or affiliated with Paul Saladino or MD / 'Carnivore MD'.
Is this for you
- People researching animal-based eating
- Those who react badly to many plant foods
- Anyone wanting the case and the criticism side by side
- Experimenters who will monitor bloodwork
Cautions
- This is a controversial, minority approach that mainstream nutrition does not recommend; we present it for balance, not as an endorsement
- Animal-heavy diets reliably raise LDL cholesterol and apoB, a cardiovascular risk marker; adding fruit and honey does not offset this, and Saladino's claim that LDL does not matter on these diets is disputed by the weight of evidence
- Raw dairy carries real infection risk (listeria, E. coli, salmonella); avoid it in pregnancy, in children, and if immunocompromised
- Cutting most plants removes fibre and beneficial compounds; contraindicated with familial hypercholesterolemia, existing heart disease, or a history of disordered eating
- Get baseline and follow-up bloodwork with a doctor before and during; Saladino himself reversed his strict-carnivore position, so treat this as evolving, not proven
- Educational only, not medical or nutrition advice
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