A top medic has urged women to consider risks to their hormonal health of one of the UK’s most popular dieting trends, as it could leave them unable to conceive.
In an Instagram post that has been watched 1.5million times, NHS colorectal surgeon Dr Karan Rajan has warned of the dangers of the carnivore diet – which involves eating lots of meat and little carbohydrates.
While harms such as bowel problems and high cholesterol have previously been highlighted, Dr Rajan has flagged a little-known risk to the female sex hormones.
‘If you’re a woman thinking about going carnivore, there is one crucial thing you need to know first,’ he told his 2 million followers.
A lack of fibre – a key element of the diet – can lead to ‘hormonal imbalances that wreak havoc on everything from your cycle, to your skin, to even your metabolism,’ he said.
‘For most people, fibre isn’t a suggestion, it’s a biological necessity for hormonal balance, gut health and acting as the oil that greases the creaky human body.’
This is especially true for women, the leading surgeon explained.
Excess oestrogen in the body binds to fibre, which help it to be removed from the body, preventing upset to the delicate balance of sex hormones.
But without adequate fibre, ‘oestrogen can be reabsorbed by your intestines which can lead to hormonal imbalances’, Dr Rajan said.
This can lead to irregular periods and difficulty getting pregnant, hormonal acne, and even weight gain.
Georgia Heins, who has 1.5million followers on Instagram, shared her experience of the diet, which ‘destroyed’ her hormones’ and left her with the debilitating symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
She said in a social media clip: ‘All I wanted was abs, so I followed a carnivore diet for eight weeks.
‘I lost fat, saw abs like never before but also lost my period, developed PCOS and felt more lifeless than my house plants and they’ve been dead for months. Then came the acne.’
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common condition that affects a woman’s ability to regularly release an egg for fertilisation. This can result in difficulty getting pregnant.
Georgia Heins said she didn’t have any symptoms of PCOS until she went on the carnivore diet.
Dr Rajan explained that these symptoms can be caused by a lack of fibre.
‘Some people might even feel fine on a carnivore diet, but I’d argue they are in the minority’, he added.
Recent data shows that some 200,000 people in the UK look for information about the carnivore diet online every month.
Many, including celebrities like Joe Rogan, have championed the eating plan for its fat-burning abilities.
The high-protein, low-carb diet works by putting the body into a state of ketosis – forcing it to burn fat, rather than carbohydrate, for energy.
But this too can have devastating consequences for a woman’s reproductive system, experts have warned.
Lisa Goldstein, a leading nutritionist who specialises in reproductive health, said:
‘When you don’t eat enough – especially too few carbs – your brain can switch off ovulation.
Medically known as hypothalamic amenorrhea, this is the body’s way of avoiding pregnancy when energy reserves are low, she explained.
This can be caused by being on a calorie-restrictive diet.
‘Unlike men, women’s reproductive systems require a minimum threshold of calories, carbs and body fat to function’, she added.
Carnivore diets have also been linked to increased risk of bowel cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
