Carnivore Diet: What Upcoming Studies Will Reveal

# Carnivore Diet: WE'RE FINALLY GOING TO KNOW! Three New Scientific Studies Could Change the Debate in 2026 and 2027

**By Laurent Glatz – for Athletic Carnivore**

What if, after years of criticism, conflicting testimonials, and sometimes categorical claims, scientific research was finally beginning to ask the right questions about the carnivore diet? What if an exclusively animal-based diet deserved more than just judgment based on traditional nutritional guidelines? An interesting shift is emerging in 2026: several research teams have decided to study this dietary approach directly—not just through testimonials, but with clinical protocols, comparison groups, and biological measurements.

**We are finally going to know. Or more precisely, we are finally going to start seriously measuring what many have claimed for years.**

And this should catch the attention of both supporters and opponents of the carnivore diet.

Why Is Science Now Interested in the Carnivore Diet?

For a long time, the debate was relatively straightforward. On one side, people reported sometimes spectacular health improvements after eliminating plants and carbohydrates. On the other, critics raised concerns about cardiovascular risks, nutritional deficiencies, or the lack of fiber.

But one difficulty remains: individual observations, however interesting, are not enough to establish cause and effect. Conversely, the absence of specific clinical trials is not proof that a diet is ineffective.

A 2021 survey published in *Current Developments in Nutrition*, involving 2,029 people following a carnivore diet, reported that 95% of respondents perceived an improvement in their overall health. These results sparked interest but had limited scope: participants were volunteers recruited via social media, data were self-reported, and there was no control group.

[2021 Scientific Study – Current Developments in Nutrition](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34934897/)

In January 2026, a scientific review published in *Nutrients*, covering nine human studies, also highlighted the weakness of available evidence while noting reported benefits and several potential risks. The need for controlled studies and long-term data remained unmet.

[January 2026 Scientific Review – Nutrients](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41599961/)

**This is precisely where the new research becomes interesting.**

If teams are now dedicating time, funding, and scientific resources to these questions, it means they deserve to be examined. This does not mean benefits are already proven. It means existing data do not yet allow a definitive conclusion.

And that is a fundamental difference.

First Study: Ruminant Meat, Salt, and Water Against Inflammatory Diseases

In the United States, a study registered under number **NCT07524244** is currently recruiting participants with chronic inflammatory diseases.

Its objective is particularly interesting: to evaluate whether a ketogenic diet or a “Lion” type carnivore diet can modify symptoms, quality of life, and certain markers of inflammatory activity in people suffering from Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

The Lion diet is a particularly restrictive form of carnivore eating, based on ruminant meat, salt, and water.

The study plans to enroll 160 participants aged 18 to 64. They will be randomly assigned to different groups: ketogenic diet, Lion diet, and a control group initially placed on a waiting list. The protocol includes up to 24 weeks of dietary follow-up, with clinical and biological assessments.

Researchers are particularly interested in quality of life, digestive or joint symptoms, fecal calprotectin, inflammatory markers, and various nutritional and metabolic parameters.

Why is this important?

Because here, the question is no longer simply whether a person reports feeling better after eliminating certain foods. Researchers will seek to determine if the perceived changes are accompanied by objectively measurable modifications.

Take fecal calprotectin, used notably to monitor inflammatory bowel diseases. A person may report less abdominal pain without intestinal inflammation decreasing proportionally. Conversely, simultaneous improvement in symptoms and biological markers would be a much more compelling observation.

And the mechanism deserves study: removing many food categories changes the body’s exposure to various dietary components. But which changes are linked to this elimination? To ketosis? To altered energy intake? Or to several combined factors?

The trial could help distinguish some of these hypotheses, even if it cannot resolve them all.

**Estimated completion: September 2027.**

[Official Study Sheet NCT07524244](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07524244)

Second Study: Carnivore vs. Mediterranean, Cholesterol at the Heart of the Questions

In the United Kingdom, Liverpool John Moores University has registered a particularly revealing trial: **MEDIVORE, NCT07462871**.

This time, researchers are tackling one of the main controversies surrounding the carnivore diet: cardiovascular risk.

The protocol involves 30 participants with elevated LDL cholesterol. For three weeks, they will follow either an exclusively animal-based diet or a Mediterranean diet, with comparable caloric and protein intakes.

But the originality of this research lies mainly in its primary endpoint: **the susceptibility of LDL particles to aggregation**.

LDL cholesterol is frequently used as an indicator of cardiovascular risk. Yet here, researchers want to examine an additional characteristic: the tendency of LDL particles to aggregate under experimental conditions.

They will also study blood lipids, vascular function, blood glucose, and insulin.

The goal is therefore not only to compare two cholesterol numbers. It is to examine whether two very different diets produce measurably different responses in certain cardiovascular and metabolic parameters.

However, it is important to distinguish these biological measures from an actual cardiovascular event. A three-week trial with 30 people will not directly determine the long-term risk of heart attack or stroke.

But it could provide new insights into a discussion often reduced to a single variable.

As of October 26, 2026, the study still appears not to have started recruitment, despite an initial planned start date in June 2026.

**Estimated completion: June 2027.**

[Official Study Sheet MEDIVORE – NCT07462871](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07462871)

Third Study: Carnivores, Omnivores, and Vegans Finally Compared

Another study from Liverpool John Moores University, **NCT07474233**, takes a complementary approach.

It plans to observe 90 people divided among three dietary habits: carnivore, omnivore, and vegan or predominantly plant-based.

This time, researchers will not ask participants to change their diet. They will analyze people already following their usual diet for at least six months.

The interest of this approach is clear: to observe individuals with a longer experience of their diet, rather than measuring only the effects of a change made over a few weeks.

Researchers will compare, among other things, LDL aggregation susceptibility, lipid profiles, and various cardiovascular and metabolic markers.

Will this study determine which diet is best?

No, not by itself. An observational study can highlight associations but cannot definitively attribute observed differences solely to diet. Physical activity, weight, medical history, or other factors may also play a role.

However, it could reveal biological differences significant enough to justify longer and more in-depth research.

Recruitment was planned to start in October 2026, but the latest update still indicates a status of "not yet recruiting."

**Estimated completion: May 2027.**

[Official Study Sheet NCT07474233](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07474233)

What These Three Studies Already Tell Us

What is interesting is not just their existence. It is especially the nature of the questions researchers have chosen to ask.

In the United States, they seek to know if an extremely restrictive carnivore diet can influence manifestations of inflammatory diseases. In the United Kingdom, they examine cardiovascular and metabolic consequences of an exclusive animal diet, with controlled or observational comparisons.

**In other words, the carnivore diet itself is becoming a specific subject of clinical research.**

And this changes the nature of the debate.

For years, some discussions opposed personal experiences to general recommendations. Now, we have identifiable protocols, defined populations, biological criteria, and estimated timelines.

It is no longer just about asking if someone feels better or worse. It is about understanding what changes, under what conditions, in which people, and with what measurable consequences.

However, it would be premature to present these studies as scientific validation of the carnivore diet’s effectiveness. A study can confirm a hypothesis, nuance it, or contradict it. And the three projects presented here will not answer all questions, especially those concerning the effects of a carnivore diet sustained over several decades.

But their existence shows one thing: **the questions are precise and important enough to be studied directly.**

What If the Real Discovery Is About Our Individual Differences?

One dimension deserves particular attention at Athletic Carnivore: two people can adopt an apparently identical diet and show different biological responses.

One may notice a reduction in certain symptoms, better satiety, or improved blood sugar. Another may have less clear results, face digestive difficulties, or show significant changes in their lipid profile.

So the question is not only whether the carnivore diet works or not. It is also about understanding which profiles seem to respond favorably, under what circumstances, and which parameters deserve special attention.

This is also what research should gradually help clarify.

An exclusively animal diet can simultaneously change carbohydrate intake, fat composition, protein intake, and exposure to various foods. It then becomes difficult to attribute an improvement or difficulty to a single factor.

That is why we place so much importance on understanding individual background, dietary history, physical activity, sleep, and metabolic response.

What works for one person is not necessarily transferable as-is to another.

2027: A First Series of Highly Anticipated Answers

The initial results of these studies could significantly enrich discussions about the carnivore diet. However, the announced dates correspond to the estimated study completion, not necessarily the immediate publication of results.

We will need to observe the actual data, the quality of protocols applied, any dropouts, and how researchers interpret their observations.

And above all, accept the results whatever they may be.

If benefits are found, they must be examined with the same rigor as any adverse effects. If results are mixed, that too will be valuable information.

**Because the interest of science is not to confirm a belief. It is to test a hypothesis against facts.**

What should catch our attention today is not the idea that the carnivore diet has already won any scientific battle. It is that it is beginning to be investigated with sufficient focus to move beyond some general claims.

And for people living daily with persistent symptoms, inflammation, or metabolic difficulties, one question remains: should we wait for a universal answer when physiological responses can vary from one individual to another?

Understanding the new studies is essential. Understanding how scientific observations can apply to one’s own body is just as important.

**Discover Athletic Carnivore’s personalized approach and understand your metabolic profile.**

**And you, are you looking to know if the carnivore diet is generally good or bad, or to understand why your own body reacts the way it does?**

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