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Just when you thought diets couldn’t get more extreme than the carnivore or keto diet, along comes a new contender: the Lion Diet.
The Lion Diet is an intense elimination diet aimed at letting the body reset and improve food sensitivities and other chronic health issues.
In this article, we’ll explore why the lion diet has become so popular, its benefits and risks, and whether you should try it out.
Let’s take a look!
What is the Lion Diet? What to Eat & What to Avoid
Created by podcaster, blogger, and CEO Mikhaila Peterson (daughter of Jordan Peterson), the Lion Diet is an elimination diet intended to heal the gut, optimize brain health, and improve other lingering health issues (1). Many followers of this diet struggle with mental health, autoimmune diseases, obesity, food intolerance, and other serious challenges.
The Lion Diet food list is bare bones and includes three main components:
- Ruminant Meat
- Salt
- Water
Ruminant meat mainly comes from cattle, sheep, goats, and buffalo (2). These animals have been a fixture in human evolution and have been consumed for thousands of years due to their protein, fatty acid, and micronutrient content (3, 4).
The Lion Diet prioritizes ruminant animal meat because these animals are more likely to be raised on their natural diets in their natural environments. Unfortunately, chickens are often raised in unnatural environments and on diets high in corn and soy. Even seafood can be contaminated with heavy metals, microplastics, and antibiotics.
For some, exposure to toxins found in meat or seafood can be a trigger for unpleasant symptoms.
Salt and water keep you hydrated and provide essential minerals. Low-carbohydrate diets generally suggest a higher salt intake to increase iodine levels.
When following a Lion Diet, you eliminate everything that doesn’t fit into these three categories. You’d say goodbye to coffee, bread, milk, rice, fruit, vegetables, processed food, and even chicken or seafood.
Despite the restriction, the lion diet can offer a wide range of benefits.
5 Health Benefits of the Lion Diet
The lion diet hasn’t been explored in depth by scientists, but there’s a mountain of anecdotal evidence on its potential benefits. These include:
1. Nutrient Density
Ruminant meat is a valuable source of B vitamins, protein, and trace minerals (5). A small serving of red meat (about 3.5 ounces) offers substantial amounts of vitamins B3, B9, and B12, along with iron, zinc, potassium, and selenium (6).
2. Gut Health
Low carbohydrate diets are gaining momentum as treatment options for gut disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (7). Animal foods also offer essential nutrients for the gut microbiome (8).
3. Removal of Food Triggers
One potential benefit of removing plant foods is the reduction in antinutrients such as oxalates, lectins, or phytates (9). These antinutrients are commonly found in plant based food such as nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains.
Antinutrients can hinder nutrient absorption and may cause harm when consumed excessively (10, 11). For some, these foods may trigger the immune system and contribute to uncomfortable symptoms (12).
4. Improvements in Chronic Disease
While few studies have looked specifically at the lion diet, surveys of carnivore dieters reported improvements in autoimmune symptoms, digestive health, mental focus, energy, sleep, and memory (13). The nutrients found in beef are also connected to better chronic disease outcomes (14).
5. Weight Loss
Low carbohydrate diets have been shown to promote weight loss (15). High protein diets can also be more effective for weight management and loss than standard protein diets (16).
The lion diet also has a few downsides to be aware of.
Nutrient Deficiencies & The Lion Diet
Even with the nutrient density of meat, it’s still possible to miss out on key vitamins and minerals when following the Lion Diet.
Studies on the carnivore diet have shown that people can fail to consume enough magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, and thiamin (vitamin B1). Some may also not consume enough iodine, iron, potassium, or folate (17).
Plus, if you don’t eat organ meat or dairy products, you may be missing out on important sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium (18).
If you’re considering trying the lion diet, it may be helpful to conduct testing with a medical professional to avoid nutritional deficiencies and identify supplements to add to your routine.
Saturated Fat: Should You Limit Your Intake?
One of the most common criticisms of the Lion Diet (and other meat-heavy diets) is its levels of saturated fat intake.
The original idea that saturated fat causes heart disease came from the diet-heart hypothesis and Ancel Keys (19). Despite the hypothesis being based on faulty evidence, the saturated fat hysteria made its way into the White House, the American Heart Association, and the minds of Americans.
Since the 1980s, health officials have advised people to limit saturated fat to less than 10% of their caloric intake to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease (20). Unsurprisingly, this guidance has stuck around and led to major fears surrounding red meat, butter, and other animal foods.
However, the idea that saturated fat causes cardiovascular disease has been crumbling. The scientific literature is now filled with statements such as:
“Multiple reviews of the evidence have demonstrated that a recommendation to limit consumption of saturated fats to no more than 10% of total calories is not supported by rigorous scientific studies” (21)
“The public fear that saturated fat raises cholesterol is completely unfounded as the low-density lipoprotein particle size distribution is worsened when fat is replaced with carbohydrate.” (22)
“Based on the scientific evidence, there is no scientific ground to demonize SFA as a cause of CVD. SFA naturally occurring in nutrient-dense foods can be safely included in the diet.” (23)
Saturated fat sources like meat, eggs, and dairy products have been a part of the human diet for hundreds of thousands of years (24, 25). Not only are many of the negative claims against animal foods unfounded, but they often ignore their incredible benefits.
The Case For Meat: Why It’s So Beneficial
Despite being a fixture in the human diet for thousands of years, meat and other animal products are regularly vilified for health problems like cardiovascular disease and cancer. Even as these ideas are being disproven, people still avoid and fear animal foods that are filled with beneficial nutrients.
Meat accounts for less than 10% of global food mass, yet it offers most of the global intake of vitamin B12 (26). Not to mention, it’s a critical source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, and other essential nutrients (27).
A study conducted in over 50 countries on more than 218,000 people found that regular meat consumption can increase longevity and reduce the risk of early death (28).
These findings shouldn’t be surprising, as humans and our ancestors have prioritized meat for millions of years (29). Just as it did for our ancestors, meat is still critical for overall health and well-being.
The Lion Diet vs The Animal-Based Diet: Which Is Better?
While the lion diet or carnivore diet can be extremely beneficial for the short term, it’s common to run into electrolyte, hormonal, or sleep issues when followed in the long term. Not to mention, the strict regimen may lead to boredom or take a toll on your social life.
If you’re interested in the benefits of the lion diet but don’t want something so restrictive, consider trying the animal based diet instead.
The animal-based diet consists of high-quality animal foods such as meat, organs, eggs, and raw dairy, alongside fruit, honey, and other low-toxicity plant foods.
This way of eating is not only incredibly nutrient-dense and flexible, but it can also help improve gut health, weight loss, and much more.
Is the Lion Diet a Long-Term Solution?
Similar to the carnivore or keto diet, the lion diet seems wild at first glance, but it can be a powerful short-term tool for people struggling with major health challenges. Due to its simplicity and nutrient density, the lion diet may improve digestive issues, help with weight loss, and more.
Because of its restrictive nature, potential nutrient deficiencies, and other challenges, the lion diet may not be sustainable over the long term. In many cases, elimination diets are more of a band-aid than a permanent solution.
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