Carnivore diet - nutrients damaged by cooking?

#1

I’m interested in the carnivore diet since I saw dr. Baker on Rogan.

My question is - are 100% carnivores sustaining their diet only because they eat mostly steaks - i.e. meat that’s basically raw? Is that the reason they don’t need to eat any vegetables since the nutrients in the steaks aren’t destroyed or damaged by overly long cooking?

In other words - if I try to be a carnivore on goulash and roasted pork (i.e. meals you usually cook for hours) I’d fail?

And a related question - organ meat like liver is being held up as nutrient rich superfood and thankfully I love organ meat and eat it very often (my favourite are beef and chicken stomachs, can’t get enough of that chewy texture). But again, what if I cook my liver for 20 minutes? Do I destroy the minerals and vitamins and if so, how much? 20%? 50%? Most of it?

Thanks!

(Shayne) #2

A little over ten years ago I was 100% carnivore living on chicken breast, pork tenderloins, and hard boiled eggs for a year and a half, so I’m going to go with no. I wouldn’t recommend that diet because it has such a low fat percentage that it basically sucks - and as I got lower in my body fat percentage, my anxiety went up (could be a coincidence, but my reading says probably not).

(Genevieve Biggs) #3

Hi @Karlos! Congratulations on considering carnivore! Get ready for some re-programming. There is no need to worry about cooking out nutrients. The Zero Carb mantra is to eat the meat that you like and can afford. I would not misrepresent the movement by saying all carnivores eat mostly steak. I personally eat mostly ground beef, and most people that I know may eat a lot of steak but few eat exclusively or mostly steak. We eat a variety of meats and cuts and many include varying amount of dairy and eggs. We perfectly absorb nutrients from meat, even if some are “cooked out.” Especially if you are eating any of the juices, you have nothing to worry about. But even if you aren’t, there is nothingto fear.

Check out this links to give you an idea:

(I have another one specifically on nutrients but I’m still looking for it.)

(Elizabeth ) #4
#5

nutrients are only damaged (in meat) if you scorch it to oblivion

#6

Sure, that’s no brainer, but what about liver steamed for 20 minutes? What about slow-cooked beef or chilli con carne? That’s what I’d love to know. I guess minerals like iron or magnesium aren’t gonna get lost but all the animal vitamins like A, D, E or K? I recon there must be some loss.

(Shayne) #7

This might help a bit.

#8

When I slow cook, I just use water and some ACV–and I always consume the broth that results.

(Elizabeth ) #9

It doesn’t really matter as long as you’re eating at least two pounds of meat and up. There’s some small women that eat four and five pounds of meat everyday. Trust your body it will tell you what it needs. Organ meat especially liver is not the best necessarily because the other nutrition you’re getting from the other meat can be compromised. I would do a little more research on that, but let me tell you all the long-term veterans that I have studied with three and five and even 10 years of eating carnivore do not eat organ meat. Eat it if you like it. But it’s not necessary.

(Elizabeth ) #10
(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #11

If you cook your liver that long, you’ll end up with tasteless sandpaper. Liver is at its best when you cook it for only 90 seconds on each side. Or if it’s goose liver, if you grind it up with herbs and spices and turn it into paté.

(Genevieve Biggs) #12

Boom.

https://nourishedkitchen.com/best-sources-vitamins-minerals/

(Elizabeth ) #13

I didn’t see if this really address the bioavailability of the nutrients, and also as we know in a carnivore diet the nutrient requirements may be very different than those that seem to be required on a standard American diet. Vitamin C is the first one that pops to mind.