Carnivore Diet Update 2: Better Skin

I am on day 118 of the carnivore diet today. No surprise that I don’t have scurvy, and don’t expect to get it. If you missed my post on that one, you can check it out here. I have recently noticed an improvement that I did not expect. 

I shave the back of my neck daily to keep it looking well-groomed. I have always noticed a few blemishes just below my hairline and even on my shoulders. Yes, I had acne at 58 years of age. I would have three to five on any given day, and as far as acne is concerned, they were mild. I thought it might be shaving irritation and ignored it since it was minor. 

It has been quite some time now since I have seen a blemish. It took me a while to notice since I go through periods of a few days here and there when I am acne free. It dawned on me after three or four weeks that they are not going to return.

Improved skin is not a surprise. One possible explanation is gluten. I may have been getting regular exposure to gluten (a component of wheat, barley, and rye) from restaurant meals. I suspect that when I order gluten-free items, there is some cross-contamination or even neglect in removing the gluten from the meal. Gluten causes damage to the lining of the gut for everyone, regardless of whether a gluten allergy (I have one) exists or not. Once the lining of the gut is compromised, the immune system is triggered. The gut can become leaky. Intestinal permeability leads to chronic inflammation that can manifest in many areas of the body, especially the skin. 

Many plants contain substances called lectins that damage the gut, so avoidance of lectins could also have caused the improvement in my skin. They are prevalent in many vegetables, especially beans. If beans are consumed raw or undercooked, the lectins may cause GI symptoms. Castor beans contain the lectin ricin that is deadly in even small amounts. Another lectin called wheat germ agglutinin causes intestinal damage and then binds to connective tissues throughout the body. It and other lectins are natural defense mechanisms of plants against viruses, bacteria, and other lifeforms that may attempt to damage the plant, including humans and animals. 

The resulting gut damage leads to systemic inflammation. Systemic inflammation results in varying symptoms, depending on your unique physiology. Some will develop thyroid problems, others joint pain. Illnesses like type two diabetes, coronary artery disease, and many others have their genesis in inflammation. Reducing inflammation is a crucial factor in optimizing health. Special diets known as autoimmune protocol (AIP) diets exist to eliminate the worst offenders. Common foods to avoid on an AIP diet include grains, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant), legumes, nuts and seeds, processed foods and carbohydrates, artificial ingredients, vegetable oils (excluding olive, avocado, and coconut), dairy*, and eggs** (especially the egg whites). 

Notice that the majority of foods to avoid are plant-based. As I have discussed in other posts, plants are full of natural pesticides to prevent predation. To a plant, humans are pests. A 1990 paper determined that 99.99% of all pesticides ingested are naturally occurring plant toxins. (1) Many are insignificant, but for some of us, they cause problems.

Eliminating all plant-based foods, thus, going carnivore is similar to the AIP diet. It just goes to the Nth degree. The AIP diet focuses on digestive and autoimmunity, so removing dairy, or at least milk and other lactose-containing products, is a good idea. Removing egg whites** is also a good idea, as it can cause problems for some. Carnivores are wise to do the same if they suspect autoimmune and digestive issues may be coming from dairy and eggs whites.

*Dairy can be an irritant because it contains lactose, which the majority of the population can’t digest after infancy. The undigested lactose is fermented by our intestinal bacteria resulting in bloating, overgrowth of the bacteria, and inflammation. 

**Egg whites contain enzymes to protect the yolk from bacteria and viruses. One of them is lysozyme, a protein that we produce in our body. Some individuals are sensitive to the effects of lysozyme due to its ability to cross into our bloodstream. This is not a problem, but the lysozyme can drag other proteins with them that cause us to make antibodies against. If the protein sequence is similar to ours, we will develop autoimmune issues. Stay tuned for the next update…