Gastrointestinal Health

Case report: Carnivore–ketogenic diet for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: a case series of 10 patients

Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets, originally used in pediatric epilepsy, are now being recognized for their potential to treat other conditions, including mental health disorders and chronic kidney disease. The carnivore diet has received growing anecdotal support for improving various health issues.

A recent case series explored the effects of animal-based ketogenic diets and carnivore diets in 10 patients living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the two forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

These patients, who had not achieved remission with conventional treatments, experienced several beneficial changes after following these dietary approaches for periods ranging from five months to five years:

• All 10 patients reported significant symptom relief and achieved clinical remission (based on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire scores).
• Patients had improvements in biomarkers, including dramatic reductions in calprotectin, an indicator of intestinal inflammation.
• Most patients were able to discontinue medications, maintaining remission through diet alone.
• Weight loss (in patients with overweight or obesity) and improved energy levels were common among the patients.
• Patients reported that their diets were enjoyable, easy to sustain, and profoundly enhanced their quality of life.
• The diets proved effective in cases where standard treatments had failed.

The efficacy of these dietary approaches is thought to stem from carbohydrate reduction, elimination of immune triggers, the anti-inflammatory effects of ketosis, and the beneficial impacts of ketogenic and low-fiber diets on the gut microbiome.

This case series highlights the potential of ketogenic and carnivore diets as therapeutic options for IBD. However, the authors acknowledge the need for further research to validate these findings and assess long-term safety. Future studies should compare these diets with other therapeutic approaches to better understand their benefits and risks in managing IBD.