A carnivore diet is a restrictive diet that only includes meat, fish, and other animal products like dairy and eggs. More recently, it has been brought into the limelight by influencers and social media personalities. In fact, there is a whole community of "meatfluencer" who are sharing their meat-eating plans. One of them is Dr Paul Saladino MD, whose belief that there was no better way to prevent chronic diseases than a carnivore diet prompted him to write books and post videos regarding the same. He believed so much in this eating plan that he became a go-to person for many following the same plan, until recently, when he decided to quit.

Here Are Seven Reasons Why He Decided To Quit

Carnivore Diet Disrupted His Sleep

Switching to an all-meat diet isn't always straightforward, especially when it comes to digestion—a lesson Dr Saladino learned firsthand. He experienced sleep disturbances, likely due to the difficulty of digesting high-protein meals. Since protein takes longer to break down, it demands more energy from the body, which can interfere with rest.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, digestion slows by up to 50% during sleep. Additionally, many types of meat contain tyramine, a compound derived from the amino acid tyrosine. Increased tyramine intake can lead to health issues and also triggers the release of norepinephrine, a hormone that raises heart rate and blood pressure, making restful sleep harder to achieve.

He also experienced hypnagogic jerks—sudden muscle spasms that jolt the body awake. "I would fall asleep but then jerk myself awake like I was falling multiple times. It was stressful and traumatic, leading to poor sleep," he shared in his YouTube video.

Eating Only Meat May Have Triggered Heart Palpitations

Another concerning side effect Dr Saladino experienced was heart palpitations—episodes where his heart felt like it was racing or fluttering. While stress is a common cause, few would immediately link palpitations to meat consumption.

However, a sudden shift to an all-meat diet can lead to electrolyte imbalances. The elimination of carbohydrates lowers insulin levels, prompting the kidneys to excrete more sodium. This disrupts the balance of essential minerals like potassium and magnesium, which are crucial for heart function.

Muscle Cramps Became Persistent

Dr Saladino also suffered from frequent muscle cramps while following the carnivore diet. In a post on X, he emphasized the importance of maintaining adequate magnesium, calcium, and potassium levels to prevent cramping. He initially believed that animal-based foods provided sufficient minerals, but his ongoing cramps led him to reconsider.

"I started to think maybe long-term ketosis is not great for me,” he admitted on the *More Plates More Dates* podcast. “Probably not a great thing for most humans."

His Testosterone Levels Dropped Significantly

Dr Saladino also saw a decline in his testosterone levels after following the carnivore diet for over a year. "At the beginning of my carnivore experiment, my testosterone was about 800. After a year to a year and a half, it had dropped to around 500," he revealed.

The issue likely stems from excessive protein intake, which can elevate inflammation and disrupt hormone levels. A 2022 study published in Nutrition and Health found that consuming more than 35% of daily calories from protein can lead to various negative effects, including reduced testosterone.

He Had Chronically Low Insulin Levels

Because he largely eliminated carbohydrates—except for a small amount of fruit—Dr Saladino developed persistently low blood sugar. In his YouTube video, he explained, "I had very low insulin because I wasn’t eating carbohydrates, and the protein I consumed wasn’t insulinogenic enough."

While some diabetics report improved blood sugar control on the carnivore diet, its effects vary based on individual metabolic responses. For non-diabetics, low insulin can lead to hypoglycemia, causing symptoms like dizziness, confusion, a racing heart, and, in extreme cases, seizures or coma. Mild cases can be managed with fast-acting carbohydrates like juice or candy, but severe episodes require medical attention.

His Blood Test Results Showed Concerning Imbalances

Lab tests revealed that his magnesium levels were low, while his sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) was elevated—both potential red flags for long-term health issues.

A magnesium deficiency can cause numbness, tingling, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and muscle cramps. Since cramps often strike at night, low magnesium may also contribute to sleep disturbances.

High SHBG levels indicate an excess of circulating protein in the blood, which can increase the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and depression. To counteract these imbalances, introducing more magnesium-rich foods—such as leafy greens, nuts, beans, and yogurt—could be beneficial.

He Felt Cold All The Time

Electrolyte imbalances and metabolic disruptions can even affect body temperature, which Dr. Saladino experienced firsthand. "I was always cold,"he shared in his YouTube video.

Upon testing his thyroid function, he discovered that his total T3 and free T3 hormone levels were "not ideal." These hormones regulate metabolism, and low levels can slow down metabolic processes, leading to cold intolerance.

Low-dose aspirin could play a key role in lowering the risk of dementia significantly in some older adults, according to a new genetic analysis. However, the benefit does not come without a complication: major bleeding.

The study, led by researchers at Monash University in Australia, is based on data from more than 13,500 participants in the ASPREE trial, which investigated the effects of low-dose aspirin in older adults. The study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Researchers found that the benefit was mostly seen among people with a specific genetic trait linked with platelet count.

70% Lower Dementia Risk Was Seen Among Older Adults

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Platelets are small blood components that help form clots and stop bleeding. Researchers have previously examined how aggregation of platelets might contribute to dementia, but the role of genetically influenced platelet counts still remains unclear.

The researchers examined genetic scores related to platelet count and compared dementia results among participants who were either assigned aspirin or placebo.

Among people in the highest 20% of platelet count genetic scores, dementia developed in 1% of those taking aspirin, compared with 3.3% of those receiving a placebo. This represented approximately a 70% lower risk.

Lead author Dr Peter Fransquet, a research fellow at Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said, “Previous trials found aspirin didn't prevent dementia when everyone was considered together.”

“Our findings suggest there may be more to the story,” he said.

Risk Of Bleeding Increased

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The benefit was accompanied by a safety concern. Among participants in the same genetic subgroup, major bleeding occurred in 4.4% of those assigned to aspirin, compared to 2.1% of those given a placebo. That is a difference of 2.3 percentage points in both dementia cases and major bleeding events. In other words, the lower dementia rate cannot be considered in isolation from the increased bleeding risk.

Aspirin reduces the ability of platelets to form clots. This can be useful for certain people who need to take precaution against cardiovascular events, but it can also increase the risk of serious bleeding, including bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract or brain.

The study therefore does not prove that aspirin offers a favourable overall balance of benefits and harms for people with this genetic profile.

Could This Help Personalise Dementia Prevention?

The researchers found that the genetic signal was not linked to established genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Instead, it pointed towards platelet factor as a possible direction for further research.

“What's particularly interesting is that the signal wasn't linked to the established genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and dementia,” Fransquet said. “Instead, it's pointing us towards platelet biology and gives us a new avenue to investigate.”

The findings could contribute to more personalised approaches to dementia prevention, in which treatments are tailored to characteristics that influence how individuals respond. But the results need to be replicated in other populations and tested in a clinical trial specifically designed for people with the identified genetic profile.

Fransquet said, “People shouldn’t start taking aspirin to prevent dementia on the basis of this study without consulting with their doctor, particularly given the increased risk of serious bleeding,” he said.

High blood pressure can be managed with medication and dietary changes. But recent research suggests that certain mental health habits can also help fight hypertension.

Mental health practices like mindfulness, optimism and gratitude may also support cardiovascular health, partly by helping people manage stress better and maintain healthier habits.

Hypertension affects nearly half of adults in the United States. While lifestyle changes like reducing salt intake, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting alcohol remain crucial, the emerging study says that psychological wellbeing can also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure.

“Stress contributes to hypertension,” said Willie E. Lawrence Jr., a cardiologist and spokesperson for the American Heart Association. “It’s hard to get all the stress out of your life, but there are things that you can do to lower blood pressure, like mindfulness.”

According to the researchers, here are three mental health habits that may help:

Mindfulness

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Mindfulness refers to paying attention to thoughts, emotions and physical sensations in the present moment without judging them. It may help alleviate stress and improve behaviours that affect blood pressure like dietary choices and physical activity.

Eric Loucks, professor of epidemiology and director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, developed a mindfulness-based blood pressure reduction programme that teaches participants all about self-awareness, attention control and emotional regulation. The programme teaches people to apply these skills to everyday decisions like choosing healthier foods.

“There can be energy that comes up to act on those insights,” Loucks said. “So if we decide we want to eat more healthily, can we be there with that energy in the grocery store, selecting the food for the week?”

Optimism

Also read: Eating A Handful Of Nuts Daily May Lower High Blood Pressure Risk, Study Finds

Optimism means expecting positive outcomes while recognising that challenges exist. Research has linked an optimistic outlook with better cardiovascular health, but evidence that it lowers blood pressure in people who already have hypertension is limited.

A study based on more than 100,000 active-duty US Army personnel without hypertension found that the most optimistic participants were less likely to develop high blood pressure during an average follow-up of three and a half years.

Julia Boehm, professor and chair of psychology at Chapman University said that practising optimism does not mean ignoring difficulties. Instead, people can identify realistic, achievable actions that support their health, such as choosing nutritious meals or becoming more physically active.

“This might mean something concrete like, ‘Am I going to choose to eat the salad or the french fries at lunch?’ and thinking optimistically that my choices in any given moment are going to translate into measurable effects in the long run,” Boehm said.

Gratitude

Gratitude involves acknowledging the people, experiences and acts one appreciates. Some research suggests it may affect cardiovascular responses to stress.

One study found that writing a gratitude letter changed how systolic blood pressure responded during a stress test. Systolic pressure, the upper number in a blood pressure reading, measures pressure when the heart contracts.

Mindfulness, optimism and gratitude should complement established hypertension treatment, not replace it. Medication, regular physical activity, a balanced diet and screening remain essential.

As Boehm cautioned, “You can’t ignore the doctor’s advice to either take your medications or engage in physical activity or eat fruits and vegetables. It’s just one piece of a larger strategy to bolster health.”

A small, non-invasive device that stimulates nerves through the ear has shown early promise for people whose blood pressure stays high despite medication, according to a new clinical trial led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London.

What the device does

The device uses a technique called transcutaneous autonomic neuromodulation, or tAN, which aims to influence the autonomic nervous system, the network of nerves that automatically controls functions like heart rate, digestion, and blood pressure, according to Queen Mary University of London. Developed by Afferent Medical Solutions, the handheld device uses two small clips placed on the tragus, the flap of cartilage just in front of the ear canal, to deliver mild electrical pulses. Patients can use it themselves at home without visiting a clinic.

How the trial worked

The trial, called SCRATCH-HTN and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, enrolled 63 people with uncontrolled hypertension, all of whom were already taking at least one blood pressure medication but still had readings above recommended levels, per Queen Mary’s release. Participants were randomly split into two groups: one received active nerve stimulation, the other used a sham device as a comparison.

For the first two weeks, participants used their assigned device for 30 minutes daily. For the following ten weeks, that dropped to once a week.

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What the results showed

The treatment was safe and generally well tolerated, and most participants stuck to the prescribed schedule, suggesting it could work for regular home use, according to the findings published in Hypertension, a journal of the American Heart Association. Across the full study group, however, there was no statistically significant difference in blood pressure between the active stimulation group and the sham group.

There was one notable exception. Among participants who entered the trial with more severe hypertension, those receiving active stimulation showed a greater reduction in blood pressure compared to those on the sham device, per a prespecified subgroup analysis in the study.

What the lead researcher said

“This is an exciting, highly patient-acceptable technology that could ultimately provide a cheap, scalable solution for millions,” said Dr. Ajay Gupta, the trial’s chief investigator and a clinical reader at Queen Mary University of London, in the university’s press release. “Although the trial did not achieve significance across the broad unselected group, those with more severe hypertension exhibited a clear blood pressure reduction in the active group compared to sham.”

He added that the study “points towards important new research directions that could help us understand whether non-invasive neuromodulation can benefit particular groups of patients with uncontrolled hypertension.”

Why this matters

High blood pressure is a major driver of cardiovascular disease, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes over time. While medication helps many patients, a significant number continue to have blood pressure above target even while on treatment, which is part of why researchers are exploring additional, non-drug approaches that could work alongside existing therapies.

What comes next

The researchers are clear that this is an early finding, not proof of an effective treatment. Because the subgroup result came from a relatively small trial, it will need to be confirmed in larger studies before any conclusions can be drawn about how well the device actually works, and for whom.