Carnivore Diet Supplements: Types, How To Choose & Best Pick

The carnivore diet naturally lacks some essential nutrients you need to ensure your body is happy and healthy. 

Some of the key nutrients your body might be missing include:

• Creatine, which is crucial for the energy metabolism process
• Fiber, which aids with healthy digestion and bowel movement, and
• Collagen, which assists in ensuring your skin, hair, and bones are well maintained. 

Here are some of the best supplements you should consider incorporating into your diet to ensure you aren’t missing any essential nutrients:

Organ Meat Supplements

Organ meats like beef liver, chicken liver, and heart are nutritionally dense food items in the carnivore community. However, not everyone enjoys eating these parts or has access to fresh organic meats regularly. Organ meat supplements can be an excellent alternative for obtaining essential nutrients like vitamin A, B12, iron, and more.

Vitamin C 

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin needed to make collagen, as well as some hormones. 

The issue is that our bodies don’t naturally produce Vitamin C as it is usually consumed via fruit and vegetables. 

This makes maintaining vitamin C levels as someone who follows a carnivore diet very tricky, as it is hard to gain the vitamin from meat!

To combat this, I take a daily Vitamin C supplement to ensure my body does not become deficient in the nutrient.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Grass-fed animals' fatty portions possess greater concentrations of omega-3s compared to those fed with grains. These fats play a crucial role in maintaining cardiovascular health and reducing inflammation. Supplementing with fish oil capsules is recommended if your diet primarily consists of conventionally raised animal products or lean muscle meat without much fat intake from fish or other sources rich in omega-3s.

Bone Meal & Calcium Intake

A common concern among those following an all-meat diet is meeting their daily calcium requirements since dairy products aren't typically consumed by strict carnivores. I take a  take bone meal supplement to ensure adequate calcium intake and support healthy bones, teeth, and muscle function.

Vitamin K2 & D3

Vitamin K2 is necessary for the body to make use of calcium effectively. It works with vitamin D3 to promote bone health and prevent arterial calcification. While some animal foods like egg yolks and grass-fed butter contain small amounts of these vitamins, supplementing with a combined vitamin K2 & D3 product can help optimize their levels in your system.

Magnesium 

Magnesium is crucial to overall health as it supports healthy bones, mood, and energy levels. 

It does not naturally occur in meat, which therefore makes it very difficult for someone following the carnivore diet to ensure adequate levels of the mineral. 

Taking a magnesium supplement is a great way to provide your body with the correct dosage without needing to break out of the diet rules. I also find that it works well to reduce muscle cramps and improve sleep!

Digestive Enzymes

Maintaining a healthy digestive system is crucial when following any diet plan. For those transitioning to a meat-centric diet, their bodies may need time to adjust enzyme production for optimal digestion of animal proteins and fats. In such cases, taking digestive enzymes specifically designed for breaking down proteins and fats found in animal products can aid digestion during this transition period.

Incorporating these carnivore diet supplements into your daily routine will help you avoid nutrient deficiencies while enjoying the numerous health benefits associated with eating meat-centric meals.

Knowing the diverse range of dietary additions for a carnivorous diet is critical to making an educated selection. When selecting a supplement, it is essential to evaluate components like ingredients, dosage, and price

Creatine

The carnivore diet is a meat-based diet that consists of animal products, such as muscle meat and organ meats. While this diet can provide many health benefits, some people may find it challenging to meet their recommended daily intake of certain nutrients.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in energy metabolism. It helps produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which provides energy for the muscles during physical activity.

Benefits of the Carnivore Diet

If you’re like me and eat fresh meat or raw food sources, you likely get adequate amounts of creatine from your diet. However, those who consume grain-fed beef or other processed meats may not get enough creatine.

• Increase Muscle Mass: Creatine supplementation has been shown to increase muscle mass and strength in athletes and non-athletes alike.
• Better Performance: Supplementing with creatine can also improve exercise performance by increasing endurance and reducing fatigue.
• Brain Health: Studies have suggested that creatine supplementation could potentially benefit brain health by improving cognitive function and protecting against neurological diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease

Fiber

The carnivore diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet consisting of animal products such as meat, fish, and eggs. It eliminates all plant foods and focuses on consuming nutrient-dense animal foods to support optimal health.

Benefits of Fiber for Carnivore Diet

While the carnivorous diet does not include any plant-based sources of fiber, it still provides many benefits to the digestive system due to its high protein and fat content. However, some people may experience constipation or other digestive issues when transitioning to this way of eating due to a lack of fibre.

To alleviate these symptoms and promote healthy digestion while following a carnivorous lifestyle, there are several options available:

• Bone Meal: Bone meal is made from ground-up bones that contain calcium phosphate and other minerals important for bone health. It can also help regulate bowel movements by providing bulk in the stool.
• Dairy Products: Full-fat dairy products like cheese or heavy cream can provide additional fat intake which helps with regularity in bowel movements.
• Vitamin K2 Supplements: Vitamin K2 plays an essential role in maintaining healthy gut bacteria which supports overall digestive function. An excellent source of vitamin K2 is grass-fed beef liver crisps from Ancestral Supplements - they're delicious too!

Collagen: Benefits for Carnivore Diet

If you're following a carnivore diet, you may be missing out on some essential nutrients that are typically found in plant foods. One of these is collagen, which is the most abundant protein in our bodies and plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy skin, hair, nails, joints, and bones.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a type of protein that makes up about 30% of the total protein content in our bodies. It's found primarily in connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bone marrow, and skin.

The Benefits of Collagen for Carnivores

• Better joint health: As we age or put stress on our joints through physical activity like weightlifting or running, they can become damaged over time. Collagen helps to support healthy joint function by reducing inflammation and improving flexibility.
• Glowing Skin: The amino acids present in collagen help to improve skin elasticity while also promoting hydration levels within your body, resulting in a more youthful-looking complexion.
• Hair & Nail Health: Since collagen provides structure to your hair follicles, it improves overall hair quality, making them stronger. With nails, promotes growth, giving them strength too.
• Bone Density Support: Our bones rely heavily on calcium but also require other minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, etc., along with vitamin D (which comes from sunlight). Adding collagen supplements would increase bone density, ultimately helping avoid fractures or injuries.

I incorporate organ meats like beef liver into my diet as they are natural sources of collagen.  However, if supplementing is required for you,  it is recommended to take a hydrolyzed collagen supplement that can be easily absorbed by the body.

Collagen supplements come in different forms such as powder or capsules, so you can choose whichever works best for your lifestyle. It's important to remember that while supplements may help fill any nutrient gaps in your diet, they should not replace fresh meat consumption altogether.

Here are some pointers to keep in mind when choosing a carnivore diet supplement, 

Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach as everyone is different and has different needs. However, these general pointers will send you in the direction direction towards choosing the right supplements:

Identify Your Needs

The first step towards choosing the right carnivore diet supplements is identifying your nutritional needs. Carnivores are often missing vitamin K2, omega 3, and calcium from their diets. 

Have a think about which products you eat, and work out which nutritional elements they do and don’t contain. From there you will start to get a good idea of what you may need to supplement!

Additionally, you can consult with your doctor. 

They might be able to do tests and screenings to figure out your exact needs, and they can recommend a tailored dosage of each nutrient to ensure you are getting exactly what you need.

Whole Food Based Supplements 

If you want to adhere to the diet as closely as possible, choosing whole food-based supplements (such as the ones I recommended from Ancestral) is your best option. 

All of the nutrients in them are naturally occurring, so you don’t need to worry about any unneeded filler material being present in the supplements. 

Think About Your Ingredients

While the carnivore diet is a great way to achieve optimal health, some ingredients are better for you than others. When choosing your products at the grocery store, opt for grass-fed products (beef and butter).  

Or, if you’re dealing with fish, make sure it is wild-caught! Animals treated in this way contain a higher concentration of the essential nutrients you need to thrive on the Carnivore Diet.