11 Reasons to Quit Alcohol on a Carnivore Diet (#2 is Scary)

Carnivores strive to perfect their diet and health at the same time. We can debate the risk versus benefit of different drinks like coffee, tea, and milk; there will always be room for doubt or different opinions.

However, alcohol is a whole different story. Alcohol is a perilous drug disguised as a culturally accepted drink and a social norm; it’s an integral part of many cultures and cuisines.

Plus, many people have added cannabis aka marijuana to their routine but that is a whole other topic which we discuss here:

• Can You Use Cannabis aka Marijuana on a Carnivore Diet? Why & Why Not?

Is It That Dangerous?

According to national surveys, around 86% of adult Americans consumed alcohol at some point in their lives, and 55% drank alcohol in the past month.

Since so many people drink alcohol, its many problems are widely represented. Alcohol is the 3rd leading preventable cause of death in the US.

It kills around 90 thousand Americans every year. These aren’t immediate deaths from DUI for example. These also include the deaths from the diseases it induced.

Those stats are major eye openers!

How Bad Is It?

Alcohol is produced by fermentation of sugar from any natural source like fruits. Plant matter!

Dr. Paul Saladino, writes in his book “The Carnivore Code,” how these sources are usually sprayed with harmful pesticides and sometimes not even thoroughly cleaned from toxins before starting the fermentation process.

It’s bad stuff.

Alcoholic drinks’ psychoactive ingredient is ethanol. This is what makes you drunk, and it is toxic. While on the topic of psychoactive drugs, many people ask about cannabis, aka marijuana subject concerning the carnivore diet…but that topic can be found here.

As soon as it enters your system, your body panics and treats it like any toxin. It takes it to the liver to detoxify it. Your liver will struggle as it deals with so many toxins.

The carnivore diet essentially gives your liver and the rest of your body a break when you remove alcohol and all other plant-related foods. Just saying!

Alcohol alone predisposes to around 200 diseases. Its effect on you depends on so many factors like your age, metabolism, genetic makeup, the amount and frequency you drink, etc.

11 Reasons to Quit Alcohol on a Carnivore Diet

Most people drink occasionally thinking they don’t have to deal with any long term consequences, or maybe not thinking at all. Hopefully, this list will change your mind, and make you more conscious of every sip in the future as any carnivore should.

#1 It Damages Your Liver

The liver is responsible for detoxifying this toxin. However, it has a maximum capacity. The more you drink, the more you saturate it.

Also, it induces inflammatory damage in your liver cells which eventually kills them. This damage can be irreversible if it turns into scar tissue. This process is called cirrhosis.

Researchers proved that even at moderate intake, cirrhosis still happens. The incidence of cirrhosis increased in participants who reported daily alcohol intake and frequent alcohol consumption without meals (1).

#2 It Literally Makes Your Brain Shrink

Alcohol’s short term effect is slowing down communication between brain cells. If you binge drink, you might blackout. If you carry on with these habits, permanent changes might take place.

Again, research proved that even what’s considered moderate and okay is enough to cause damage.

A recent British clinical trial proved that moderate drinking, 14-21 units/week, is associated with serious brain damage including hippocampal atrophy. This is the area responsible for memory and reasoning.

The clinical trial was carried out over 30 years on 550 participants, and alcohol’s effect on the brain was meticulously followed up by MRIs and questionnaires over the years (2).

#3 Risk of Cancer Skyrockets

Research proved that just one alcoholic drink a day increases your risk of mouth and oesophageal cancer by 20%.

If you are a heavy drinker, this risk increases up to 5-fold. These numbers further increase if you are a smoker too (3).

Alcohol also increases your risk of other cancers like liver, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers.

#4 It’s a Gateway Drug

Think about it, you are more likely to give in to peer pressure or miscalculate the risk of a certain move if you are drunk. According to research, alcohol serves as a gateway drug to illicit drugs like heroin more than marijuana and tobacco do (4).

Even if it’s not your slide to other drugs, alcohol itself is addictive. You will experience with it the classic symptoms of addiction like dependency and withdrawal. This drastically modifies your life around alcohol and its evils.

It’s probably better to be addicted to burgers and ribeyes and not beers and mojitos.

#5 Your Mental Wellbeing Will Take a Hit

Some people drink to forget, but that effect only lasts for a few hours. In fact, alcohol consumption increases your levels of depression and anxiety.

Thus, you are starting a vicious circle instead of applying healthy coping mechanisms.

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence at MeatRX of people going from a Standard American Diet, Vegetarian, and even Vegan Diet to the Carnivore Diet and having improved mood, motivation, and energy.

#6 It Can Seriously Ruin Your Life

According to the Washington Post, alcohol is the deadliest drug in the United States as it inhibits cognition.

This is not due to driving under the influence related accidents. It has been linked to all different kinds of crimes from robberies to sexual assaults.

40% of all homicides happen under influence!

#7 Alcohol May Harm Your Unborn Child for Life

Alcohol is teratogenic, (it can disturb the development of an embryo or fetus), and it’s well-documented (5). Drinking alcohol while pregnant predisposes to a syndrome called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

This condition involves serious physical, mental, and emotional damage to babies that lasts for life. According to the CDC, there is NO SAFE LEVEL of alcohol during pregnancy.

#8 Quitting Alcohol Will Increase Your Willpower and Self-esteem

Quitting is not about avoiding the bad only; there are positives too. You will need to have a lot of discipline to overcome this habit because drinking ques like parties will repeat constantly.

You will be in control of your life, and you will be sober enough to develop healthy and functioning tactics to deal with your stressors. Meditation, cold therapy, and an all-meat diet can do wonders.

You will enjoy more free time to explore yourself and passions, and you will be able to spend more time with your loved ones to do what you truly want in life.

Another thing to think about is the darn munchies! How many times have you indulged in a less than healthy snack after a night of drinking?

#9 You Will Say Good-bye to Hangovers

Hangovers aren’t fun especially if you have something important the next day. They might not be an issue when you are young, but you will eventually reach a point that will make you wonder if drinking is even worth the dreadful hangover.

Also, you no longer need to apologize for behaviors or words you don’t even remember.

Also, think about all the wasted time hangovers created for you. The inability to properly function adds up over time.

#10 Your Body Will Thank You

You will enjoy better sleep patterns, and your hormone levels will not be all over the place. This will show inside out. Your skin can improve, weight fluctuations may stop, and any damaged organs like your liver and pancreas will start to heal…assuming permanent damage hasn’t already been done.

Quitting alcohol will give you a chance to lead the active life you should.

#11 Money, Money, Money

Students alone spend around 5.5 billion US dollars on alcohol every year…what?

This is more than what they spend on tea, coffee, milk, soft drinks, and books combined!

You might think this is an over-estimation, and you know your finances better. You can have a reality check with this calculator (6).

• Alcohol Spending Calculator

This is money you should be investing in yourself and your body. Just think of adding the saved money to your daily ribeye habit. Now that’s a habit I could support!

Also we dedicated a whole article to saving money on a carnivore diet, check it out.

• How To Save Money On The Carnivore Diet

Some Carnivorous Thoughts

The carnivore diet is not only about food; it’s also about discipline and a mindset. Yes, you are getting rid of all unnecessary or harmful food, but you are slowly disciplined and rewired back to your norm where your body functions best.

In his book “The Carnivore Diet’”, Dr. Shawn Baker mentions how people who have been carnivore for a long period report that their desire for alcohol diminished drastically, and they felt tipsy quicker than usual if they went back to drinking.

Again and again, choosing a holistic approach to your health pays off. Sticking to water is perfect but if you want to see some other carnivore diet drinks we wrote these articles to help!

• Top 4 Drinks For The Carnivore Diet
• Can You Drink Milk on the Carnivore Diet? (Plus Tips)

If you are new to the carnivore diet and need some motivation check out this article “How To Get Started on a Carnivore Diet | First 28 Day Plan” and be sure to check out our YouTube Channel where you will find plenty of entertaining Carnivore Related Content and Shenanigans.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or dietician or nutritionist. Consult with and ask your doctor about any diet or medical-related questions. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition.

Resources

1. Alcohol drinking patterns and liver cirrhosis risk: analysis of the prospective UK Million Women Study
2. Moderate alcohol consumption as risk factor for adverse brain outcomes and cognitive decline: longitudinal cohort study
3. Alcohol Consumption and Cancer Risk
4. Alcohol as a Gateway Drug: A Study of US 12th Graders
5. Alcohol as a Teratogen: A Decade of Research in Review
6. Alcohol spending calculator