11 Reasons to Quit Coffee on a Carnivore Diet (#7 is a Surprise)

Coffee is more than just a drink. It’s a culture, a passion, and a whole industry. It’s the “kick” some must have to start their day, the center of many social gatherings, and a source of wealth and pride in many cultures.

For centuries, we have been pointing fingers at coffee; some believed it’s the magic potion for power, and others thought it causes madness. To this day, the body of science is torn between its proven pros and cons and can’t give a final word.

That’s why I enlisted the help of my friend Dr. Nour Ibrahim to help come up with the top 11 reasons to quit coffee while on a carnivore diet, or any other diet for that matter.

Why is it so controversial?

Coffee is controversial because it does have some benefits, but these benefits are not exclusive to it. Coffee will not beat an unhealthy lifestyle.

Also, it has some serious research-proven cons. Why have the cons that come with it for benefits you already have on your diet? For example, coffee is a quick and effective source of energy.

However, a healthy diet and regular exercise are all you need to get going. Not only is coffee looked at as a drug not justified, but also it has raised some serious health concerns that we are about to explore.

And speaking of drugs, we discuss how cannabis, aka marijuana, applies to a carnivore diet here.

Reasons you should quit your morning cup of joe:

1. It’s against the carnivore mindset

I know, it’s not the bible. But coffee is a plant-based drink. You are now supposed to be focusing on reshaping your relationship with food by stripping your plates to the minimum that covers your body’s needs only, which is super healthy bioavailable meat.

You are overcoming years and years of unhealthy eating habits, what’s one more change?

2. Answer to cancer? Perhaps, not so much

Some studies proved that coffee may lower the risk of some cancers like breast and endometrial cancers. However, some types of cancer like oesophageal cancer’s risk weren’t lowered.

In fact, coffee was in the WHO’s carcinogens list until 2016. It was removed because the chemicals that put it on the list were vindicated, but what about the rest?

Then again, the WHO is a sketchy organization with plenty of potential corruption, but that’s a whole other topic.

Also, Dana Farber Cancer institute stated that ‘’It appears that coffee has probable health benefits, but any major risks associated with coffee consumption is still uncertain.’’

This is a rather neutral stance towards both sides. It is a fancy way to say ‘’we don’t know’’. Is the risk worth it though? Probably not.

3. Its antioxidant effect is offset by its collateral damage

Coffee is loaded with antioxidants (that carnivore diet can still give you in abundance). These are chemicals that may help protect cellular damage.

This was the probable pathway coffee “decreases’” cancer risk and even cardiovascular diseases. However, drinking coffee has been associated with an increased risk of heart attacks as it increases levels of homocysteine (1).

Also, caffeine induces the release of adrenaline which in turn increases the heart rate. This is probably not good news for anyone suffering from cardiac conditions.

4. Coffee and cholesterol connection

Unfiltered coffee like espresso and Turkish coffee contains chemicals called diterpenes like cafestol. These increase the levels of cholesterol in your body, especially LDL, which may or may not be a good idea. As a carnivore-dieter, cholesterol levels may fluctuate, but it may be a better idea to let the meat do it and not coffee.

A meta-analysis of many clinical trials showed a causal relationship between coffee consumption and increased cholesterol levels (2). However, cholesterol shouldn’t be as scary as it’s made out to be, as most of that fear comes from BigPharma, and they need to sell us statins to make those profits.

Either way, coffee does something to your cholesterol levels, and it’s probably worth looking at.

5. It’s not as diabetes-friendly as publicized

Some studies claimed that caffeine decreases insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by different mechanisms. However, a study published by the American Diabetes Association proved the opposite (3).

They say Coffee harms glucose metabolism and causes spikes in the daytime and postprandial glucose levels. Repeated episodes of elevated glucose will set all your efforts to control diabetes to failure.

6. Caffeine-induced anxiety disorder

Yes, the most potent part of coffee, caffeine, has a mental disorder named after it. Actually, there is more: caffeine intoxication, caffeine withdrawal, caffeine-induced sleep disorder, and unspecified caffeine-related disorder.

It is the most commonly used psychoactive drug worldwide. Like sugar, caffeine’s omnipresence masks its damaging effects.

However, researchers vastly explored and proved that caffeine can precipitate, exacerbate, and maintain anxiety disorders (4).

It can even worsen symptoms of hostility and anxiety in psychotic patients. It mimics the symptoms of anxiety-like nervousness, increased heart rate, restlessness, GI disturbances like reflux, etc.

These effects are highly dependent on each person’s ability to metabolize caffeine.

That’s crazy, right?

7. It doesn’t necessarily aid in weight loss

Remember those glucose level fluctuations? They lead to sugar cravings which in turn make you pile on the pounds.

If it does help people lose weight, it’s mainly by its appetite-decreasing effect, which might go to the extreme of anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder; some individuals choose to survive on coffee and sugar spikes of energy to lose weight.

However, nothing beats a healthy diet and lifestyle in long-term weight loss and its maintenance. A carnivore diet may just help with that!

8. Its cognition boost is non-dependable

That jump-start you feel is real. Caffeine blocks your ability to feel tired and induces the production of adrenaline.

However, if you don’t eat and sleep well, drinking coffee will only give you tremors and make you more anxious. It will not beat an unhealthy and detrimental lifestyle.

9. It disturbs sleep pattern

Caffeine takes around 6 hours to get metabolized. This is why you shouldn’t have caffeinated drinks close to your bedtime. This is due to its stimulant effect.

Some studies even found that it might delay your biological clock. It’s a natural diuretic too, so children and pregnant ladies may want to avoid it.

10. It can be toxic

If your coffee is non-organic, it is highly likely that it will be contaminated with artificial pesticides.

Unless you invest in quality coffee, you are at the risk of getting mold and mycotoxins like aflatoxin B1, a carcinogen, in your system. This can cause kidney and liver damage.

I know this might sound hypocritical, but I still drink coffee every now and again. If I do, I only drink the best out there. It’s roasted and procured by Ben Greenfields’ company called KION. It’s, in my opinion, the cleanest and safest to drink…if you still decide to drink it after this post.

• Get 10% off on your first order of KION with this link, or use WILDLUMENS at checkout

11. It’s not good for the environment

The cheap ground coffee is not the coffee that grows naturally. Most of the time, this is sun-grown coffee which fatigues the land much faster than natural ones.

Thus, farmers will need to strip more land with time. Its cultivation process is a far cry from environment-friendly too.

What do the carnivore diet gurus think of coffee?

The carnivore diet is a radical elimination diet. It reshapes an individual’s understanding of what’s necessary for healthy living and what’s not so important.

In his book ‘’The Carnivore Code’’, Dr. Paul Saladino says ‘’you should be able to wake up without stimulus ‘’. This sums up everything you need to hear to quit coffee.

Its ‘’powers’’ just don’t justify the cons. It might be difficult depending on how much you used to have and how often, and you might even experience withdrawal symptoms.

Therefore, Dr. Shawn Baker recommends in his book, “The Carnivore Diet”, that you don’t cut coffee out all at once, especially if you just started.

Instead, he believes it’s best to maintain this habit for another month until you are on solid grounds.

Also, he and Dr. Saladino like to emphasize that caffeine is a natural pesticide produced by the coffee plant that is used to dissuade critters from eating it. So much so that it can be deadly to certain bugs and animals.

If you are going to continue to drink coffee on a carnivore diet, then you may want to consider an organic, pesticide-tested, and mycotoxin-free brand. The best-tasting and highest-quality brand I know of is KION. Plus, they give our readers a 10% discount with this link, or type in WILDLUMENS at checkout!

Everyone’s experience with the carnivore diet is different since we all come from different dietary backgrounds. This is why we all adjust differently to this diet.

Whenever you are confused or craving something, think of how far you have come and why you adopted the carnivore diet with its holistic approach.

What about alcohol? Good question, and that’s a whole other topic and one we wrote to help clear up the controversy.

1. Can You Drink Alcohol On The Carnivore Diet? (Why and Why not?)

Don’t forget to check us out on YouTube! We have plenty of inspirational videos and adventures.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. 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.

References:

1. Heavy coffee consumption and plasma homocysteine: a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers
2. Coffee Consumption and Serum Lipids: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials
3. Caffeine Increases Ambulatory Glucose and Postprandial Responses in Coffee Drinkers With Type 2 Diabetes
4. Neuropsychiatric effects of caffeine