Högskolan i Skövde

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in aging and age-related diseases, making dietary interventions that modulate redox balance increasingly relevant to longevity research. This study investigated the impact of a 3-week carnivore diet, consisting of chicken, beef, and eggs, on oxidative stress parameters. We measured multiple biomarkers related to oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic health, including body composition measurements, blood glucose, BHB blood pressure, inflammatory markers (CRP), homocysteine, vitamins (B12, folate, D), iron, ferritin, amino acid profiles (glycine, glutamine, methionine, serine, and taurine), and Nrf2, FOXO3, and SIRT1 genes. While most parameters did not show statistically significant changes, several noteworthy trends emerged. Participants experienced modest decreases in BMI, body weight, body fat percentage, blood glucose, CRP, and homocysteine levels, alongside increases in ketones, vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin D. we observed significant reductions in both systolic (95% CI: 116.75 to 108), and diastolic (95% CI: 73.5 to 65.5) blood pressure were observed. Amino acid levels remained within physiological ranges. Gene expression analysis of Nrf2, FOXO3, and SIRT1 was hindered by data contamination, precluding further interpretation. These findings suggest that a carnivore diet may support redox balance through multiple mechanisms, including inducing ketosis, improved insulin sensitivity, enhanced vitamin status, and maintained amino acid profiles that support endogenous antioxidant production. These results challenge conventional perspectives on dietary approaches to oxidative stress management and highlight the need for larger, longer-duration studies to fully evaluate the carnivore diet's potential impact on oxidative stress parameters and longevity outcomes.