The carnivore diet, the meat-focused diet that eliminates most other types of foods, is not a healthy diet for most people, many health care providers say.

The carnivore diet avoids nearly all types of foods except meat and eggs. That means no fruit, vegetables, nuts or carbs. It recently gained national attention when a Florida man ended up in the hospital for developing cholesterol deposits under his skin after eating only meat and butter for eight months. That’s an extreme version of the diet but highlights some of the risks of the carnivore diet.

“I probably wouldn’t recommend it,” says Mae Janiga, a physician assistant at Tidelands Health Family Medicine at The Market Common. “Too much of one thing is never a good thing.”

Eating high levels of protein can help curb appetite, which is why some people who try the diet may experience weight loss early on. Protein also helps build muscle and burn fat. If you are looking to lose weight, responsibly increasing your protein intake may help.

As a general rule, someone who weighs 175 pounds should try to eat about 130 grams of protein a day.

But if you eat too much protein every day for too long, you may run the risk of having too much cholesterol or sodium in your diet – which in turn may lead to high blood pressure and affect the health of your heart and kidneys. Plus, that much protein with too little fiber may quickly make you constipated.

Instead, a diet that also incorporates fruits and vegetables, which provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, is ideal. Additionally, carbs are a necessary part of a healthy diet. If you want to scale back, start with starches and processed snack foods. 

Talk to your doctor before you make any major changes to your diet. Your doctor can help you decide what’s safe and effective for you.