Preferences and recommendations from content creators on carnivore diets: a social media analysis

BACKGROUND: A carnivore diet is characterised by the exclusive consumption of animal foods, particularly red meat. Digital media, particularly TikTok and Instagram, often praise the health-promoting and disease-preventive properties of the carnivore diet. However, the scientific data on this form of nutrition is currently very limited. METHODS: After creating a coding guide with an accompanying seven-day pretest and modification, a social media analysis was conducted on the Instagram platform over a period of one month. In addition to content related to nutrition and food, aspects such as lifestyle, advertising measures, and political or social statements were also collected. The survey was conducted quantitatively through categorization, accompanied by qualitative documentation of notable findings. RESULTS: The analysis included 19 content creators (47% male, 53% female; aged 25-64) with an average of 157,758 ± 146,405 (25,200-582,000) followers. A total of 1,169 posts during the survey period showed a notable focus on health- and disease-related statements. With the exception of the strong emphasis on red meat, the nutritional and food recommendations were heterogeneous. This was accompanied by ideology-related themes, politically relevant statements, and critical portrayals of institutions such as science, politics, and industry, some of which could be classified as politically right-wing conservative. However, the data does not allow for a clear political classification. Overall, the carnivore diet was portrayed as positive. CONCLUSIONS: The one-sided view of carnivore nutrition, combined with political and social content, should be viewed critically. Nutrition professionals should pay attention to social media and counteract non-evidence-based claims with scientifically sound information.