Jordan Peterson Feeds His Fans Dangerous Lies About Nutrition
A former fan's wake-up call.
Whether you’re familiar with Jordan Peterson or not, this article deals with an issue that affects us all. Misinformation isn’t just a nuisance; it poses an existential threat to our society, dividing us and creating dangerous confusion.
In everyone’s interest, we have to hold public figures accountable for their lies, demanding honesty and responsibility. Peterson’s misinformation, broadcast to millions, poses a severe threat to climate, environment, and public health.
Introduction
Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist, has become one of the most influential public figures in the Western world.
When I was younger and less informed about him, I was a big fan. I genuinely admired Peterson’s articulate and captivating way of speaking. His psychology lectures fascinated me deeply, and they possibly still would if I hadn't stopped following him due to his shocking moral decline in other areas. I thought he was a genius — and in some ways, he might be.
But there was a time where I suddenly began to see his worrying limitations and tendencies. I became aware that he wasn’t just sexist and intolerant; he had become one of these prominent figures who use their platform to spread dangerous misinformation about topics such as climate change and nutrition. He isn’t just spreading nonsense; he’s aggressively marketing it.
In one of his most absurd and unfounded decisions, Peterson switched to a ‘carnivore’ diet, consisting only of beef, water, and salt — and started heavily advertising this unhealthy diet to his millions of followers.
“I would never recommend a carnivore diet. Completely removing plants from the diet is a recipe for disaster.”
— Kelsey Kunik, registered dietitian and nutritionist
What’s in this article:
Why is Peterson’s carnivore diet a serious health risk?
(Not only because of immediate health impacts — there is another, even more important issue that has largely been overlooked!)Why is Peterson advocating the diet anyways?
Why do people still believe his lies?
Why is Peterson’s carnivore diet a health risk?
1) Lack of evidence
Experts have repeatedly warned that the carnivore diet is unsupported by scientific evidence. Even Shawn Baker, known as the ‘King’ of the carnivore diet, admits there’s no data confirming its long-term health impacts.
Another leading figure, previously known as Carnivore MD, recently abandoned the diet after experiencing a drop in testosterone levels, sleep disturbances, heart palpitations, and muscle cramps. Peterson himself has suffered horrific side effects, admitting that consuming anything other than beef would inflict severe psychological and physical harm:
“[After a glass of apple cider,] I was done for a month. It produced an overwhelming sense of impending doom. I didn’t sleep for 25 days. I didn’t sleep at all. [Every night,] I lay in bed, frozen in something approximating terror for 8 hours and then got up.”
In the absence of valid evidence, promoters of the carnivore diet rely on unfounded claims and misleading sources. The key study used in support of the diet has been criticized for “several major design limitations”: it relies solely on the self-reported perception of selected individuals and does not contain any physiological or biochemical measurements. Further, the carnivore diet’s very premise that our ancestors primarily ate meat has been refuted by novel evidence to the contrary.
A recent analysis revealed 13 misleading and demonstrably false health claims in just a few minutes of Peterson’s statements. The psychologist has repeatedly shown how easily he falls for even the most obvious misinformation, impulsively sharing it on social media, which has earned him the derisive nickname “Internet's Village Idiot.”
2) Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Peterson promotes a diet that consists exclusively of water, beef, and salt. It’s no surprise to anyone with even a basic understanding of nutrition that such a diet carries a significant risk of nutritional deficiencies, particularly lacking essential nutrients such as fibers, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. Low fruit and vegetable consumption has been linked to poor health and increased risk of noncommunicable diseases, which are responsible for 71% of all premature deaths globally.
“Without the consumption of fruit and vegetables, the body will be highly deficient in essential vitamins and minerals. There are higher chances of cardiovascular diseases, increased blood pressure, constipation, and other chronic illnesses that come along with vitamin deficiency.”
— Krutika Nanavati, registered dietitian and nutritionist
3) Health risks of meat consumption
Eating animals is not only unhealthy because meat often contains poop, rat hair, diseases and pathogens, chemicals, heavy metals, and antibiotic residues, but also because research has linked the consumption of meat itself with increased risk of various diseases.
“There is a long-standing epidemiological link between the consumption of red meat (beef, pork, and lamb) and the incidence of carcinomas, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality.”
— Samraj et al. (2014)
Digestive health issues:
The carnivore diet can lead to nausea and constipation due to the decreased fiber intake. A journalist from The Guardian who tried the diet reported that he “was exhausted, distraught, and was beginning to forget what a toilet looked like.” Gut and brain are strongly linked, which means that digestive health issues can also contribute to anxieties and affect mental well-being. According to Alison Acerra, a registered dietary nutritionist, the lack of fiber “sets the stage for digestive health issues and imbalances in the gut microbiome that, over time, increase risk of chronic physical and mental health problems.”
Heart disease:
The carnivore diet emphasizes foods high in saturated fats, which can elevate cholesterol levels. Research has shown that animal protein intake is associated with cardiovascular mortality and plant protein intake is inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. A meta-analysis covering 1,218,380 study participants found that each daily serving of processed meat intake was associated with 42% higher risk of coronary heart disease. Increasing daily intakes of fruit and vegetables is recognized as a “primary preventive measure” against cardiovascular disease.
Cancer:
Scientific studies show a link between the consumption of animal products and various types of cancer, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, testicular cancer, and colorectal cancer. The World Health Organization classifies processed meat (hot dogs, bacon, ham, sausage, cold cuts) as Group 1 carcinogen — the same category as tobacco and asbestos. All red meat (beef, pork, lamb) is classified as a probable cause of cancer. Similarly, chicken, eggs and dairy products have been linked to increased risk of cancer.
Diabetes:
Numerous studies have shown that the consumption of both unprocessed and processed red meat are significantly associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that a single serving of meat per day can increase risk of type 2 diabetes by 51%. Avoiding fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can lead to metabolic acidosis — a condition characterized by excess acid in body fluids —which may negatively affect kidney function and heighten the risk of diabetes.
Obesity:
Proponents of the ‘carnivore’ diet often claim that it reduces body weight. In reality, research has shown consistent positive associations between meat consumption and body mass index, waist circumference, general obesity, and abdominal obesity. Vegan diets, not meat-rich ones, have been found to offer “additional protection for obesity”. In a study of 71,751 subjects, researchers found that only 9.4% of vegans were obese, while this figure was 16.7% for vegetarians, 24% for semi-vegetarians, and 33.3% for meat eaters.
“Nearly all observational studies comparing meat-eaters with those who avoid meat show higher body weights among the former group.”
— Barnard et al. (2014)
4) A health disaster beyond the plate
Even if the carnivore diet didn’t pose immediate hazards to those who follow it, it would still be a catastrophe for human health. Why?
Because the diet relies on the livestock industry, which heavily contributes to rainforest destruction, climate change, ocean dead zones, soil degradation, species extinction, water and air pollution, antibiotic resistance, displacement of indigenous people, pandemic risk, and world hunger.
In short: The carnivore diet is a disaster for the planet and, by extension, all of us who live on it.
“Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity.”
Jordan Peterson has a notorious record of downplaying climate risks, going as far as to wrongfully claim that rising carbon dioxide levels are beneficial for the planet. According to climate scientist Michael Mann, Peterson has “become a central cog in the [climate] denial machine”.
Why is Jordan Peterson lying?
Peterson harbors an irrational animosity towards “woke” culture and a visible disdain for vegans, which he has expressed through lie-filled public statements. His personal biases against certain groups may be fueling his defense of the carnivore diet, even when it blatantly contradicts scientific consensus.
“It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re blinded by anger, and Peterson — despite his wealth and success — seems an exceedingly bitter person. It is sad to see the man who became famous for giving optimistic self-help advice to the young devolve into a rancorous old fool.”
Suppressed rage has reduced Jordan Peterson to a shadow of his former self; to someone who is more concerned with attacking perceived enemies than with providing accurate information.
On top of that, Peterson seems to suffer from a psychological phenomenon called “domain generalization” (a tendency to mistakenly assume that expertise in one field, such as psychology, translates to expertise in other areas, like nutrition). This phenomenon can result in errors in judgment and misplaced self-confidence.
Being hyper-successful in one field may have nurtured in Peterson a self-perception as an allrounder, an omnipotent genius. He doesn’t seem to be an intentional liar. Instead, he seems to suffer from a dangerous form of self-delusion.
Why do people still believe him?
Despite the overwhelming evidence against Jordan Peterson’s claims, many people continue to believe and follow him. Why?
Peterson’s reputation in the field of psychology contributes to his perceived credibility. Many people are drawn to his articulate presentation and persuasive rhetoric, which can obscure his dishonesty and severe lack of expertise in fields like climate science or nutrition.
“Jordan Peterson shrouds his points in a lot of jargon to make them sound convincing in the absence of a credible argument.”
— Ed Winters
Additionally, the dynamics of the attention economy play a crucial role: with millions of followers, Peterson’s sensational and divisive content spreads rapidly on social media. Research shows that online misinformation often travels faster and further than the truth, creating a serious danger to society.
But we won’t give up so easily. Help me spread the truth.
Vegan Horizon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 👇
It’s all about the soils. Not the food.