Shawn Baker MD – Why Carnivore Fixed What Keto Alone Couldn't – TFP #032
Shawn Baker MD – Why Carnivore Fixed What Keto Alone Couldn't – TFP #032  
Podcast: The Feldman Protocol
Published On: Tue May 26 2026
Description: In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, can a diet of almost exclusively meat actually support world-record athletic performance while raising serious questions about conventional cardiovascular risk? Shawn Baker (MD) traces his path from professional rugby and military trauma surgery to pioneering the carnivore movement, makes the case for carnivore as a powerful elimination diet for autoimmune and inflammatory disease, and engages Dave in a nuanced debate on LDL, plaque imaging data, gut microbiome myths, and the politics of nutrition research.🔥 This episode is sponsored by us --Own Your Labs 👉 `https://ownyourlabs.com/sp/32` Private blood testing services🩸Over 300 blood tests💰Extremely affordable❤️ We love our customers(Yes, we are literally funding the entire podcast from our own company -- so if you want to show your support, keep getting your private blood testing through our service. Thank you! 🙏)🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN:Main Channel: `https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldman`X/Twitter: `https://x.com/realDaveFeldman`Instagram: `https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldman`Website: `https://thefeldmanprotocol.com`⏱ Chapters3:01 – Shawn's early path to medicine4:47 – Dropping med school for pro rugby6:12 – Military service & trauma surgery9:44 – Back to the military & civilian practice11:09 – Personal health decline & first diet shift14:58 – Discovering paleo & low-carb17:31 – Why Shawn moved beyond paleo23:01 – First exposure to carnivore (zero-carb)29:41 – Going all-in on carnivore in 201635:23 – Plant-based vs. carnivore athletes40:20 – The Joe Rogan appearance that changed everything44:29 – Getting first bloodwork: testosterone & A1C controversy51:27 – Fasting glucose on keto: diabetic or adapted?55:15 – OGTT, fat adaptation & continuous monitors57:37 – Birth of MeatRx & collecting anecdotal data1:04:05 – Cholesterol: Dave asks Shawn's real view1:09:03 – The KETO-CTA study & the Clearly curveball1:15:12 – Will the 5-year scans show LDL-plaque links?1:19:43 – Informed consent when cholesterol spikes on carnivore1:27:29 – Shawn's Europe "cheat" & a month of whole-food carbs1:33:37 – The viral steak-eating videos explained1:37:07 – Debates with vegan activists1:42:06 – Carnivore for autoimmune & inflammatory disease1:46:46 – Rivero: building a 50-person clinical team1:53:47 – Carnivore variations: keto-style, dairy & organ meat2:00:16 – 10 years nearly zero organ meat: any deficiencies?2:02:25 – Allegations of PEDs: Shawn's full response2:08:14 – Shifting toward sprinting & masters track2:13:21 – Ex-carnivores & the "sustainability" criticism2:23:51 – Carnivore as elimination diet: the Clue game analogy2:26:30 – Gut microbiome, fiber & metabolic flexibility2:34:07 – GLP-1 drugs, LDL, and the BMI confounder2:39:35 – Metabolic health as the real cardiovascular driver2:51:52 – Imaging noise floors & what the data really shows2:58:01 – Homozygous FH, cumulative LDL & study power3:04:55 – Designing the TRIAD study & goal-post shifting3:11:37 – Where the lipid hypothesis holds—and where it doesn't#FeldmanProtocol #DaveFeldman #ShawnBaker #CarnivoreDiet #LDLCholesterol #HeartHealth #MetabolicHealth #LowCarbDiet #KetoDiet #Atherosclerosis #PlaqueProgression #AutoimmuneDisease #GutHealth #AthleteNutrition #MastersAthletics #NutritionResearch #AnimalBasedDiet #CitizenScience #Lipidology #KetoCTA