For millions of Americans, GLP-1 drugs are a ‘miracle.’ In addition to helping control diabetes and weight gain, they are linked to a decreased risk of dementia and addiction, according to a study from WashU Medicine. However, the study also found the drugs can “negatively affect the pancreas and kidneys,” and cause “gastrointestinal problems.”

Due to the drug’s novelty, there is not a lot of long-term data on its effects on the body. Executive physician Dr. Sean O’Mara told Drew Mariani that “long-term, large population studies,” are needed to further study the drugs. For the time being, O’Mara is recommending his patients hold off on GLP-1s. “There are much safter strategies for weight loss,” he said.

For O’Mara, muscle loss is one of biggest risks the drug poses. “When you step on that bathroom scale and that number’s going down, are you losing dangerous fat or are you losing beneficial muscle?” If the latter is true, O’Mara worries patients would need walkers and wheelchairs sooner.

Instead, O’Mara advocates for a ‘living carnivore’ diet of grass-fed meat and fermented fruits and vegetables. He believes fermented foods help curb cravings for carbohydrate rich and hyper-processed foods which contribute to “inflammatory fat.” The living carnivore diet, O’Mara said, helps curb the hunger that comes from eating “hyper palatable foods.” It also helps the gut microbiome.

The human gut has trillions of microbes, and “has a key role in various biological processes including health and disease,” according to a study published in Frontiers in Microbiology. A healthy gut microbiome, then, can lead to better health outcomes. For those that utilize the living carnivore diet, the benefits are diffused. O’Mara says, “families tend to be…healthier, and share healthier microbes if the parents are healthy.”

O’Mara recommends eating a diverse range of fermented foods, each containing different, but beneficial microbes. He cites sauerkraut, kimchi, plain yogurt, gorgonzola cheese, kefir, and kombucha as good options to “add to the diversity and the strength of your microbiome and your immunity.”

While a diet rich in grass-fed meat and fermented foods can be expensive, O’Mara’s mantra is  be “luxurious when it comes to your health; be frugal with everything else” (with the  notable exception being charitable giving).