People feel better on meat-only diets because they stop eating junk food, not because meat is special.

The study found that mice lost weight and got healthier when they ate fewer calories, no matter if their food was low-carb, high-fat, or high-protein. This means it’s not the meat or low carbs alone that helped—it’s just eating less.

Even when mice lost weight by eating less fat and meat, their body fat inflammation didn’t fully go away — but it did when they ate a healthier, lower-fat diet. This suggests it’s not just eating less or eating meat that helps, but also what kind of food you eat.