Can You Drink Green Tea on the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet doesn’t have a rulebook. So whether green tea is allowed depends on which version you follow and how strict you want to be. Here’s how the definitions work, what’s in the cup, and what the research says about the diet itself.

Is green tea allowed on the carnivore diet?

Not on a strict version. A 2026 scoping review in Nutrients says no standardized definition of the carnivore diet exists. In general, it means eating animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs and animal fats, sometimes with dairy, and cutting out plant foods entirely. Green tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, so by that definition it’s out.

Looser versions exist. The same review included studies only if the diet was mostly animal foods, and it allowed exceptions for herbs, coffee and alcohol. The studies themselves ranged from complete exclusion of plant foods to minimal plant intake. None of these definitions mentions tea, so calling tea acceptable is our reading, not an established rule. If you allow coffee, plain tea is a similar choice.

Version	Green tea?
Lion diet (only red meat, salt and water)	No
Strict carnivore (animal foods and water)	No, because tea comes from a plant
Looser version with exceptions such as coffee or herbs	Your call, since no rule covers tea

Can you drink other tea on the carnivore diet?

The same logic applies. Black and oolong tea come from the same plant as green tea. Herbal teas come from other plants. On a strict plan, all of them are plant products, and water is the drink that Cleveland Clinic’s list of carnivore foods includes.

How many calories and carbs are in green tea?

Almost none. USDA data for regular brewed green tea:

Nutrient	Per 8 oz (245 g)
Calories	About 2
Carbohydrates	0 g
Sugars	0 g
Fat	0 g
Protein	About 0.5 g
Caffeine	About 29 mg

We scaled these from USDA’s values per 100 g. They apply only to plain brewed tea. Honey, sugar, milk and many bottled teas change the numbers, so read the label. Our page on Arizona green tea shows how different a bottled drink can be.

The carnivore diet aims to avoid all carbohydrates, Cleveland Clinic says. By the numbers, plain green tea fits that goal, even though it’s still a plant product.

If you’re watching caffeine, see our page on how Bigelow decaffeinates its green tea.

Does green tea fill any nutrient gaps?

No. The scoping review flagged possible shortfalls in vitamins C and D, calcium, magnesium, iodine and fiber on the carnivore diet. USDA lists brewed green tea at 0 for vitamin C, calcium and fiber, and only a trace of magnesium. On those numbers, tea won’t make up for those gaps.

Is the carnivore diet backed by research?

Not much. The research is limited, and the medical sources we checked don’t endorse the diet.

• Evidence: the 2026 review found only nine human studies. It rated the quality of evidence as very limited because of small samples, short durations and a lack of control groups.
• Benefits and risks: the review says the diet may offer short-term benefits, but it carries substantial risks of nutrient deficiencies and cardiovascular disease.
• Recommendation: the authors concluded that long-term adherence can’t be recommended at this time.
• WBUR: its Endless Thread podcast reported in January 2024 that no controlled studies had been published confirming the diet’s advertised benefits.
• British Heart Foundation: “We do not recommend eating the carnivore diet.” It calls the diet very restrictive, unbalanced and potentially unhealthy in the long term.
• Cleveland Clinic: a registered dietitian there says research specific to the diet is in short supply. Asked if it’s worth trying, she said, “In my opinion, no.”

If you’re considering this diet, talk to your doctor first, especially if you have diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol or kidney problems. The British Heart Foundation notes that Diabetes UK warns people with type 1 diabetes against low-carb diets.

Is it safe to drink green tea on a carnivore diet?

We found no study of green tea within the carnivore diet, so we can’t point to specific evidence either way. In general, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says no safety concerns have been reported for green tea as a drink for adults, though it does contain caffeine. Keep these points in mind:

• Caffeine: if you’re pregnant or might be, ask your healthcare provider about your limit.
• Medication: green tea at high doses can reduce levels of the blood pressure drug nadolol, and it may interact with other medicines.
• Extracts: green tea supplements are different from brewed tea. Liver injury is uncommon, but it has been reported in some people using green tea products, mainly extracts in tablet or capsule form.

Watching caffeine too? See our green tea caffeine guide.