I ate nothing but red meat and salt... what happened to my hormones, body fat and mental health shocked me

Jake Moscato decided to effort a reddish nutrient fare for 60 days to spot retired whether it would marque him look similar 'a superhero' oregon 'mess up' his body. 

The 28-year-old YouTuber began pursuing the 'lion' mentation of the carnivore diet - which means lone consuming beef and salt. But conscionable a fewer days in, helium realized it was acold harder than helium anticipated.

While connected abrogation successful California conscionable 4 days into the challenge, helium was having occupation uncovering places to devour retired and had to beryllium retired connected lunches and dinners with a friend.

Unable to instrumentality to his strict fare and experiencing unpleasant - and inconvenient - intestinal problems, helium caved and ate accelerated foods, crystal pick and ultra-processed snacks wrong a week of starting the diet.

He said: 'The biggest happening that sucks astir it is erstwhile you're out. There is nary convenience. I can't spell to Chipotle. I can't spell to a random Taco Stop Taco spot. I can't spell to Dave's Hot Chicken oregon Chick-fil-A. Like, I person to cook.'

Aside from having constricted nutrient options and being forced to skip retired connected meals, his wellness took a turn.

Within a week of starting his journey, Moscato began feeling anxious, experiencing thorax pains, arsenic good arsenic a 'weirdness' successful his stomach, portion besides becoming mildly depressed.

Realizing this was unsustainable, helium decided to loosen the restrictions connected his fare and started incorporating pork and immoderate fruits into his meals by the 3rd week.

At 1 constituent successful the archetypal 3 days, the New Yorker said: 'I'm not looking guardant to anything. I americium truthful sick of this, I americium truthful sick of meat. I mightiness spell vegan after this.' 

His caller fare was '95, 97 percent reddish and bash a small spot of fruit, eggs and pork.' 

After adding different nutrient items to his diet, the YouTuber began to bask his meals again - noting that a operation of beef and pork smelled 'delicious.'

As helium came to the 60-day mark, Moscato besides reported that his mood, vigor and absorption had besides importantly improved. 

Once helium completed the challenge, Moscato underwent humor tests to spot however overmuch his assemblage had changed.  

Compared to his pre-challenge tests, results showed helium had managed to trim his assemblage abdominous from 16 to 14.6 percent and driblet his assemblage value from 208lbs to 202lbs. 

Notably, helium had besides gained astir 2lbs successful each of his arms and 2lbs of musculus successful his thorax - expanding his full musculus wide by astir 6lbs. 

However, trial results showed his cholesterin levels accrued by 12mg - going from 157 mg to 169mg, with atrocious cholesterin levels (LDL) jumping from 67mg to 92mg and his bully cholesterin levels dropping from 81mg to 69mg. 

Excessive LDL (low-density lipoprotein) oregon atrocious cholesterol can physique up successful the walls of the arteries, forming plaque. This plaque tin constrictive the arteries and summation the hazard of bosom attacks and strokes. 

On the different hand, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterin is known arsenic the 'good' cholesterin due to the fact that it helps region different forms of cholesterin from the bloodstream and lowers the hazard for bosom disease.

Experts that steadfast cholesterin levels for some men and women supra the property of 20 ranges betwixt 125mg to 200mg portion LDL levels should stay beneath 100mg and HDL levels 40mg and higher - indicating that Moscato was not astatine the hazard of processing bosom disease. 

His testosterone levels had besides accrued from 748 nanograms to a overmuch higher 800ng while his robust levels went from 88 micrograms to a worrying 176ug.

Excess iron, oregon robust overload, tin harm captious organs similar the liver, bosom arsenic good arsenic the pancreas, starring to conditions similar liver disease, diabetes and bosom problems. 

While Moscato said helium hated eating the carnivore fare during the challenge, helium plans to continue to indulge successful it portion besides consuming fruits and avocados aft helium received his results. 

Despite his results, doctors suggest eating a plant-based fare specified arsenic the Mediterranean fare that affluent successful fruits, vegetables, full grains and legumes. 

Mountains of probe person singled it retired arsenic the champion and astir well-rounded fare for wellness and longevity, lowering the hazard of everything from dementia to bosom disease.

A 2018 survey published successful JAMA assessed 26,000 women who followed the Mediterranean fare and recovered that those who had adhered to the fare intimately for up to 12 years had up to a 28 percent reduced hazard for bosom disease.

The bosom wellness boosting powerfulness of the fare comes from its accent connected limiting saturated fats that typically travel from carnal products similar nutrient and butter.

Unsaturated fats, the benignant that makes up Mediterranean diet-approved foods specified arsenic olive oil, nuts, and food assistance little the level of 'bad' LDL cholesterin and triglycerides successful the blood, which origin a build-up of fatty deposits successful the humor vessels.

As those fatty deposits grow, they marque it hard for capable humor to travel done the arteries, which greatly increases the hazard for a bosom onslaught oregon stroke.

Experts person agelong warned astir the risks of consuming excessive reddish nutrient and skipping retired connected vegetables and grains.

Red meats are precocious successful saturated fats, which tin origin elevated levels of atrocious cholesterin and summation the hazard of processing cardiovascular diseases similar coronary bosom disease, strokes and bosom failure.

The International Agency for Research connected Cancer also classifies reddish nutrient arsenic a Group 2A carcinogen (substances that tin origin cancer) and excessive depletion could astir apt pb to breast, colorectal and lung cancer. 

Apart from this, a 2025 Neurology survey recovered radical who excessively devour reddish nutrient are much apt to make cognitive diminution and dementia compared to their counterparts.

The survey concluded that those who had eaten 0.25 oregon much servings per time had a 13 percent higher hazard of processing dementia and 14 percent hazard of cognitive diminution compared to those who ate little than 0.10 servings.

For a steadfast diet, experts urge limiting reddish nutrient depletion to nary much than 12-18 ounces (cooked) per week oregon astir 3 servings.