I haven’t eaten carbs, fruits or vegetables in SIX YEARS. I never expected what would happen to my body

A former vegan claims he has ‘cured’ multiple health problems and lost a stone and a half by eating only meat and dairy products.

Social media influencer Bella, who shares videos under the Instagram alias ‘steakandbuttergal’, is said to have avoided all carbohydrates, vegetables and fruit for the past six years.

The professionally trained musician, who has 420,000 followers on Instagram, has credited her controversial eating plan with regulating her menstrual cycle, beating depression and healing skin problems such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.

“I’m not dying from lack of energy, nor have I destroyed my hormones,” she said in a video of herself eating a whole roast chicken.

“I’ve actually lost 25 pounds, now have painless periods, incredibly stable energy and moods because my body now burns fat for fuel.”

Her experience goes against the recommendations of health authorities such as the NHS, which advise Britons to stick to a healthy, balanced diet with some meat, some carbohydrates and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Diets high in meat – especially beef and lamb – have been linked to multiple health problems, including heart disease and cancer.

Carnivore diets, in which adherents eat only animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy, have grown in popularity in recent years, with clips on the subject having been viewed more than 1 billion times on TikTok.

It is based on the widely disputed belief that people who lived thousands of years ago subsisted on meat alone, and emulating this in modern times has a range of health and performance benefits.

Interest in the diet has been fueled in part by advocates like Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson, who say it improved their mental and physical abilities.

But as its popularity has skyrocketed, so have studies warning of the potential dangers.

A 2023 study found that people who eat just two servings of meat per week are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The Harvard University study, which was based on data from more than 200,000 people followed for nearly four decades, found that those who ate the most red meat a 62 percent higher risk type 2 diabetes compared to those who eat the least.

And British research from The University of Oxford has found that a higher consumption of red meat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in 1.4 million people 18 percent for every additional 50 grams eaten per day.

Health and nutrition experts have also warned that people who limit their diet to meat may be at increased risk of heart disease, conditions such as scurvy and even cancer due to the lack of vitamin C and fiber in the diet.

Vitamin C, found in high concentrations in the fruits that meat eaters avoid, helps protect tissue, keep it healthy and also aids in the healing of those who don’t get enough and are at risk of scurvy.

Fiber, also called roughage, is a term for carbohydrates that occur naturally in plants and that we cannot easily digest.

Instead, it moves to the lower parts of the digestive system, bulking up the stool and preventing constipation.

Not eating enough fiber is also a known risk factor for colon cancer, a disease that is becoming increasingly common among young people.

Cancer Research UK estimates that around one in four of the approximately 45,000 cases of the disease diagnosed in Britain each year are caused by a lack of fiber in the diet.

Red meat and animal products such as cheese and butter are also high in saturated fat, which can lead to plaque buildup in the blood vessels.

In the long term, this causes the organ to pump harder, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

However, some experts dispute some of the findings from studies on the dangers of eating too much meat.

Interest in the diet has been fueled in part by proponents like Joe Rogan (pictured) and Jordan Peterson who said it improved their mental and physical abilities

They highlight that much research fails to distinguish between the impact of processed meats, such as sausages and burgers, and less processed cuts of meat, such as steak.

However, most experts recommend people eat a balanced diet that includes healthy animal products, such as lean cuts of meat, dairy and eggs, in addition to plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Extreme diets that ban broad food groups, such as veganism, fruitarianism, where people eat only fruit, or the carnivore diet, should be treated with caution.

For example, vegans should be careful about obtaining it plenty of essential nutrients like iron, calcium, iodine, selenium and vitamin B12 that other people easily get from animal products without ever having to think about it.