Topics: Food and Drink, Health, Instagram, News
An expert has spoken out on the downsides of following an influencer's extreme diet that has seen her apparently skip carbs completely for the last six years.
Social media influencer Bella, who goes by @steakandbuttergal on Instagram, is a musician - but her page largely documents what she eats as part of her unconventional diet.
Bella claims to have not eaten any carbs, fruit or vegetables in six years.
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"I hate to break it to you, but you do not need to eat carbs," she told her 420,000 followers in one video. "I have not eaten a single carb, piece of fruit or vegetable in six years and I'm not dying of low energy, nor have I wrecked my hormones."
Ultimately Bella, who also says that she eats a whole block of butter a day, claims that the carnivore diet has helped her lose 25 pounds, made her periods 'painless' and made her taller.
She added that her body now burns fat for fuel.
In the wake of her outlandish claims, a PhD pharmacy student and fitness coach has spoken out and warned about the negative long-term affects this kind of diet can have on a person.
"You can believe some random influencer, we can believe the entire science community," Angel began.
"Carnivore diet might put you in a calorie deficit, so you might lose weight. Cool. [But] you could also just be in a regular calorie deficit, flexible dieting, eating chocolate, eating pasta and still having some balance there."
She continued: "Over the long term, you might have a low fibre intake that will affect your gut. That is not good for you.
"You'll also get less vitamins and minerals, for example vitamin C. So it might be well and good that you're getting lots of iron from these meats, but if you don't have any vitamin C to help you with absorption, you're actually not going to be getting the benefits you think you are."
Angel went on to warn about the issue of having too many saturated fats in your diet, which could lead to high cholesterol in the long-run.
Long story short, it's good to have a diverse diet.
Explaining why, Love Your Gut's website states: "Different foods are made up of varying amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates as well as vitamins and minerals.
"All these nutrients provide your body with energy and elements to help it function at its best day after day."
It adds: "How can you ensure you’re getting enough nutrients to fuel your body every day? Well, the answer is to have a diverse diet and to diversify your dietary choices."
Before embarking on extreme diets such as the one Bella follows, it's always important to consult a healthcare professional first.
