A nutritionist has warned against the dangers of the so-called “Lion Diet,” whose hashtag has taken TikTok by storm with 16.5 million views so far.
You’ve probably heard of “internal showers,” “butter boards,” and endless foodie and diet hacks, but the latest (and more extreme) trend is to ditch salt, water, and red meat in one. There are people who eat for months.
But Claudia Le Feuvre, a nutritional therapist at the healthy aging platform Goldster, said: Not only is it influencing a full overhaul, but it also warns that it is a “fad diet” that can have undesirable health consequences.
read more: Benefits of not eating meat: Twice-weekly vegetarian diet reduces cancer risk
The “Lion Diet” was conceived in 2018 by podcaster and TedEx speaker Mihaira Peterson. Peterson reportedly spoke of its obvious benefits for problems such as fatigue, intolerances, intestinal problems, and autoimmune conditions. And now people are trying it all over the world.
For example, TikTok user @roryskitchen, who has more than 220,000 followers and nearly 3 million likes, chronicled his diet journey and claimed to have had the best night’s sleep in his first video. , then I feel like: Partly he feels bad, and these days, he says, he feels that what he’s doing is going well.
But Le Feuvre is not convinced. “There are a lot of clever hacks on TikTok, but I advise people to avoid this trend,” she says. So why do people think a diet based primarily on red meat works for them?
“I understand people do it to temporarily relieve some of their symptoms, but there are much better ways to identify and address the underlying food intolerance and its triggers. says Le Fouvre.
“beef [for example] Being a very hypoallergenic food, the lion diet may seem like an easy and good solution for people with IBS, underlying food intolerances, and inflammation caused by food allergens. , is not a long-term or healthy solution.
A better way to identify the trigger is to use an elimination diet, under the guidance of a professional, to temporarily cut out certain foods and record the results to see what’s causing the problem. .
read more: Many cold-sliced meats sold in the UK are saltier than the Atlantic
“The biggest risk to a lion’s diet is that because they only eat beef, they miss out on other nutrients such as healthy fats, fiber, and all the vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables.” are severely undernourished,” warns Le Fouvre.
We don’t know for sure the long-term consequences of dieting, but Le Feuvre also points out that “salt doesn’t help with fluid retention and blood pressure.”
Also, some people choose to eat raw meat, so there is more to consider. Potentially dangerous. [a common infection that you can catch from the poo of infected cats, or infected meat] Therefore, it is recommended to skip this as well. “
read more: Intestinal disease “had to go to the toilet 20 times a day”
According to Le Feuvre, the effects of a lion’s diet likely include halitosis (halitosis), piles, high cholesterol, constipation, hemorrhoids, and very low energy. , I strongly advise you not to try this TikTok trend.”
“If you’re still not sure, talk to your doctor and ask if there’s a nutritionist or nutritionist you work with and seek professional help, because this is a fad diet,” she adds. You might want to think twice before trying any of the diets you saw on. TikTok has recently been accused of “perpetuating a toxic diet culture” among teens.
The NHS points out that while red meats such as beef, lamb and pork are good sources of protein, eating too much red and processed meat increases the risk of colon cancer.
The Eatwell Guide advises that people should aim to eat at least five servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables each day to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. The basis of the diet is fibrous and starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta. Or eat dairy alternatives, beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat, or other proteins, use small amounts of unsaturated oils and spreads, and drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluids a day.
Watch: Eating processed meat ‘increases risk of heart disease by one-fifth’
