Thomas Ton was diagnosed with psoriasis — a skin disease that causes itchy rashes — at the age of 10. Eventually, the condition spread to “80 per cent” of his body, until he found an unconventional way to relieve his symptoms.
Initially, Ton experimented with different diets.
“I tried a plant-based diet, a low inflammatory diet … keto. Some of it did help, but I still had some flare-ups,” the now-31-year-old told The Feed.
For the past two years, Ton has restricted himself to the carnivore diet, which consists purely of animal products: meat, eggs and dairy. Ton eats zero fruits and vegetables.
“I decided to try out a zero-plant diet and it seemed to help dramatically. [My rashes] are now completely clear,” he said.
But he said he’d be on the diet regardless, and feels the “best he’s ever felt”.
“My mood is very consistent and no more afternoon slump. I’m a lot sharper in my thinking.”
Born out of social media
The diet’s popularity boomed in 2018 after Shawn Baker, a former orthopaedic surgeon, wrote a book promoting its health benefits and claiming that humans evolved as carnivores, only eating plants to avoid starvation. He also states “bad cholesterol” (found in red meat), isn’t harmful, despite scientific evidence stating otherwise.
Media commentators Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson are also passionate promoters of the carnivore diet, which has done the rounds on TikTok thanks largely to right-wing male wellness influencers.
One of the best-known is Brian Johnson, or Liver King, who promotes what he calls an “ancestral lifestyle”, which includes eating large amounts of raw unprocessed organs and meat, with liver a daily staple.
He later admitted to being a regular user of steroids.
Dr S Marek Muller, an assistant professor of communication studies from Texas State University, who’s published a research paper on carnivorism, says the alternative right movement associates the diet with male vitality and masculinity.
“The political right’s fascination with animal consumption is intimately tied to circulating cultural narratives about masculinity-in-crisis and white masculinity in particular. Real men eat meat,” they said.
For Ton, his diet is simply a personal choice — and a pleasure.
For breakfast, he eats a 1.5kg slab of beef or lamb steak, and his dinner is 500 grams of the same, prepared with nothing but salt. He made a deal with the local butcher to get cheaper rates.
He said he never gets sick of meat.
“It’s just my baseline … It’s getting your body used to it and once you do, it’s pretty easy.”
Psoriasis can typically be managed using creams and ointments as well as oral medications and light therapy. Ton said he initially tried those methods.
“I’ve tried a lot. I started off with medication, which is topical steroids, and then I realised some foods did trigger my flare-ups, and so I started experimenting with diet,” he said.
From vegan to carnivore
The carnivore diet doesn’t just attract men.
Tiana Pritchard-Richards told The Feed she too hopped on the carnivore diet, after hearing it could improve fatigue issues. She had previously been a vegan.
Tiana Pritchard-Richards was a vegan before switching to a carnivore diet. Source: SBS
Richards has been on the diet for eight weeks and says she’s lost weight, feels more energetic, and her skin has cleared up.
“I could fast longer without feeling hungry or nauseated, I felt satiated and no longer had impulsive sugar cravings,” she said.
“The results speak for themselves and hold me accountable … I eat less food compared to my former diet.”
A diet lacking in scientific evidence
Daniela Mondello, a dietitian from Sydney Endocrinology, warns there is “very little if any, scientific evidence” to support the benefits of the carnivore diet, which could result in deficiencies in vitamin C, fibre and calcium, and an oversupply of saturated fats.
“This is probably one of the most extreme of the fad diets I have ever come across in my career,” she said. “There are some nutrients that we can only get from plants.”
Mondello said claims of positive health benefits from the diet could stem from eliminating other kinds of food that may be harmful, such as highly processed foods, sugars or refined carbohydrates.
Dr Michael Page, president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) in Western Australia, told The Feed low-fibre diets are linked to cancers in the gut, as well as heart disease.
“There is no evidence that the carnivore diet is healthy in the short or long term … the fats contained in most carnivore diets cause high cholesterol, which is also bad for your heart,” he said.
A plague of misinformation
Ton said he discovered podcasts and online doctors recommending the carnivore diet for psoriasis.
Dr Louise Thornton, a social media expert and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney, said discerning the difference between evidence-based health advice online and misinformation is difficult.
“There’s a lot of medical information promoted on social media platforms [and] they don’t cite the sources,” she said.
Thornton said when a diet doesn’t work for people, they can end up blaming themselves.
“This can affect their willingness to look for other [and maybe better] sources of information or seek treatment from an actual reputable source,” she said.
Thornton believes a counter to misinformation online is if trusted medical professionals utilise platforms like TikTok to provide trusted information.
Meanwhile, the AMA is pushing for reputable health sources to appear first on search browsers.
Other diet fads
Other diets have circulated on TikTok, including the ketogenic diet, which is the highest-trending diet on the platform, with over 10 billion hashtags.
The keto diet consists of foods high in fats and low in carbs, but research has shown minimal scientific evidence to support long-term weight loss.
The trend of “dry scooping” — eating pre-workout supplement powder without mixing it with liquids to “enhance performance” — has also raised eyebrows, with TikTok displaying a disclaimer warning viewers it may be “harmful”.
A 2022 peer-reviewed study from The University of Vermont in America that analysed 1,000 of the most popular TikTok diet videos trending at the time found most videos lacked expert voices while glorifying weight loss.
“[The videos left] viewers with the message that weight loss and thinness is achievable and desirable to all, potentially leading to unhealthy perceptions and behaviours surrounding food, weight and body image,” the research found.
“Perhaps the most problematic finding from this study is that young people are most frequently engaging and creating diet culture content.”
The optimal diet
Professor Jason Kovacic, a cardiologist and director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, suggests the Mediterranean diet is a sensible choice for Australians wanting to “keep their hearts healthy”.
“Unlike the carnivore diet, it limits red meat intake and encourages the consumption of two to three serves of fish per week,” he told The Feed.
Researchers say food products that represent the Mediterranean diet may improve overall health. Source: Getty / monticelllo
“Fish contains heart-friendly unsaturated fats known as omega-3 fatty acids. The Mediterranean diet is also varied, not a fad, and has proven health benefits,” he added.
The World Health Organization recommends including fruit and vegetables in the daily diet to reduce forms of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Social sacrifices
Ton has no plans to stop the diet and is having bi-yearly blood tests to monitor any adverse health effects.
“[Health risks are] at the back of my mind — I mean, there’s no guarantees,” he said.
But Ton admits the lifestyle that comes with the diet has created social challenges.
“If I go for brunch and order some eggs, they might put some condiments or garnish on top and I’ll try to scrape it off.
“If there’s nothing [on the menu] that I can eat, I’ll just have a chat, get some sparkling water and that’s it.”
