If you are a vegan or a vegetarian, hit the back button now; this will be distressing. A former obese vegan who didn’t find any success following a plant-based lifestyle has gone to the other extreme. After a long stint following a cruelty-free diet, 26-year-old Andrew Graf an entomologist from Texas ditched it for an entirely meat-based diet. But ‘non-vegetarian’ is too mild a term to describe Graf’s extreme diet, which mainly comprises raw meat and bone marrow! But before you brush it off as another fad diet, here’s news for you. Graf has gone from being an obese 135 kg to a lean 84 kg with his ‘carnivore diet.’ And that’s not all. He claims that it has boosted his sex life, made his brain sharper and lowered his cholesterol.

(Photo Credits: Facebook, Andrew Graf)

Graf who used to be obese was an ardent follower of the vegan diet. He decided to make the switch when the plant-based diet neither helped him lose weight nor lessened his anxiety. Today he has lost half his body weight after going on a carnivore diet. His diet is completely devoid of carbs and he has 0.4-0.8kg of raw meat every day. YouTuber Eats Raw Meat Sighting Protest at a Vegan Food Festival at Amsterdam! Watch Viral Video

He says that eating raw meat has regulated his food intake since eating meat has made him eat lesser than before. Graf, who used to prefer his meat rare, doesn't feel queasy about eating raw meat since he likes the taste. He also added that cooking reduces the bioavailability of nutrients in the flesh, which is why he prefers to leave them raw.

Raw meat and bone marrow (Photo Credits: Facebook, Andrew Graf)

Graf is aware of the backlash he may receive from vegans, who already have a reputation for shaming people for their diet choices online. He says, “Vegans definitely feel threatened. Online clashes typically follow carnivores minding their own business when vegans attempt to shame and harass us. It's as if our existence is some kind of existential threat. But I found this has worked for me.”

What’s a Carnivore Diet?

The name itself is self-explanatory. A carnivore diet is a meat and meat only diet. It’s a no-carb, no-fruit, no-vegetable, no-grain diet which revolves around only flesh foods, eggs and dairy. Since it’s an up-and-coming diet, there isn’t much information around it. But it already has people raving about it.

Any diet which is restrictive may lead to deficiencies. Health experts opine that a carnivore diet is devoid of fibres, vitamins and antioxidants, which are as important as proteins and fats for survival.

Dangers of a Carnivore Diet

Eating a meat-intensive diet would cause the body to go into a ketosis state like the ketogenic diet. It may have a lot of unwanted side effects like bad breath, constipation, rash and gastrointestinal trouble. How to avoid the unwanted side effects of keto

Eating raw meat could also be extremely dangerous as it can lead to salmonella, E.coli and listeria infections. Eating raw undercooked beef or pork can lead to tapeworm infestation in the body.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 17, 2018 07:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).