“I’ve tried to listen to my body more, tried to listen to nature, and I don’t miss vegetables at all. I don’t go near them, and I’ve never felt stronger, my skin’s never been better, and my gut’s never been better.”

Adventurer and TV presenter Bear Grylls has become a die-hard carnivore fan after admitting that he’s “embarrassed” about endorsing a vegan lifestyle in the past.

Speaking to Press Association, the celebrity survivalist claimed eating red meat and organs has transformed his health.

This comes after he released “Fuel for Life,” a 2015 cookbook with over 70 dairy, wheat, and sugar-free recipes.

He also criticised meat eaters then. “Many people think I must be a massive meat-eater. I’m not. To satisfy our insatiable appetite for meat we have developed very unnatural ways of breeding, keeping and killing animals. This far exceeds our nutritional needs for the health of myself and my family,” he wrote in his book.

 ‘Vegan diet is not good for the body’

Singing a different tune, in his interview with PA, the 48-year-old said: “I wrote a vegan cookbook, and I feel a bit embarrassed because I really promoted that.

 “I thought that was good for the environment and I thought it was good for my health. And through time and experience and knowledge and study, I realised I was wrong on both counts.”

According to him, eating vegetables made him nutrient deficient, and ditching them in favour of good old fashion blood and bone marrow has improved his gut, skin and overall energy.

“I was having salads every day, I would really crave junk food and once or twice a week have cheat meals – a real blow-out of whatever you want, burgers, pizzas, etc,” he told PA.

“You’re basically starving for 80 per cent of the time and then you’re binging for the rest. That’s not good for the body.”

Grylls added: “I find now I’m always full when I’m eating so much meat and eggs and butter and fruit and honey – I’m never hungry.

“I’ve tried to listen to my body more, tried to listen to nature, and I don’t miss vegetables at all. I don’t go near them, and I’ve never felt stronger, my skin’s never been better, and my gut’s never been better.”

Grylls during his interview said he now advocates the “ancestral way of living.”

“I’ve found a counterculture way of living, of embracing red meat and organs — natural food just like our millennia of ancestors would have eaten for hundreds of thousands of years.”

The British adventurer even posted a video on Twitter detailing his diet to “stay strong.” As well as adding what he calls “good quality grass-fed meat,” he said he also “throws in a bit of liver every few days.”

Coincidentally, Grylls is also the spokesperson of animal-based Ancestral Supplements, a US-based firm launched in the UK last month.

It manufactures what it calls “nutrient-dense superfoods in supplement form” using ingredients obtained from beef organs, bones, collagen, and other body parts. Products available include Grass Fed Beef Liver, Grass Fed Beef Heart and Grass Fed Spleen. The brand claims that these supplements can benefit everything from immunity to hormone balance and athletic performance.

He also endorsed the “ancestral supplements” in his video and urged his followers to “check them out,” because “the truth is we need more organs than just liver.”

I’m often asked my secret to having the energy to tackle some of life’s toughest challenges? Nutrition is key, as is resistance training, sunlight, cold water and fun community. pic.twitter.com/elir3HsAUD

— Bear Grylls (@BearGrylls) March 12, 2023

Benefits of going plant-based

Despite Grylls’ recent opinions about the benefits of eating animal organs, there are numerous studies that have shown how risky a meat-heavy diet can be for health and the environment.

According to research published in Nature Food, the meat industry accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gasses from global food production. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations states that animal agriculture is responsible for at least 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Moreover, the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics attests that ‘appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases’.

“These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage,” it further explains.

“Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.”

• Read: Bear Grylls called out for ‘moronic’ secret diet of  ‘organ meat’

Share this story: Bear Grylls ’embarrassed’ by past vegan diet endorses meat, blood and bone marrow for better health.