Biochemist at Tennessee Meatstock Says Carnivore Diets Reverse Disease

Carnivores gathered in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, for Meatstock, a convention focused on meat-based diets.

The weekend event included expert presentations, panel discussions and vendors promoting carnivore and keto diets along with biohacking.

Texas biochemist and author Nathan Bryan, who spoke at the event, told Fox News Digital that Americans are the sickest people on the planet. Nine out of 10 Americans are metabolically unfit, two out of three have unsafe blood pressure elevations and nearly half are diabetic or pre-diabetic, he said. He attributed those conditions to the foods people eat.

Bryan said attendees shared compelling stories of weight loss and cured autoimmune diseases after adopting meat-based diets. These people eat mainly meat, high protein and good fats with limited or no carbs or plants, he said. They appeared the healthiest and reversed disease without drugs, based on self-reported accounts not established in broad clinical research.

Meat-centric diets draw criticism. Tara Schmidt, a registered dietitian and nutrition instructor at Mayo Clinic, said they risk deficiencies in fiber, calcium and vitamin D. They lack balance and prove too restrictive for long-term sustainability for many, she added.

Bryan found the science presented at Meatstock impressive. A former professor of medicine, he stressed clinical data behind the diets.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture issued new Dietary Guidelines for Americans this year. The update encourages a variety of protein foods from animal sources, including red meat, a shift from past carbohydrate emphasis that has sparked debate.

UC Berkeley Public Health reported that many nutritionists and health providers were appalled by the guidelines.

Bryan blamed nutrition misinformation on Ancel Keys' Seven Countries Study, which shaped views on cholesterol and heart disease. Vegan groups have used that work to demonize meat and spread misconceptions, he said. Many researchers still cite Keys as foundational despite ongoing debates.

Bryan is not a strict carnivore but eats protein, mainly red meat, at every meal. He fasts 18 hours daily. He raises his own beef on a Texas ranch, free of antibiotics and growth hormones. His meals include low-glycemic starches like baked or sweet potatoes or rice, plus green beans, corn and salad. For him, it is a balanced diet in moderation, always with meat.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in February that the war on protein is over.