Meat in quantities, raw as cooked. In the feeds on Tiktok and Snapchat, you have been able to see videos where creators are testing the so-called carnivore diet. One of them is the student Helena Gustafsson, 21, from Jönköping who herself got inspiration to test, from a Swedish influencer. – She received many health benefits. Which I felt I really wanted to experience. Like more energy, no brain fog. Then I had also been without my period for a while and I had seen that people get their period back with this diet. That it balances hormones and it’s good for you as well. Goes against the dietary advice Today, the Swedish Food Agency’s advice says that you should cut back on red meat and cured meats, a maximum of 500 grams a week. But the authority is currently reviewing the dietary advice and there is now a proposal on the table to lower the recommendation to 350 grams a week. – I get a little concerned when I hear about diets like this. Partly because of this increased cancer risk, and partly because you also constantly choose fatty dairy products – then there will be a huge imbalance between these fatty acids, says Åsa Brugård Konde. What are the risks of eating more than 500 grams of meat a week? – It increases the risk of colon and rectal cancer. That is the problem. Otherwise, meat is a very nutritious food. Not least for women of childbearing age who lose quite a lot of blood during menstruation. So then you need a lot of iron. Helena Gustafsson did not feel particularly concerned about increasing her meat consumption. – I didn’t care that much. There are probably more others who were triggered by the fact that I have eaten more meat, who said that the Swedish Food Agency says it is not okay. But I’m the only one affected so I didn’t care too much. I didn’t see it as a long-term diet, that I would eat like this for 30 years. Had to stop the diet After only a few days, Helena Gustafsson noticed that the change in diet made a difference to her body. She got rid of brain fog and got more energy. The ability to concentrate also improved. – But then I started to notice that I had a bit of a strange stomach, that I became a bit more constipated and had a bit more problems. I only lasted two weeks. Maybe not for long. But I knew I didn’t want to go on a diet if I didn’t feel good in my body, she says and continues: – And then “carnivore” is quite expensive. Meat is not the cheapest to buy. I’m a student so I decided to quit.
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