Tennessee doctor says carnivore diet approach is reversing disease

A growing number of Americans are trying to consume more protein. Dr., a doctor in rural Tennessee. Ken Berry traces some of this trend to people reporting improved health by following meat-based diets.

Each year, the International Food Information Council survey asks Americans to choose the attributes that best describe a healthy food. By 2025, Americans’ views have changed, with “good source of protein” overtaking “fresh” as the most important criterion.

The survey also found that for the fifth year in a row, most Americans (70%) report that the nutrient they try to consume the most is protein. This rate increased compared to 62% in 2021.

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While protein remains a priority for many Americans, nutritionists continue to debate the optimal amount and sources of protein for long-term health.

Berry was the keynote speaker at Meatstock 2026, an annual gathering for followers of carnivore and ketogenic diets.

“The meat supply continues to grow every year, sometimes doubling in size,” Berry told Fox News Digital.

“I live on beef, butter, bacon and eggs.”

Carnivore diets have changed somewhat, Berry said. Some people eat only meat, some eat only ruminant meat, and some consume meat, eggs and fish.

All have remarkable health benefits, according to Berry, who says he’s heard testimonial after testimonial from people who say they lost stored fat, reduced fatty liver and inflammation, and transformed their overall health with the carnivore diet.

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“The stories you hear at Meatstock capture your heart and capture your brain and make you think,” he said.

Berry himself testified that by switching to the carnivore diet from the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association nine years ago, he lost 70 pounds and reversed his “list of diseases,” including prediabetes.

“I live on beef, butter, bacon and eggs,” Berry said.

The stock of meat, a tradition for people who follow an animal-based diet, has increased every year. (Meatballs 2026)

Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, said a carnivore diet in 2024 “seems like a fundamentally terrible idea.”

He said people are missing out on fiber and other essential nutrients, and eating animals could lead to climate change.

Others criticized the diet for being too restrictive to maintain over the long term.

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They also noted the lack of clinical evidence they said was needed to support the diet.

Still, it attracts people’s attention. Berry’s keynote speech was viewed nearly 80,000 times on YouTube in three weeks. The theme of his speech was that people were “misled and malnourished.”

Dr. from Tennessee Ken Berry was the keynote speaker at Meatstock 2026. (Fox News Digital)

He said one of the biggest misconceptions people have about nutrition is the belief that whole grains and juices are good for you. They’ll keep you alive, but “they won’t improve your health,” he said.

Popular whole grain foods like bread and oatmeal are “almost as inflammatory for most people,” Berry said, but many nutrition researchers have found associations between whole grain consumption and improved health outcomes.

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He added that starch, found in legumes, beans and other foods generally considered healthy, raises people’s insulin.

Juices, found in many smoothies and other products labeled as wellness drinks, “in many cases contain more fructose than Coca-Cola,” but nutritional content varies significantly by product, he said.

Fans of the carnivore diet have proven to lose weight and reverse disease. Critics of the diet say it deprives people of vital nutrients. (iStock)

Berry argued that many nutrition studies involve conflicts of interest that consumers may not be aware of.

Berry said concerns about bacon, red meat, cancer and heart disease have been exaggerated, but major health organizations continue to cite evidence linking processed meat consumption to increased health risks.

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While the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies processed meat as carcinogenic and red meat as possibly carcinogenic, other researchers continue to debate the strength and interpretation of the evidence.

“We have not changed genetically as a species compared to 100,000 years ago. Therefore, our diet should be predominantly meat or entirely meat,” Berry said.

Dr. who advocates a carnivorous diet. According to Ken Berry, bacon is a healthy food only if it is made with meat, salt and spices. (iStock)

Berry said the diet can be affordable because consumers don’t need to buy premium cuts or solely grass-fed meat.

Bacon, bananas and hot dogs can be health foods if the consumer “becomes an ingredient detective” and chooses only those made with meat, salt and seasonings, Berry said.

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Critics of carnivore diets have also raised concerns about the elimination of fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods that provide fiber, vitamins and other nutrients commonly recommended in dietary guidelines.