Bear Grylls says he's 'embarrassed' that he used to promote being vegan and now doesn't 'go near' vegetables

• Celebrity survivalist Bear Grylls said he's "embarrassed" about his past as a vegan.
• Grylls, who now eats a meat-heavy diet, told PA that he now doesn't go "near" vegetables.

Former vegan turned meat-lover Bear Grylls said he's "embarrassed" that he used to promote plant-based diets.

During a recent interview with PA, the celebrity survivalist and "Into the Wild" star claimed a carnivore diet has done wonders for his health and wellness, the Telegraph reported. Grylls, 48, also said he looked back on his history of speaking out about the benefits of veganism for the planet and for an individual's health as shameful.

"I was vegan quite a few years ago — in fact, I wrote a vegan cookbook — and I feel a bit embarrassed because I really promoted that," he said. Grylls' 2015 cookbook, "Fuel for Life," shared over 70 dairy, wheat, and sugar-free recipes.

"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 realized I was wrong on both counts," he added.

Later in the interview, Grylls said he's now an advocate of what he calls 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," he said. "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."

The flaws of the carnivore diet

Grylls claimed, without citing his evidence, that a plant-based diet isn't "good" for the environment or for his health, and that instead, he prefers to adopt a carnivore diet.

As Insider's Allana Akhtar previously reported, carnivore diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, with social-media personalities such as Joe Rogan touting its benefits often through unsubstantiated claims.

While animal meat is a good source of protein and can provide essential nutrients, too much of it can actually cause health problems such as gastrointestinal issues, dehydration, and grogginess. It can even lead to more detrimental issues. As registered dietitian Kate Patton told the Cleveland Clinic, carnivore diets can be dangerous for those with pre-existing health conditions.

"If you have a pre-existing chronic condition, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, any history of stroke or other cardiovascular diseases, you should definitely not try this diet," Patton said. "Even if you have digestive issues, this diet can make things worse with all that protein and fat, which takes a lot longer to digest."

Meanwhile, eating vegetables can have benefits such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and improving sleep, mental health, and digestion.

A study published by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in 2021 found that people who ate five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, for example, had a lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer, and respiratory disease, compared to those who ate two servings of fruits and vegetables.

Not only that, studies have also shown that a wider societal shift toward plant-based could have a great positive impact on the environment by reducing carbon-dioxide emissions.

Representatives for Bear Grylls did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.