'Sauerkraut and red meat' diet that JD Vance has adopted following RFK Jr's 20lb weight loss
JD Vance’s obsession with sauerkraut and red meat, adopted amid Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s jaw-dropping weight loss confession, is not for the weak of heart, with experts explaining the health risks associated with habitually eating fermented food
This weekend (2 August), Vance, who is considered the first-ever millennial Vice President, is celebrating his 42nd birthday.
Since taking office on 20 January 2025, the Ohio-born politician has welcomed a fourth child with his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance; challenged various foreign leaders in the Oval Office; and apparently grown extremely fond of following a diet consisting of sauerkraut and red meat.
According to a report, he, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were converted to the so-called fermented food diet by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services Secretary for the United States.
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The Wall Street Journal reported the quartet have apparently been complimented on their ‘glowing skin’.
They have all apparently been experiencing various health benefits since moving onto the diet, including dramatic weight loss.
“Within 30 days I lost 20 pounds,” Kennedy said at a Michigan-based event earlier this year.
“JD Vance is also on the diet and you can see how different he looks.”
Daily, the Vice President of the United States is apparently likely to gorge on a lunch plate made up of sour cabbage for lunch with eggs, pickles, blackberries and raspberries.
When dinner time rolls around, the sourkrout is served alongside beef or lamb, according to The Wall Street Journal.
If hungry outside of these windows, then Vance will apparently snack on grass-fed beef jerky or a hamburger with cheese, no bun, and a side of fermented vegetables.
The father-of-four previously described the strict diet as ‘crazy’ in an interview with NBC News, remarking that he also sometimes eats yoghurt and cheese.
RFK Jr.’s obsession with sauerkraut
Having previously admitted to following a variation of the controversial ‘carnivore diet’, RFK Jr. has enlisted the help of his wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm actress Cheryl Hines, to keep on top of his fermented food cravings.
In an interview with The Cut, she explained that when she and the father-of-six go to events together, she’ll often be asked to carry around a pot of the good stuff in her purse.
“I’ll have my little clutch, one of my good bags that I only take out every once in a while because I want to keep them nice, and he’ll hand me a bag of sauerkraut and say, 'Can you put this in your bag?'.”
Health warnings on eating sauerkraut
If you’re thinking about taking a leaf out of Vance and Kennedy’s book, then good news: there are a myriad of health benefits that come with eating fermented foods.
Speaking to Verywell Health, registered dietitian Theresa Gentile said that items like surkraut can serve as good sources of fibre.
“Fibre affects our gut microbiome, bowel regularity, colon health, cholesterol control, and blood sugar control.”
However, she warned: “There are not that many vegetables that are usually fermented, so you will not get all the soluble fibre, insoluble fibre, vitamin C, folate, potassium, magnesium, polyphenols, and antioxidants that you would from eating an array of colourful fruits and vegetables.”
Experts at McGill University have also claimed that too much could cause diarrhoea and bloating in those who have histamine sensitivities.
It’s also possible that sauerkraut contains high levels of tyramine, an amino acid derivative that helps regulate blood pressure.
Too much tyramine can interact dangerously with a class of drugs called MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors), used to manage depressive disorders and, in some cases, Parkinson’s disease.
It’s advised that you speak to your healthcare provider before embarking on JD Vance’s diet.
Ella Scott