Robert F Kennedy Jr gets White House hooked on gut-friendly food after claiming he lost 20lbs
Robert F. Kennedy’s sauerkraut hyperfixation has bled into the Trump administration’s wider cabinet, according to a new report. But is the fermented diet staple really that healthy? Experts have detailed everything you need to know.
The 72-year-old has not shied away from sharing details of his food over the years, having recently confessed to being a controversial carnivore diet follower.
The restrictive diet plan, made up of meat-derived products, such as red meat, eggs, cheese and butter, has been lauded in the past for ‘speeding up the breakdown of fat and improving blood sugar’.
Studies have also suggested that eating a copious amount of red meat can put stress on the kidneys, increase inflammation, and cause nutritional deficiencies.
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Alongside indulging in beef, saturated fats, and dairy delights, RFK Jr. enjoys indulging in fermented foods like sauerkraut.
"The way I feel, my mental clarity, my word retrieval, I had noticeable improvements, and you can attribute some of that to [the] placebo effect, but I lost 20 pounds in 20 days when I switched to this diet,” he claimed in an interview with USA Today’s Extremely Normal show.
Apparently, the father-of-six has enlisted the help of his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, to keep him on track while out and about.
“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?'" the 60-year-old Curb Your Enthusiasm star said to The Cut.
And after months of talking about the finely dressed cabbage, it’s been reported that the Health and Human Services Secretary’s eating habits have converted Vice President JD Vance, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to the so-called ‘sauerkraut diet’.
The Wall Street Journal reported the quartet have apparently been complimented on their ‘glowing skin’ and that they are experiencing various health benefits, including dramatic weight loss.
“Within 30 days I lost 20 pounds,” Kennedy said at a Michigan-based event this week. “JD Vance is also on the diet and you can see how different he looks.”
What JD Vance eats in a day
Ohio native Vance apparently eats the sour cabbage for lunch with eggs, pickles, blackberries and raspberries, and with beef or lamb at dinner time.
While travelling, he apparently snacks on grass-fed beef jerky or a hamburger with cheese, no bun, and a side of fermented vegetables, the profile claimed.
Sauerkraut diet founder
The publication reported that Dr Sean O’Mara, who invented the fermented-food diet, sells his ‘optimisation plans’ for $8,000; for $18,000, he’ll take you to the supermarket and explain why you should pick foods from the back of the refrigerator where there is less light pollution.
Dr O’Mara, who has allegedly given up red meat and diet soda due to associated cancer risks, apparently met with Kennedy during a trip to Colorado.
He claimed in an interview that helping people feel their healthiest is his ‘life’s calling, adding that ‘nothing would improve somebody’s appearance more and their performance’ than having more energy.
Fermented food health benefits
Stanford Medicine reported that various clinical studies have shown that fermented foods can support health by boosting nutrients, reducing inflammation, and supporting digestion.
Sauerkraut, particularly, produced as a result of lactic acid fermentation, is an excellent source of probiotics, fibre and iron, the British Dietetic Association remarked.
Experts at Zoe Nutrition added that it's also an excellent source of fibre, vitamin C, and vitamin K2, which is essential for bone and heart health.
There’s some evidence linking a diet high in cabbage or sauerkraut to a lower risk of certain types of cancer, including breast.
However, the current research is very limited in quality and quantity, with much more being needed to make any firm conclusions.
If you don’t enjoy chewing on forkfuls of sauerkraut, then kimchi, a staple of Korean cuisine made from fermented vegetables like cabbage and radish, is also jam-packed with vitamins, including A, B and C.
Downsides to sauerkraut
Due to being high in histamine, those who are sensitive may experience allergy-like symptoms and digestive issues when eating sauerkraut.
It’s also possible that it can contain 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.
Researchers at McGill University have also warned that an excess can cause diarrhoea and bloating, and that the sodium content is usually quite high.
Too much sodium can increase your blood pressure and the risk of experiencing heart disease and stroke, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Zoe experts suggest talking to your healthcare provider before taking a leaf out of the Trump administration and adding sauerkraut to your diet.
Ella Scott