Ancestral Diet Influencer Liver King Owns Up To Steroid Use

How many times have you been told how good fermented foods are for your gut, recently? Well, that also happens to be one of the various tenets of the ancestral food diet. House of Wellness explains that an ancestral diet is based on the eating habits of our ancestors. It focuses on whole foods instead of those that have been refined or processed. Speaking with the outlet, holistic dietitian Marieke Rodenstein said that "an ancestral diet is focussed on local, seasonal and cultural food, which can vary greatly depending on what part of the world you live in."

For years, this diet has been the focal point of a fitness guru named Brian Johnson, better known as the "Liver King." Johnson's message to the world revolves around becoming stronger, healthier, and happier through ancestral living. His diet leans heavily on the liver, an organ that he says is also targeted by "alpha organisms" (he specifically calls out lions and sharks). His Instagram account displays intense shirtlessness, raw meat consumption, and feats of strength. People can see him munching on a Mongolian yak's liver, chewing a cow's lung like gum, and wearing a horned barbarian helmet while surfing.

The Liver King claims to have lived on this diet for the past 20 years and credits it for helping him keep a very muscular physique. But a recent revelation has proven these statements to be a bit misleading.

Recently, "Liver King" Brian Johnson has been put on blast for selling supplements while claiming that he built his muscle mass purely through living an ancestral lifestyle and working out. In actuality, those muscles are partly the result of steroids. According to TMZ, YouTube personality More Plates More Dates shared reportedly "leaked emails" in which Johnson admits injecting himself with muscle-building substances. One email he allegedly sent suggests the Liver King felt he needed help with his physique when he reached his 40s and was spending $11,000 a month for a new dosage.

This isn't the first time Johnson has been accused of taking steroids, but it is the first time with evidence. On an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, Joe Rogan didn't hide his disdain for the Liver King's claims, stating, "That guy's on steroids." Rogan further argued that while he thought Johnson was clearly eating healthy foods, the guru was "dodging the main bullet" by insisting he didn't use any performance-enhancing drugs. But with the leaked emails as evidence, Johnson is now ready to own up to his mistake.

In a YouTube video, the King shared that he "[effed] up," and felt "embarrassed and ashamed." According to Johnson, his goal was to help people who are hurting and depressed by spreading a message of a better lifestyle. He said that the resorted to lying in order to prevent his followers from getting the wrong message and apologized.