During a recent conversation with Harvard longevity scientist David Sinclair on The Joe Rogan Experience #2537, Joe Rogan gave an update on his diet. He remains firmly in carnivore territory but has added fermented vegetables to the regular rotation.
Rogan broke it down simply. “I’m mostly on a carnivore-based diet,” he said. “You look at the bulk of my diet, it’s meat and fermented vegetables. It’s meat and like kimchi and sauerkraut and stuff along those lines. And when I eat like that, my hunger is very easy to control.”
The fermented foods represent a notable addition to what is otherwise a meat-focused approach. Kimchi and sauerkraut, both naturally fermented, have been gaining attention for their probiotic content and gut health benefits, and Rogan has woven them into a diet that, at least for him, is working.
One clear sign of that is how fasting has changed for him. He told Sinclair that going without food for a full day has stopped being a challenge.
He stated, “I’ve gone 24 hours, not eating. It’s like not a problem at all. But that’s the most I’ve ever fasted is 24 hours.”
Sinclair, a strong advocate of extended fasting, immediately responded: “See if you can go for three. It’s really worth it.”
Rogan noted the contrast with how his body reacted when his diet included more carbohydrates.
He said, “In the past, when I would get hungry, I would get crazy hungry. Like I’ve got to eat now. I don’t get that at all anymore.”
The benefit he points to most consistently is not physical but cognitive. “What I find is the biggest benefit is mental acuity,” he said. “It has a giant impact when I stick to the diet in terms of my ability to form sentences, recall information and just be present in podcasts.”
Sinclair, who eats mostly plants, challenged Rogan on the science of their differing approaches. He described what he sees as two biological states: one tied to abundance and growth, and one tied to adversity and longevity.
Rogan countered that meat is “the most nutrient-dense food that’s available” and offered to bring Sinclair an elk steak. Sinclair, not entirely opposed, said, “Don’t get me ad*icted to meat.”
