A woman claimed she was as 'healthy as a horse' after sticking to a strict sardine diet for a whopping 120 days.
Jane Crummett consumed nothing but the oily fish - and a bit of oil - for nearly four months, and credits the unorthodox diet with completely turning her life around.
According to the 64-year-old, it helped her lose a ton of weight, reduce her blood sugar and relieve long-term pain, as well as giving her energy levels a massive boost.
Although exclusively eating sardines might sound like torture to some people, a number of health experts believe it can work wonders on your wellbeing.
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Dr Annette Bosworth, better known online as Dr Boz, has dubbed the fish 'the best superfood out there' and claims that abiding by this diet for short periods can help you 'reset' your metabolism.
The Florida-based physician, who specialises in 'reversing chronic illness through a ketogenic lifestyle', is the one who encouraged Jane to give it a go.
Jane, a US Navy veteran and retired first responder, previously explained that she took the plunge after years of suffering with extreme foot pain due to plantar fasciitis as well as inflammation in her body.
Jane also acknowledged that she had an unhealthy relationship with food. At her peak, she weighed around 17 stone.
In 2020, she began following the carnivore diet - which revolves around animal products such as meat, fish, seafood, eggs and some dairy items - and lost 65lbs.
Some people reckon that this ketogenic diet forces the body into a state of ketosis, meaning that fat is burned for fuel instead of carbohydrates. A few experts have rubbished this idea, though.
Jane said she eventually reduced her weight to just over 11 stone by abiding by the carnivore diet, but slowly began piling back on the pounds - and her plantar fasciitis was still in overdrive.
So, she decided to try out Dr Bosworth's sardine fast, which the medic claims will jump-start your metabolism and send your body into advanced ketosis to rapidly burn fat for energy.
The fish are rich in essential nutrients, low in calories and can bring a host of health benefits when you include them in your diet.
According to Web MD, studies have shown that they can improve the health of your heart, eyes and brain, as well as strengthening your bones, improving blood vessel function and easing inflammation, among other things.
In July 2024, Jane began eating three tins of sardines in water and added two tablespoons of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil to each of them each day.
"I said, ‘I'm going to eat these until I feel better,’ and I started feeling better about 60 days in," she previously told Today. "I ended up doing 120 days.
"About halfway through, I realised that I wasn't hungry anymore, and I sometimes had to make myself eat the third can."
She claimed to lose 25lbs after following the sardine diet for four months - and joked that not getting bored of eating them was her 'superpower'.
According to Jane, her plantar fasciitis resolved itself and she was left feeling as 'healthy as a horse'. She later switched back to the carnivore diet but said she still consumes at least one tin of sardines a day.
Dr Bosworth discussed Jane's health journey during an appearance on the Diary Of A CEO podcast in November last year.
She explained that the Navy vet had used food as a crutch 'to cope with a lot of things' throughout her life, but couldn't 'believe how great she felt' after swapping to strictly sardines.
"She was able to not only shed the pounds, but really say some truths about why she was eating so much," Dr Bosworth told host Steven Bartlett.
"She confronted the pathology about why she was using food for those other things. Jane was a great story...and she just had the best outcome."
Dr Bosworth said sardines are 'a hell of a tool' to kickstart your health journey, saying the fish is 'high in some of the best fats, high in protein, it's whole foods, and it's affordable for everybody under the sun'.
Explaining the rules of the 72-hour sardine fast she recommends, the doctor told Bartlett: "The only thing on the menu for three days is sardines. There's no eating window.
"You can eat as [many sardines] as you want. There's no limit to the amount. What I'm pushing [patients] to do is not only eat a nutrient-dense food, but I want them to feel satiety. I want them to feel full."
Although experts agree that incorporating sardines into your diet is a great idea, eating the fish exclusively isn't something that a lot of health professionals would suggest.
They might be packed with nutrients, but they lack fibre, complex carbohydrates and other essential vitamins.
The NHS stresses the importance of a healthy, balanced diet, including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Make sure to speak to a doctor or registered dietitian if you’ve got concerns about your diet.
Topics: Food And Drink, Health, Lifestyle, Podcast
Olivia Burke