University of Cape Town sport scientist Prof Tim Noakes has encouraged children to eat animal organs instead of pap and bread, The Star reported on Wednesday.

Noakes, who encourages a diet that consists of high fats and low carbohydrates, was expected to launch an intervention in the Karoo to change the diets of children from poor communities.

"Carbohydrates drive hunger. They do not satiate us... Children in the Karoo can access animal organs but they are not eating the parts... that help them. The liver, marrow and organs are the healthiest," he was quoted as saying.

Noakes refuted a study by researchers from the University of Stellenbosch that claimed his "Banting" diet was not healthy.

He told Sapa last week that the data analysed during the study was not representative of "the real world".

"In the real world, the LCHF [low carbohydrate, high fat] is the only diet that works."

The study found that a person could lose weight even on a high carbohydrate diet.