Liquid diet dangers
Fiber helps people feel full and satisfied, Applegate said. Missing out on essential nutrients can lead to side effects such as fatigue, dizziness, hair loss, gallstones, and heart damage. Any pounds shed during a cleanse are mostly water weight, and will likely be gained back once usual eating habits resume. There are detoxifying enzymes in the liver that break down alcohol and other drugs, and the kidneys handle water-soluble toxins, Applegate said. Some liquid diets work better over the long term than others. Other types of liquid diets replace just one or two meals (usually breakfast and lunch) with drinks, and then you eat a healthy dinner. In addition, juicing fruits and vegetables removes most of the fiber in them. Older adults may be more susceptible to infections if they attempt a juice fast or liquid diet because they may already have lowered protein stores. Diets that include both solid food and liquids can help overweight people control the number of calories they eat and help keep the weight off for several years. Liquid diets can work, like any diet that gives you fewer calories than you use. You may also get snacks on some of these plans. Some liquid diets are limited to fruit or vegetable juices, or shakes, that replace all of your meals, taken three or four times a day. Video: Cancer Takes a Toll on a Small Town. Some plans involve drinking nothing but liquids, while others include some food as a snack or meal. Very low-calorie diets (400-800 calories per day) in particular can be lacking in nutrients and should only be used under medical supervision.
Applegate described six pitfalls of following such liquid cleansing plans, and their potential dangers. When done for 10 days, the low-calorie intake that comes with doing a Master Cleanse or other regimen could send the body into starvation mode, meaning it will try to conserve calories by slowing down metabolism, because the body is unsure when it will be fed again, Applegate said. Sleep Loss Tied to Changes in Gut Bacteria. For example, people doing the Master Cleanse drink six to 12 glasses daily of a mixture of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup and water, for 10 days. Many juice fasts and liquid diets involve consuming no protein at all, or have very low amounts of it, Applegate told Live Science. Depending on the type of cleanse, they typically last anywhere from three days to three weeks. People need a daily supply of protein to build healthy immune cells and regenerate muscle following a workout, she noted. Losing weight with minimal effort sounds like a win-win situation. Asprin: The Wonder Drug in Your Medicine Cabinet. When you drastically cut calories, your metabolism slows to save energy. Colon Cancer on the Rise Among Young Adults. And cayenne pepper, which is used in the Master Cleanse plan, can irritate the colon, Applegate said, making this regimen a concern for people with sensitive digestive systems, such as irritable bowel syndrome. But when people exclude their favorite foods from their diet for a period of time, they tend to reward themselves afterward, and even go overboard, she noted.
