Liquid diets can be risky, so never use them without a doctor's supervision. But it is possible to find a nutritionally balanced liquid diet that can help you lose the weight you want.
Significance
It's possible to design your own liquid diet by using juice or nutritional supplements. However, commercially manufactured high-protein liquid diet supplements now contain a nutritionally balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates and fat, along with vitamins and minerals, according to a Vanderbilt University website.
Types
Many of the commercial diet shakes available also include about one-third of your recommended daily allotment of fiber, along with all essential amino acids, according to Vanderbilt University. Therefore, liquid diets based on these protein shakes should provide most of the nutrition you need, at least in the short term.
Benefits
Physicians use nutritionally balanced liquid protein shakes in diets where their patients need to lose weight quickly, according to the University of Missouri Health Care System. For example, all potential bariatric surgery patients must follow a high-protein liquid diet for two weeks prior to surgery.
Effects
Although a liquid diet based on protein shakes should provide the nutrition you need, you can experience some side effects because of the severe caloric restriction, according to the University of Missouri Health Care System. For example, you might get a headache or feel fatigued and irritable, and you might experience diarrhea or loose stool as your body adjusts to its all-liquid diet.
Warning
Liquid diets can help you jump-start your weight loss. Expect to lose up to 4 to 5 lb. per week while following a high-protein liquid diet, according to Vanderbilt University. However, they also pose health risks, including the potential to develop an irregular heart beat and liver problems. According to the University of Michigan's health service webpage, never attempt a liquid diet that provides fewer than 1,000 calories per day without consulting with your physician.
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