Fad Diet Health Risks

Fad diets may help you lose weight and fat quickly with one or more foods in an unbalanced diet. Yet, many of these fad diets may actually undermine your health, cause abdominal pain, gas and discomfort and lead to an emotional letdown after you gain the weight back that you lose. Fad diets may also increase serious health risks. Consult your doctor about your health before you commence any diet.

Ketosis

Many diets, such as the Atkins diet, advocate eliminating or minimizing carbohydrates in your diet because these substances can synthesize fat in your body. A diet that is low in carbohydrates may increase your risk of ketosis, a condition in which your body breaks down fat for energy. However, your brain requires glucose from carbohydrates for energy. Ketosis increases your risk for fruity smelling breath, loss of consciousness and coma. Research by scientists at Dartmouth Medical School and published in the "Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences" in 2005 discovered that people on the Atkins diet burn fat as fuel, develop ketosis and within 14 to 28 days, more than double the levels of glycotoxin methylglyoxal, a substance that causes damage to blood vessels and tissue.

Impaired Kidney Function

Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets can increase production of uric acid and calcium oxalate, substances associated with kidney stones and gout. Research by scientists at the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago and published in the "American Journal of Kidney Diseases" in 2002 discovered that consumption of a low-carbohydrate high protein diet in six weeks can increase risk of kidney stones. The research also found that this diet increases urinary calcium and decreases calcium levels in the body, leading to increased risk of bone loss.

Weight Gain

Fad diets may help you lose weight, but many do not help you sustain the lost weight for long, in part because of low adherence. Research by scientists at Tufts-New England Medical Center and published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in 2005 evaluated the effects of weight loss on four popular diets and found that at the end of one year, participants who adhered to the respective diet lost an average of 2.1 kilograms on the Atkins diet, 3.0 kg on the Weight Watchers diet, 3.2 kg on the Zone diet, and 3.3 kg on the Ornish diet. Among those who began each diet, 50 percent completed the Ornish diet, 53 percent completed the Atkins diet, and 65 percent completed the Zone or the Weight Watchers diets. The other participants in all diets discontinued the diet.

Malnutrition

Fad diets may increase your risk of deficiency of vitamins, minerals or other nutrients. Fad diets restrict the amount and types of foods you can eat. Women on fad diets are vulnerable to insufficient intake of calcium and iron needed for bones and red blood cells. Ask your doctor about taking dietary supplements while dieting.