Although its exact origins are unknown, the cabbage soup diet is believed to be some 60 years old. Variations known as the Dolly Parton diet, the Trans World Airline Stewardess Diet and the Model's Diet became quite popular in the 1980s, according to the weight-loss website Diets.com. Since then, the diet has continued to live on. The basic cabbage soup recipe can be a nutritious supplement to an overall diet. Still, it is not suitable as the basis of a long-term weight-loss plan and could even be dangerous if you have a health condition or stay on the diet too long. Do not begin the cabbage soup diet without consulting your heath-care professional.
High Sodium Content
The standard cabbage soup recipe calls for canned tomatoes and vegetable juice, bouillon cubes and packaged powdered soup mix, all of which contain significant sodium. High sodium intake is linked to heart problems, high-blood pressure and water retention. If you have heart disease, discuss variations in the cabbage soup recipe that don't have as much sodium, Diets.com advises.
Low Nutrient Content
The cabbage soup diet is very restrictive. For seven days, you are supposed to eat only cabbage soup and the foods that are allowed for that day. Those foods vary, from bananas and skim milk one day to brown rice, vegetables and fruit juices another day. The overall plan lacks sufficient protein, even though days five and six of the seven-day plan allow you to have multiple servings of meat, poultry or fish. The plan is also deficient in carbohydrates, according to Elaine Turner, assistant professor of human nutrition at the University of Florida.
Weakness and Fatigue
Because it is so restrictive, the cabbage soup diet can cause dizziness and contribute to feelings of weakness and fatigue, registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky wrote on the Mayo Clinic website. Headaches and insomnia may also occur during the seven days of the diet plan. If you ordinarily work out vigorously or have a physically strenuous job, the cabbage soup diet may not provide sufficient carbohydrates to allow you to make it through your workday.
Aggravated Health Disorders
Overhydration, a rare but potentially fatal disorder, may result from remaining on the cabbage diet for longer than the recommended seven days. You should not try to follow the cabbage soup diet if you have type 2 diabetes, as you may have trouble controlling your blood-glucose levels, according to Turner.
References
- Diet.com: Cabbage Soup Diet; 2011
- Mayo Clinic; What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet, and Can It Help Me Lose Weight?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; January 2011
- "University of Florida News": Cabbage Soup Diet No Lucky Charm For Weight Loss, Says UF Expert; March 2002
- Water UK: Overhydration; March 2007
- Cabbage Soup Diet: Cabbage Soup Diet FAQs
- American Heart Association: Quick-Weight-Loss or Fad Diets; 2011
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