Liquid diets are popular because they promise fast weight loss and body detoxification, and can be easy to follow; however, they come with a range of short- and long-term health risks. Liquid diets also might exacerbate existing health problems. If you are curious about attempting a liquid diet, it is very important that you consult your doctor or nutritionist.
Nutritional Overview
Liquid diets can be lacking in proper nutrition. People often are lured to them because they contain only a few ingredients consumed every day and therefore are simple to follow, but because our bodies need a wide variety of foods, the same convenience can lead to malnutrition. According to PubMed Health, malnutrition can occur if our bodies lack just one essential vitamin. According to University of Iowa Health Care website, the only way to healthily follow a liquid diet is under medical supervision. Under very careful supervision, a diet drink supplemented with protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes might provide a balanced diet.
Hunger
Even if a liquid diet is both nutritionally sound and adequate in calories, it can present problems. Our bodies break down transport liquids out of our stomachs faster than they do foods. This means a liquid diet might leave you feeling hungry constantly. In fact, liquids are known as “empty calories” because they do not contribute to a feeling of fullness, and these calories should be the first to go, according to Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian. Depending on the texture of the liquid, you might be ravenous. Heavier liquids made with a high dose of fiber, such as fruit smoothies with fibrous fruits, can take longer to digest than a liquid with a thin consistency. These constant hunger pangs might lead to a difficulty concentrating, making it almost impossible to stay on the diet. Ultimately, avoiding food altogether will not teach you healthy eating habits that are necessary for health and maintaining a proper weight.
Effects on Weight
Liquid diets might lead to short-term weight loss but rarely result in permanent fat loss. Much of the weight lost on liquid diets is water weight that will be regained as soon as a dieter returns to a normal eating pattern. For example, liquid diets might be very low in calories. According to the Harvard Medical School’s publication "Health Beat," the popular Master Cleanse Lemonade diet consists of only around 600 calories per day. The minimum recommended calorie intake is 1,200 for women and 1,500 for men. Eating too few calories will have the opposite of the desired effect of fat loss. Instead, our bodies will turn to lean muscle to burn for fuel. Because muscle takes more energy to maintain, losing muscle lowers our metabolism, making it harder to lose weight and keep it off.
Further Risks and Alternatives
In addition to malnutrition, other side effects of liquid diets can include sensitivity to cold, brittle nails, fatigue, diarrhea or constipation, heart problems, electrolyte imbalances, gallbladder problems, light-headedness and dizziness. The only way to lose weight permanently is to change your lifestyle so that you are burning more calories than you take in, through a combination of exercise and a balanced, lower-calorie diet. The best way to stick to such a regime is through proper nutrition that will give you the energy to get through your workouts and keep you full with fiber, healthy fats and protein.
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