Extreme diets propose restrictive and dangerous eating plans. Although they allow you to lose weight quickly, they cause side effects that can reduce your quality of life.
Extreme diets have become popular worldwide as a “quick” way to lose weight in a few days. These restrictive eating plans abruptly reduce total daily calories, ignoring the body’s nutritional needs.
The results they provide are almost “miraculous”, which is why many people decide to adopt them. The disadvantage is that they are regimes that force the body to go beyond its capabilities, causing undesirable reactions.
Furthermore, most of these plans produce the well-known accordion effect, which is why many fail to lose weight quickly and unsafely.
Disadvantages Of Extreme Diets That Everyone Should Know
Without a doubt, most people who are interested in an extreme diet are those who have gained weight due to overeating in their diet. In their eagerness to regain shape, they opt for those plans that promise results in days or weeks.
This doesn’t mean that all diets are bad. However, if weight loss is involved, choosing options that propose a balanced diet with all nutrients is better.
When these characteristics are unmet, weight loss may be related to poor nutrition or illness. Therefore, despite allowing you to lose weight, they are diets that no nutrition specialist recommends. Let’s see some of its disadvantages:
They Can Produce Hypoglycemia
People who follow a diet in which hunger is resisted are likely to suffer an episode of hypoglycemia. The body tends to have this type of imbalance because they deprive themselves of a meal or replace it with a simple one.
Cholesterol Levels Increase
When extreme diets are based on consuming meat and proteins, there is a high chance of having problems with high cholesterol. Due to this, many patients end up with joint pain problems.
While the body can digest protein, an excessive amount can overwhelm its functions. Consequently, blood lipids increase and the risk of severe cardiovascular diseases increases.
They Cause Digestive Problems
While some extreme diets lead to constipation and colon problems, others produce episodes of diarrhea and dehydration. Firstly, the diet may lack dietary fiber, an essential nutrient for digestion.
On the other hand, when you have excess fibre and water, such as diets based on lots of fruits and vegetables, they can cause abdominal cramps and liquid, loose stools.
They Produce An Accordion Effect
The body responds to all types of restrictive eating; therefore, losing weight is customary. But once regular eating habits are restored, the body reacts to the change, and the popular accordion effect occurs.
As a result, the feeling of anxiety about food increases and the tendency to accumulate fat in various parts of the body. For this reason, many people regain weight in a short time.
Affects The Immune System
A sudden change in diet and restriction of some essential nutrients can significantly affect the immune system’s health. Those who undergo extreme diets are often more prone to infections and illnesses.
When the body is not physically prepared, it uses natural antibiotics to replace the minerals it is not receiving. Because of this, defenses are weakened, and antigens can affect tissues without difficulty.
They Produce Metabolic Disorders
Extreme diets that aim to eliminate any group of nutrients can trigger metabolic loss. By limiting, for example, carbohydrates and fats, metabolic activity is changing.
Consequently, many functions of vital organs are altered, and symptoms and conditions are produced that can affect the quality of life when not controlled in time. Some of them include:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Loss of muscle mass
- Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
- Dyslipidemia
- Liver diseases
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