CHENNAI : Diet plans of different types are sold as the best and fastest approach to losing weight. Enter fad diets. Yet, some of these diets involve eliminating foods that contain the necessary nutrients that your body needs to maintain good health. Some diets claim particular hormones are to blame for weight gain, suggesting that food can change body chemistry. Calorie deficit and physical activity are the basic principles of a weight-loss diet. Although certain diets such as detox and gluten-free variants are gaining popularity, one needs to know about the adverse effects that can occur while following them.
DETOX DIETS
Detox diets are popular dieting strategies that facilitate toxin elimination and weight loss, promoting health and well-being. Although the detox industry is booming, there is very little clinical evidence to support the use of these diets. They are based on the fact that our organism is oxidised and has accumulated toxins that must be eliminated following a series of guidelines that vary according to the method.
Some of these plans promise weight loss in a short time; many of them last less than a week. Although all of them are short-time and don’t contain processed foods, coffee, sweeteners and salt, the composition of the diet and the way to prepare food varies. Some of them allow only consuming liquids, while others allow the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Some make restrictions on food that contains protein, like meat or milk and others include protein shakes. These types of diets are used in naturopathy in an extended way, without a standardised methodology. In addition, because of the inequality of these diets, the analysis of their effects on health has to be individualised.
Detox diets involve a change in consumption habits in an attempt to detoxify the body by removal of toxins and other contaminants. Juicing or detoxification tend to work because they lead to extremely low caloric intake for short periods, however, tend to lead to weight gain once a normal diet is resumed.
The body is a well-developed system that has built-in mechanisms to detoxify and remove waste and toxins through numerous organs such as the skin, gut, liver and kidneys. Although it is plausible that energy-restricted detox diets can produce short-term weight loss, it is unclear whether these diets are useful in maintaining a healthy weight in the long term. Undoubtedly, sustained healthy habits are of greater long-term value than the quick fixes offered by commercial detox diets.
GLUTEN-FREE DIET
A gluten-free diet is an eating plan that excludes foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye). The gluten-free diet, touted by celebrities for weight loss and athletes for improved performance, is virtually impossible to avoid hearing about.
Individuals may restrict gluten from their diets for a variety of reasons, such as improvement of gastrointestinal and no gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as a perception that gluten is potentially harmful and, thus, restriction represents a healthy lifestyle. Gluten avoidance may be associated with adverse effects in patients without proven gluten-related diseases.
Although the gluten-free diet is an absolute necessity for people with celiac disease (CD) or nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), people without diagnosed gluten issues are trying the diet to assist in the management of other medical issues. There are no published reports that a gluten-free diet produces weight loss in persons without celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Being gluten-free does not necessarily mean low energy and some gluten-free diets have a greater energy value than corresponding gluten-containing foods. A gluten-free diet may be deficient in whole grains and fibre, both of which are inversely associated with body mass index (BMI). The substitution of gluten-containing prolamins by rice and corn put the individual at risk of protein, fibre and folate deficiencies and a higher glycaemic index.
Thus, partially explaining the higher rate of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular morbidity in CD individuals. If a person doesn’t have any of these health problems and wants to avoid gluten, they are potentially limiting important nutrients such as vitamins, fibre and minerals that the body needs. A gluten-free diet is not a weight-loss diet and is not intended to help lose weight. Thus, it is not necessary to avoid gluten unless one is diagnosed with a condition where they are unable to tolerate the protein.