BBC Morning Live’s regular, Doctor Ranj Singh, is warning people against a very dangerous trend. The expert says then when it comes to diets, specially crash diets, they may “make you lose weight quickly” but they work “because they severely restrict calories and you lose a lot of fluid and water weight.
“But, and it’s a big but, because they’re so restrictive they can lead to nutritional deficiencies because they lack nutrients, vitamins and minerals.” Not only are they also “really hard to maintain”, but he stresses that “and eating should be fun and enjoyable.”
‘Crash diet’ warning
Crash diets can “put you at risk of long-term health issues like osteoporosis, anaemia and gallstones. If you’ve already got a higher risk of eating disorders, this is a really bad idea and conversely, they can reduce your metabolic rate which is counterproductive to what you’re trying to do.”
When it comes to protein, he notes that “protein based diets are nothing new” and there are evidence that works as it can “reduce your hunger levels, [reduce] your blood sugars a bit better and they can increase your calorie burn because your body needs to explain more energy to burn protein. But they are not suitable for everybody.”
Carnivore diet warning
Specifically, when it comes to protein crash diet, he says it’s a “slightly different issue”. The idea is that you eat animal based products but it excludes all plant-based foods and it’s a very low carb diet. It also means you have no fruit or veg.
Whilst some of its benefits include weight loss and a change in your hunger, making you more full, it also stabilises your blood sugars and potentially reduces inflammation and provides mental clarity, he revealed.
In fact, the doctor said: “There is evidence for low-carb diets in the treatments of type two diabetes, but there are some serious risks to consider. It’s high in animal fat which can lead to increased and disregulated cholesterol levels.
“It’s high in red and processed meat which we know increase the risk of things like bowel cancer. You’re cutting out vegetables and fruit – we know that they are associated with a reduces risk of heart disease, bowel cancer and things like that – and they’re really high in fiber, which is good for you, and obviously we worry about deficiencies like vitamin C, E and folate” which is found in fruit.
We don’t know the long-term risks of things like this”, he warns, citing a story of a 40-year-old man who ate nothing but butter, cheese and hamburgers. The man also cut out carbs and after eight months he started to develop “cholesterol deposits in the skin”.
What are protein-rich foods?
Animal-based foods
- Fish and shellfish
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Milk
- Meat
- Poultry
Plant-based foods:
- Legumes and pulses
- Nuts
- Soya
- Tofu
- Lentils
- Seeds
“The average man needs about 56g of protein a day and the average woman needs 45g a day”, the doctor warns,. In fact, as an example just “one chicken breast is already 30g of protein so it’s quite easy to make sure you’re getting enough protein”, he added. Concluding by urging people to have a varied and balanced diet, he suggests people to look at the The Eatwell Guide via the NHS website here.