It seems every day there’s another diet fad sweeping the nation. Everyone is losing weight doing this and that, but how much do we know about these health trends? And how much do they really help?
Before you clean out your fridge and pantry and switch up your workout routine, take a look at this list. We’ve compiled 30 dangerous truths behind some of this era’s most-popular health trends…
“Raw” Water
“Raw” water, for those who aren’t in the know, comes from a lava tube in Oregon. A company called Live Water gathers and sells the water, which it claims has been sitting in the Earth for up to 10,000 years, which makes it purer than bottled water. However, drinking this “raw” (untreated) water has been known to cause terrible stomach aches and even diarrhea.
Fat-Free Everything
Cutting all fats turned out to be a bad idea… In the 1990s, cutting fat from your diet was thought to prevent weight gain, heart disease and even some cancers. But the truth is that cutting out all fat can cause a lot of problems, including fatigue, memory issues, skin problems, and nutrient deficiencies.
Juice Only Diets
The fad here is simple: drink only juice mixed with a regiment of supplements and you’ll detox your body of toxins and other bad stuff. As straight forward as this sounds, science simply doesn’t back it up. Julie Duffy Dillon, a registered dietitian and eating disorder specialist in North Carolina, said: “Our bodies are complex, with a balance of microorganisms that work in conjunction with our GI tract, liver and kidneys to filter, digest and detox our bodies of any unnecessary impurities.” So, this diet is simply unnecessary and can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, muscle loss and a weak immune system.
Cutting Too Many Calories
In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consumer, which by definition means that if you cut calories from your diet, losing weight will be much easier. While this is true, cutting too many can have negative effects. Removing too many calories puts your body in a state of starvation, which causes eventual weight gain (oddly enough), nutrient deficiencies, bingeing, and even depression.
Vitamin And Supplement Super-Sizing
Vitamins and supplements can surely improve one’s diet, but relying too heavily on them can be dangerous. Since, with these additions to your diet, your body is not getting the associated nutrition from eating the foods that provide these vitamins, vitamin-heavy diets can cause vomiting, diarrhea, numbness, headaches, muscle weakness, blurred vision, and even hair loss…
Assuming Natural Equals Safe
Herbal remedies sound like a good idea, though that’s not always the case. There are very few valid studies that support the idea according to the Cleveland Clinic. Herbal remedies are not put under the same scrutiny as other medicines, and some, like a remedy called “Goldenseal,” can cause heart abnormalities. When it comes to this trend, do further research as these remedies are not tested thoroughly.
Sauna Suits
This quick fix should be a no brainer, but somehow it’s not. Sauna suits make you sweat like crazy, and some think this is good for losing weight. The trouble is, wearing a sauna suit makes your body lose liquid, not fat. This can leave the body extremely dehydrated, cause dizziness, and could even lead to coma or death…
Cutting All Carbs
Reducing carb intake can be good, no one is worse off if they cut out unnecessary snacks like cookies and pretzels. But cutting everything isn’t healthy. Eating healthy carbs from sweet potatoes, squash and beans can be highly beneficial. Complex carbs from these types of foods help brain and body function, and cutting carbs altogether can harm both areas.
Going 100% Vegan
This diet is very, very trendy. And although a raw diet can be healthy, those who go vegan need to be cautious, as eating this way makes it much more difficult for the body to get the nutrients it needs. Unless you have a lot of time to research and meal prep (not to mention a market nearby to buy the required ingredients), veganism may not be for you…
Too Much Protein
Protein is the building block of lean tissue. Your body needs sufficient amounts to be healthy. But, like all things, too much can be a bad thing. Diets too high in protein have been reported to cause kidney disease, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and even some forms of cancer.
Activated Charcoal
This health trend uses charcoal to turn foods a matte black color, and is supposed to detox the body. But beware, not only does activated charcoal detox the body, it also east away at other nutrients in the body. This trend can be useful but also very dangerous, as many have reported it causing gastrointestinal distress. And, if you happen to breath it in, it can cause damage to the lungs as well.
Adding Cinnamon To Everything
Cinnamon has been a healthy part of the Ayurvedic diet for centuries. It’s even mentioned in the Bible and helps manage cholesterol and fight diabetes. But high doses of cinnamon (especially the cheap kind, which is very common in America) can cause liver damage.
Edible Flowers
This trend consists of using small flowers as a garnish for desserts like cupcakes or pudding or on healthier foods like salads. Sure they look pretty, but they can also be very toxic. Some flowers can cause liver failure if ingested, as well as other health issues. If you’re going to make or eat a dessert with a flower on it, best to discard it nstead of putting it in your mouth.
Switching To Coconut Oil Only
Regular oil just sounds bad for you, and it can be. But switching to coconut oil exclusively can prove to be very dangerous as well, even though it’s touted as a healthier alternative to say, vegetable oil. The American Heart Association even said that coconut oil is more dangerous for your health than butter, beef, and pork lard. Coconut oil is 82 percent saturated fat – that’s an incredible amount. Two spoonfuls of coconut oil have more saturated fat than a person is supposed to consume in a day…
Going Gluten-Free
Celiac disease affects some Americans, but a fear of it has launched an entire movement of people trying to be “gluten-free”. But Harvard Health says that a gluten-free diet can result in some serious deficiencies. Cutting gluten means cutting fiber, not to mention important nutrients and vitamins. Gluten-free diets, due to their lack of fiber, have been known to cause type-2 diabetes.
“Clean” Eating
Clean eating is a good thing, at first anyway. This diet isn’t directly dangerous. Instead, it can lead to severe eating disorders, which then lead to reproductive troubles, osteoporosis, and a depressed circulatory system. Be careful not to get too obsessed with “eating clean,” because it can lead to mental health issues later on, too.
Too Much Water
It has long been rumored that drinking eight glasses a water a day is preferred. But the more accurate number is 30 – 50 ounces of water a day, which equals five to six glasses. Drinking too much water can overwork your kidneys, leaving you over-hydrated and push excess water into your cells. This can lead to abnormal swelling and even death…
Cupping
Perhaps you may have seen athletes with suction cup marks on their bodies – this was popular during the swimming events of the 2018 Summer Olympics. This ancient eastern treatment breaks blood vessels in the skin, leaving a hickey mark on the body. It is said to stimulate blood flow and tap into the lymph system to help remove toxins. But numerous studies have proven this to be untrue, meaning this practice just plain hurts and not much more…
