People go to great extents to lose weight. One such extreme measure is, undergoing master cleanse. Although an effective method of weight loss, it has some negative effects that cannot be neglected. The following piece of information is an attempt to make you aware of the possible dangers of master cleanse.
The master cleanse diet, was founded by Stanley Burroughs in 1941. However, it was Beyonce Knowles who can be credited for popularizing it, when she confessed that, she used a master cleanse diet to get slim for a movie, on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Since then, the diet has become a popular choice of many people to lose weight quickly. Although, Beyonce herself discouraged people to go for such a diet program because of the horde of problems, people didn’t pay much heed. The idea of losing weight, too much and too quick, was strong enough for people to forget about the safety standards of the diet. The promise that people will lose 2 pounds a day may be true, but the possible side effects cannot be ruled out.
Downsides to the Master Cleanse
Nutrient Deficiency
For the proper functioning of our body, vitamins and minerals are required, which we get from our daily diet. Although there are claims that these nutrients are present in lemon juice and maple syrup, it isn’t sufficient to ensure proper and smooth functioning of the body. The body’s immune system is weakened thereby affecting its ability to fight infections and inflammation.
Metabolism Changes
When a person follows a detoxification diet, there is insufficient intake of calories required to perform daily tasks. Since the consumption of carbohydrates is reduced, some of the muscles are converted to generate energy. This disrupts the metabolism rate of the body, slowing it down considerably.
Muscle Breakdown
As mentioned above, due to lack of carbohydrate intake, certain muscles are broken down to produce energy and no new muscles are formed in the body as there is no intake of proteins or carbohydrates during the cleansing process.
Frequent Washroom Visits
Consumption of herbal laxative tea is a part of the master cleanse program. However, people taking the herbal tea experience frequent urge to urinate or a bowel movement with a little warning. This may cause problems for those who have to be out in public for longer period. The tea may also cause severe stomach cramping and irritation. Dehydration is a common side effect of this diet, as water content in the body is reduced. There are chances that the person may suffer from chronic diarrhea because of starvation during the diet program.
Over-eating and Weight Gain
After completing the diet program, people have a tendency to over eat. As they haven’t been able to eat for a long time, they immediately rush to eat all that they have missed. But this is again bad for health. People should ideally visit their dietitian and go in for a diet plan which helps the body restore itself. Also binge eating can result in the body gaining weight again, rendering the entire effort useless.
Rare But Serious Side Effects
Since the program cleans the colon, there are possibilities of even good bacteria getting destroyed in the process. Insomnia, nausea, depression and craving are other health problems that may emerge from a master cleansing.
Who Should Not Take Master Cleanse
Since this type of a diet may affect blood sugar levels, potassium levels and even sodium levels, people suffering from kidney diseases, heart problems, diabetes and women who are pregnant or nursing should strictly avoid a master cleanse diet. Also, people who have a history of eating disorders, intestinal problems and who are underweight should not attempt for master cleanse.
Master Cleanse Diet
The diet, when invented, was used by people to clean the digestive system from harmful chemicals besides boosting the immune system. In this diet, the person needs to fast for a 10 or 14 days period. During this detoxification period, the person is allowed to consume only lemon juice, water, maple syrup, water with sea salt dissolved in it, water with cayenne pepper and laxative tea. Since a person has to survive mostly on lemon juice during this period, it is also called lemonade diet. The idea behind this liquid diet is to help the body excrete toxic substances, accumulated due to the consumption of unhealthy food. However, the diet does not provide minerals, vitamins and proteins required by the body to function normally.
In spite of all these grim consequences, one might wonder why people do it. There is, of course, no denying to the fact that people lose weight during the program. The toxic chemicals which harm the body are not consumed during the fast, thus protecting the organs. It also helps in removing various toxins and chemicals from the colon, liver and kidney. Another incentive for people to undergo the master cleanse program is the fact that it helps to be away from alcohol and tobacco.
It is a good way to cleanse the body once in a while. However, it can be dangerous to undertake the master cleanse program to lose weight. There are other better alternatives to lose weight faster, which do not pose a serious threat to one’s overall health. Take into consideration the long term losses before pursuing short term benefits.
Disclaimer: This NutriNeat article is for informative purposes only and does not, in any way, intend to replace the advice of a medical professional.
