Master cleanse or the lemon water diet is known for its health benefits. However, following this diet frequently, or for prolonged periods may lead to complications that might be detrimental for your health.
We all know that there are positive and negative sides of every significant thing of life. If you are aware of the bounties of the master cleanse diet, then you must also know its side effects. This diet is suggested for detoxifying the body from toxins and free radicals, produced due to consumption of unhealthy foods. Lemon water is also suggested to people wanting to lose weight.
However, anything in excess is bound to show harmful effects. Master cleanse side effects, although not very severe, are mainly associated with ailments of the digestive system. This is because, lemon is a rich source of citric acid, which, when goes in excess inside our stomach, causes uneasiness. Moreover, if you consume nothing but lemon water for several days, the body is deprived of several vital nutrients, which leads to fatigue and weakness.
Side Effects
The ideal time to drink a glass of lemon water is, early morning. Your morning should start with a glass of warm water mixed with lemon juice and honey. People who consume lemon water before going to bed, might suffer from gastrointestinal disorders after a certain period of time.
Nausea
When you keep your stomach empty for a long time, you are bound to feel nauseated. Moreover, consuming alcohol and caffeine regularly accentuates nausea, and the effects become more severe. Feeling dizzy, having a tendency to vomit, lightheadedness, etc., are also associated with empty stomach after drinking lemon water. It’s also caused due to secretion of acids inside stomach that tend to burn the lining of the intestine.
Diarrhea
If you are depending on lemon water to lose weight, then sooner or later you will be suffering from diarrhea. Absence of solid food in your diet with increased intake of lemon water will result in increased frequency of bowel movement. Watery bowels accompanied by burning sensation in rectum result from excessive acid production inside your body. This happens if you are drinking it for more than thrice a day. Diarrhea also happens in the presence of excessive vitamin C inside the body.
Tiredness
It’s a myth that master cleanse diet makes you feel energetic. Although it detoxifies your body, it also makes you feel tired when you haven’t eaten anything filling at least within an hour. You feel fatigued and low with energy. The energy required to detoxify your body takes a toll on your physical health. In extreme cases, hallucinations might also occur.
Hunger Pangs
People tend to feel extremely hungry after incorporating lemonade diet. Constant hunger pangs grip more often due to cravings for tempting foods like the burgers, pastries, and pizzas. If you want to kill your hunger pangs by increasing the number of glasses, then that is the worst you can do. Reverse effects are pronounced when you try to quench the hunger pangs by overeating. This leads to weight gain.
Headache
You are more likely to suffer from severe headache if you are a caffeine addict. The headache is short lived, and goes away if you can give up your addiction. All this happens because your body is incapable of tolerating heavy doses of caffeine and acid simultaneously. Thus, you should knock off either of the two. Giving up caffeine is perhaps the better solution.
Others
Apart from these, master cleanse dangers are also associated with many other health ailments affecting your body in different ways. Take a quick look at them from the list provided below.
- Mucus surge
- Bad breath
- Indigestion
- Acidity
- Body aches
- Stomach cramps
- Tooth pain
- Mouth sores
- Sweating
- White coating on tongue
- Excessive earwax
To avoid becoming a victim of the ill effects, you should practice healthy drinking habits. This would reduce production of acids inside your body. Drink a plenty of water to get rid of stomach cramps resulting from the elimination process. In case of pregnant women, diabetics, and people suffering from any other medical condition, it is imperative to consult the appropriate expert before resorting to any drastic dietary modifications like the master cleanse diet.
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and does not in any way attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject.