Are These Diets Health Hazards?

(BlackDoctor.org) – Wait! Before you decide to swear off all fat, carbs, etc. to help you shed weight for the summer, you should be aware that many of the most popular diets today, particularly the ones with strict restrictions, can actually hurt you.

Here’s a breakdown of six of the most popular diets that may not be as safe as you think:

1. Low-Fat Diet
Cutting out fats can help you slim down, but only if you cut calories too. It’s also helpful for people with gallstones, pancreatic disease and certain other gastrointestinal disorders responsible for poor fat absorption, which leads to pain and diarrhea.

The Danger: First, if you’re avoiding all fat, you won’t have much food variety – boredom will strike early. Second, you won’t get all necessary nutrients. Your body needs some fat to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K and a host of health-boosting phytochemicals (plant compounds that act as cancer-fighting antioxidants).

A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that, after eating an oil-free salad of lettuce, spinach, carrots and tomatoes, people absorbed little of the phytochemicals beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lycopene.

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