Water fasting is a hot trend right now. It’s a diet plan where you drink only water for a few days.
People often do it to lose weight quickly.
But do these diets actually work? And are they safe? Krista Varady, a professor and researcher from the University of Illinois Chicago, has been trying to find out.
Losing Weight, but For How Long?
Varady’s research shows that water fasting does help you drop weight. If you water fast for five days, you could lose between 4% and 6% of your body weight.
If you fast for up to 10 days, the weight loss could be between 2% and 10%. And if you fast for up to 20 days, the weight loss could be between 7% and 10%.
But there’s a catch. The studies Varady reviewed didn’t follow up with the participants for long. In one of the studies, people put back on all the weight they lost after three months.
Other studies reported minor weight gain, but those participants also cut their calorie intake after the fast.
Other Health Benefits are Short-Lived
Water fasting seems to have some health benefits, like lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol, and better blood sugar levels.
But again, these benefits are temporary. Once you start eating regularly, these levels go back to normal.
Is Water Fasting Safe?
According to Varady, water fasting appears to be safe for most people, including those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The most common side effects are headaches, sleep issues, and feeling hungry.
There were no serious problems like metabolic acidosis, which is a dangerous condition that happens when your body produces too much acid.
But there’s one more thing to consider. Varady found that most of the weight lost during a water fast comes from muscle, not fat.
This happens because your body needs a constant supply of protein, and if it doesn’t get it, it will start using muscle instead.
What’s the Verdict?
Varady’s overall view on water fasting? It might be worth a shot, but don’t expect long-term results.
She suggests that if you want to lose weight, intermittent fasting might be a better option. There’s more evidence to show that it can help manage your weight over the long run.
In the end, no one should attempt a water fast for more than five days without a doctor’s supervision.
Water fasting can lead to quick weight loss and some temporary health benefits, but they often disappear soon after you start eating again.
As always, the key to long-term health and weight management is a balanced diet and regular exercise.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more information about weight loss, please see recent studies that the Mediterranean diet can reduce belly fat much better, and the Keto diet could help control body weight and blood sugar in diabetes.
The study was published in Nutrition Reviews. Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
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