People are always looking for ways to shed pounds as quickly as possible, which often results in highly restrictive diets. Because of their extreme nature, most of these diets can have mild to serious consequences for our health. That is certainly the case with water fasting – a diet that restricts all nutrients except water.
Here are some less known side effects of water fasting.
Dehydration
Maybe it doesn’t sound logical, but this diet can actually cause dehydration. Even though this diet doesn’t lack water, people tend to forget that between 20 and 30 percent of our water intake comes from food. If you don’t drink significantly more water than you regularly do, but you cut out certain foods, you risk getting dehydrated.
You May Lose Muscle
Research shows that you could lose as much as two pounds of weight every day during this diet. This may sound great for your weight loss goals, but a significant portion of this weight loss can come from losing muscle mass, as you might take less protein than you need.
Orthostatic Hypotension
People who practice water fasting often experience this condition. Orthostatic hypotension is a drop in blood pressure that can happen when you stand up suddenly so you get lightheaded and dizzy. You can even lose consciousness for a moment.
It Can Worsen Some Conditions
Water fasting usually doesn’t take long, but it can aggravate some medical conditions. These include:
Final Word
Although it may have some health benefits, water fasting is a potentially dangerous method for losing weight, especially if you suffer from conditions we mentioned above. If you notice any of these side effects of water fasting, we recommend you stop it and try other methods that allow you to eat food, like alternate-day fasting or intermittent fasting.
