Shane Warne followed a liquid diet: Benefits and risks explained

New Delhi: The death of one of the legendary cricketers in the world, Shane Warne, came as a shock to fans worldwide. According to reports, Shane Warne followed a 14-day long liquid diet in an attempt to lose weight. While it’s still not clear whether or not the diet contributed to the player’s demise, the news has stirred conversation about liquid diets and their impact on health.

What is a liquid diet?

As the name suggests, liquid diets involve the intake of nothing but fluid and liquid-based foods. It prohibits the consumption of solid foods in any form. Thus diet is popularly used as a method to facilitate fast weight loss. This diet is only recommended for short term use as it can impact the body greatly. Some foods allowed on this diet are as follows:
Soups
Fruit and vegetable juices
Coffee
Tea
Milk

Liquid diet – Benefits and risks

Here are some benefits of the liquid diet:

Short term liquid diets can be an effective way to lose weight fast.
In case of oral complications, a liquid diet can help fulfil some nutritional requirements of the body as it does not require chewing.
Liquid diets are easy on the digestive system and can be useful and beneficial during times of digestive discomfort.
This diet is easy to follow and prepare, cost-efficient, less time consuming, and convenient.
Liquid diets can be beneficial for people recovering from surgeries such as gastrointestinal surgeries, pancreatitis, etc. where the ingestion of solid foods is not permitted.

Here are some risks of the liquid diet:

Liquid diets are often low in calories and may lead to insufficient calorie intake. This can lead to loss of energy and difficulty getting through the day.
This diet can lead to abrupt and unhealthy weight loss due to low-calorie consumption.
Being low on energy can cause increased irritability, fatigue, chronic hunger, etc.
Liquid diets may not be able to fulfil the body’s nutritional requirements and lead to unhealthy consequences due to nutrient insufficiencies or malnutrition.
Upon encountering injuries and other health complications, the process of recovery can be hampered and slowed due to a lack of energy and unfulfilled nutritional needs.