Why do some people say that they feel better in extreme diets such as keto and carnivore?

Extreme diets have long been part of the nutritional culture as quick-fix weight loss solutions.

When I grew up, these diets were found in women’s magazines and often referred to as “fashion phenomena” when they cycled and were driven out.

The grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, the Atkins diet and more came and went.

But today extreme diets have become more than just one way to quickly give up kilos. Diet supporters try to combat chronic health problems and to “optimize” their health.

Examples of such diets are carnivores in today’s days, in which you only (or almost exclusively) eat meat, and keto, in which you eat very low amounts of carbohydrates and very high amounts of fat.

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Then there are mono-diets in which people, excluding everyone else, eat a single meal-think of a only potato or “apples diet”.

Some of these extreme diets do not seem to call away like the fashion dios of Alt. They often have rules for the food that combine with the belief systems or personal values ​​of a person – even give them a feeling of social connection and belonging.

And they are usually far from the official recommendations on how we should eat, such as the Australian guide for healthy eating.

But in contrast to expectations, reports that people with strict diets often feel better. They usually mention fewer brain fog, more energy, sleep and better skin health. So what’s going on?

A “massive elimination diet”

I talked to nutrition experts about the characteristics of an extreme diet that could feel better for Radio National’s Kochpodcast in short -term short -term short -term.

The main idea that they had raised was that such diets – in which someone cut out most typical food groups – could act as a form of elimination diet.

Elimination diets are used in medicine to find out which foods have disadvantageous reactions. People cut their diet back and remove dairy products, gluten and much more.

“They have removed potential allergens from their diet in the form of fruit, vegetables, grain, legumes and all these different things,” says Richie Kirwan, lecturer in nutrition from the University of Liverpool John Moores.

Symptoms such as skin problems, intestinal problems or fatigue are common reasons why people are looking for extreme diets.

If this is caused by a reaction to certain foods, it would make sense that people feel better when they cut out these foods.

The problem with extreme diets, says Dr. Kirwan is that there is no re -introduction phase in which the food is slowly re -entered to determine which trigger is.

The risk of missing this step is that you feel a little better at short notice, but it is unlikely that you will receive important nutrients and possibly damage your health in the long term.

Diets combine communities

Some evidence also indicates that positive feelings that people experience in extreme diets are more psychologically than physical.

By identifying yourself with a certain diet, join a community of like-minded people who are in it together and often connect via online platforms or social media groups to give encouragement and feedback.

This reinforcement is extremely powerful, says Janet Chrzan, an anthropologist of nutrition at the University of Pennsylvania.

“It is not only a reinforcement in relation to your goals and goals or perhaps your fears, but also a social reinforcement because someone approves what you do.

“This is the core of what makes us happy as people.”

Also consider the burden of decision -making. Every day, people make an estimated 300 decisions about food.

This selection was simply reduced by strict diet rules with a limited number of foods.

“The more options the people have for the food, the more mental effort they have to do and the more potential fear,” says Dr. Chrzan.

Long -term effects of the diet

Although it feels better at short notice, it is great that the chronic diseases can change behind the scenes.

“And that is particularly the case with heart cycle diseases.”

This is important for carnivores and keto diets because they tend to contain high amounts of saturated fat. This is an essential risk factor for heart disease.

In some cases, restrictive diets can lead to nutritional deficits that cannot be felt in the body and can only be absorbed in tests.

So what should you do?

Note the red flags around diet. Be careful when someone talks about a kind of food, the strict rules, contains a quick solution or excludes entire food groups.

While extreme diets can lead to weight loss, people with such diets have difficult in the long term to stay after a few weeks and generally win the weight they have lost.

If you are tried to follow such a diet, stay in touch with your doctor so that these regular examinations can be carried out and monitor your health.

Nutrition is a science full of nuances, and the devil is always in detail.

Dr. Emma Beckett is a food and nutritionist and moderator of the new Radio National Series Cooked. Find out more about this topic And Subscribe to the podcast Further proven information about nutrition and nutrition.