Liquid diet yes or no? Does it work for weight loss or is it used for something else? Menus based on liquid and semi-liquid food intake are still controversial. Is a solution that includes vegetable broth, herbal tea, and yogurt appropriate? Professor Nicola Sorrentino is responsible for answering questions and dispelling doubts and false certainties.
“Are we using a liquid diet to lose weight or for another purpose? The goals are many“, says the medical surgeon, who specializes in Food Science and Dietetics as well as Medical Hydrology. “A liquid diet keeps the stomach and intestines light, ensuring purification and hydration. “Most importantly, a liquid diet is used before and after surgery or if there are chewing problems,” he continued.
Liquid diet, more no’s than yes’s
Is this the diet to follow to lose weight? “We’re certainly getting in some calories, but we need to see how long we can do that. A liquid diet doesn’t provide all the nutrients we need,” explains Sorrentino. It works to purify, but is not suitable for some days. You lose weight because you eat less, but that is not the correct way to lose weight, he added, highlighting that “up to 500 calories, even on a liquid diet, we are still talking about fasting. And it has to be done correctly: if I fast today and tomorrow I eat lasagna and fried food, that is not good…”.
