Why Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Lack Scientific Credibility?
The cabbage soup diet is one of the fad diets that have no scientific proof or evidence attached to it. It can be detrimental in the long term to individuals rather than to any specific health benefits. This is a short-term rapid weight loss diet plan that has been given by some dieticians that would mainly depend on the continued consumption of cabbage juice for a whole seven days. The supporters of this diet plan mainly say that the individual who follows this for a week would probably expect to lose roughly around seven to ten pounds of body weight by restricting calories and food sources. This rationale itself is a harmful thinking pattern because as per current nutrition and medical research, weight loss is not the final goal of nutrition.
What Is the Concept and Eating Plan?
The concept of the cabbage soup diet relies on the fact that consuming at least two to three meals for the majority of one week of a dietary plan with only some other specific foods eliminates alcohol and other high-calorie beverages, sweetening drinks and includes opting only for zero-calorie drinks or beverages.
The basic ingredients that should be included in this cabbage soup should be essentially free from all fats. Though there may be different versions, the basic ingredient list on this diet can be head of cabbage, canned or sliced tomatoes, onion, garlic or scallions, broth, fresh vegetables, and bouillon. Those who intend to follow this diet plan are advocated by the supporters of this diet or the health experts to prepare large batches of the soup in advance for a week of dietary plan. The choice as an add-on to this diet is only zero-calorie beverages like water and unsweetened teas. Individuals who follow this diet can consume cabbage juice along with some unsweetened fruits, fresh non-starchy vegetables, butter, nonfat milk products, beef, fish, poultry, and brown rice.
The restrictive nature of the diet is that any food item or group that is not included in this list cannot be consumed while following this seven-day cabbage soup meal plan. The elimination of alcohol, some whole grains, bread products, sugary drinks, fruit juices, high-fat milk, whole milk, or dairy foods can supposedly cut back calories consumed as per the rationale of this fad eating plan.
How to Prepare Cabbage Soup?
People who have already followed this short-term weight loss plan of the cabbage soup diet usually tend to prepare their large batches of cabbage soup well in advance for the week ahead. For implementing this plan, vegetables have to be purchased in advance and precut for convenience sake. For example, pre-cut or pre-shredded bags of cabbage or even the coleslaw mix or fresh vegetables that are sliced can make the soup preparation easier multiple times in a day for around two to three times usually. This diet includes the addition of vegetables into the soup. For example, green beans or even cruciferous veggies like cauliflower or broccoli or even carrots, zucchini can be added as well. This diet however is restrictive of other leguminous vegetables or legumes like other bean varieties, starchy veggies like root veggies or potatoes. This diet also does not restrict spice addition into the soup or add on into this meal plan. The followers of the diet can use spices like curry leaf, cumin, cardamom, cloves, ginger, sriracha that would supposedly promote fullness and satiety when individuals consume in soup form. Cabbage soup is known to have roughly small amounts of protein, up to 0.17 ounces and around 0.42 ounces of carbohydrates with a negligible 0.03 ounce of fat.
How Can a Cabbage Soup Diet Cause a Nutrient Imbalance?
The cabbage soup diet is a fad dietary plan that would possibly promise quick weight loss within seven days. But as per the counsel of nutrition experts, it is not a short-term sustainable option. For example, once this diet is stopped, then an individual will likely consume proteins, fiber, or carbs from other food groups. Hence whatever weight a person has lost through these seven days of following this cabbage soup diet can indeed be gained back easily. Further weight loss may not be healthy as the foods that have been cut back by the recommendation of this diet from essential food groups can predispose that person to develop nutrient imbalance easily. Though the idea of rapid weight loss would be an idea that tends to appeal to many individuals, especially of losing seven to ten pounds in a week, there are no research reports nor any meta-analysis conducted that can support the purported benefits of this cabbage soup diet. Further, individuals can get bored because of the limited and restrictive nature of the diet, cutting back on varied food groups that are normally a part of a healthy and nutrient-dense diet. This would lead to a detrimental invitation to nutrient deficiencies and diseases.
What Are the Negative Impacts Faced?
As a cabbage soup diet can almost restrict eating plan calories to less than 1200 calories per day, a person can miss out on all the types of food groups that give a balanced dose of carbs, protein, fiber, and cardioprotective fat. Further consuming only a liquid diet with limited proportions of food groups that are listed on the plan above means not knowing how to differentiate portion sizes and would further increase the risk of having disordered eating in individuals because of the complete lack of meal planning. Further individuals should be aware that a positive mindset towards nutritious food consumption in a regular diet is the predominant factor in shaping one's long-term health.
Conclusion
Unsustainable eating plans like the cabbage soup diet that are aimed at short-term weight loss can not only cause the users to put back more weight after the short term but also increase the risk of developing nutrient deficiencies, short-term fatigue, and lack of satiety. This diet lacks proper scientific evidence and the harmful rationale of severe calorie restriction makes it one of the detrimental fad eating plans or dietary plans today. Nutritionists always advocate that even when a person follows a dietary plan that is low on calories or low fat or low carb or keto diets, it is essential to consume varied amounts of essential carbs, proteins, fibers, heart-healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats, varied food groups yielding vitamins and minerals like frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant, and animal proteins to sustain overall health and replenish metabolism.
