Water Fasting Dangers and Side effects of Water Fasting Diet – If you are planning to do water fast read this before you start water fasting to know the risk involved and precautions needed.
Water Fasting Dangers and Side effects of Water Fasting Diet
Water fasting also known as water cleanse is one of the most intense fasting options available in recent times. It is indeed a powerful experience. It is considered as one of the best methods of detoxification. Water fasting brings about a lot of benefits including therapeutic changes. Water fasting is a zero calorie diet. But everyone is not advised to take water fasting because when water fasting goes wrong , then you will face the Strict Danger in Water Fasting. It is always advised to do water fasting by understanding the diet due to the Water Fasting Dangers and Side effects of Water Fasting Diet .
Though water fasting benefits is numerous the risk involved in water fasting is not less . Because Water fasting is strictly not for all. It has to be monitored and done under medical supervision. Most of the times it is under done for various spiritual or religious reasons. It is very beneficial diet in reducing weight and body fat, lowering cholesterol and also reduces other serious conditions. It is advised to do water fast under strict medical supervision.
The first few days of fast is going to be difficult. Water fasting is known to be emotionally and physically strenuous and challenging. After 2 to 3 days the body goes into a state of ketosis, where it generates fuel by burning fat stores in our body.
Water fast has many benefits if done under the guidance and supervision of medical practitioner and a dietician. It is used extensively for weight loss and in control and as an adjunctive treatment of hypertension. Water fast , though an ancient modality used for detoxification is still widely used. But it requires strict preparation and medical guidance before beginning the fast. Not all individuals can tolerate the fast as it is a zero calorie intake which causes mental and psychological stress to the body.
Before initiating this type of fast body requires taking adequate rest and following good adequate diet. During the fast it is required to consume at least 2 to 3 litres of water per day along with certain vitamin and mineral supplements. After fast it is necessary to maintain healthy diet.
Side effects of Water Fasting Diet
Here is the side effects witnessed while water fasting and also the water fasting dangers when gone wrong.
Potassium loss : As you just start water fast, there may be feeling of tiredness that sets in. It is because of the low potassium levels. It might be severe leading to a state where standing up seem impossible, thus feeling like you are going to collapse this signifies lack of potassium and requires medical attention. Signs of potassium deficiency include muscle cramps and fatigue, generalized weakness, palpitations, mental confusion, and irritability. This condition is commonly witnessed water fasting dangers .
Taste of heavy metals : If you could feel taste of heavy metals that indicates that the body is detoxifying heavy metals from the body. It is an alarm to stop water fast and follow natural detoxing before continuing water fast. If you avoid this warning and continue then this can turn up to be a water fasting dangers .
Generalized physical reactions : The body undergoing water fast will try to cleanse the system. This is experienced by headaches, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, skin rashes or eruptions, cramps, trouble sleeping. This indicates that pre-fasting preparation was not adequate.
Heart burn and acid reflux : If there is experience of heart burn it suggests that the individual is too acidic internally. This may be due to excess toxins in the body. The best thing is to slow down fast and allow body to alkalinize and then continue fast. This is not a water fasting danger to get panic but a common side effect of water fasting .
Emotional cleansing reactions : The individual experiences depressive episodes while on fast. There will be lot of negative emotions in the individual like sadness, guilt, depression, and anger. This signifies that the liver is cleansing.
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Hunger : This is the most worrisome trouble haunting people on water fast. When the individual gets the thought of food in mind, it is ideal to distract such thoughts by drinking lot.
Strict Danger in Water Fasting / Medical Issues in water fasting when Gone Wrong
The well known medical complications encountered in water fast are:
Electrolyte imbalance
As the body is starved of essential vitamins and micronutrients there is an acute loss to the body. The electrolyte imbalance takes place. Thus the body generally suffers from various physical and emotional ailments wanting medical attention. Therefore, it is very much essential to get a pre work up before starting to fast. While following water fast the kidneys eliminate all wastes generated in our body. This will dump all the sodium, potassium, and magnesium very fast. As these get washed out especially sodium, the blood flow is limited to the extremities and the hands and feet feel cold. This also leads to orthostatic hypotension. So it is recommended to follow water fast under medical supervision by adding supplements to the water diet especially in the form of salt to replenish sodium lost. This is one of the water fasting danger signs .
Cardiac abnormalities
If no medical permission is sought before beginning the fast as in case of a known cardiac patient the effects of fasting can be very detrimental. The cardiac muscle will be used up as ketosis is established in water fasting state after the fat stores are depleted. The heart muscle will weaken and lead to heart failure and consequently death follows. Other theory proposed for heart failure is loss of body’ intracellular stores of minerals like magnesium and potassium required for cardiac function. Due to this, the heart muscle suffers and heart failure sets in. It is a serious water fasting danger .
Orthostatic hypotension
It is the temporary feeling of light headedness or dizziness. This is experienced while standing up immediately from standing or lying down position.
Immune system dysfunction
It is noted that many people die due to fasting. An individual who is fasting is succumbed to deadly infectious diseases because the immune system is weakened by malnutrition.
Sudden death
There are cases of sudden death of people while fasting because of lactic acidosis. Water fasting death is not a myth. Lactic acidosis is characterized by increased lactate in our system due to fasting. During normal metabolism, there is no production of hydrogen cations. But in cases of fasting, hydrogen ions are produced in excess which lower the blood pH leading to lactic acidosis. It is characterized by rapid breathing, and subsequently death which is sudden. Also due to the depletion in muscle loss, lactic acidosis is established.
Gout
Prolonged water fast can lead to increase in uric acid. Ketones and lactic acid produced by muscle breakdown impairs the kidney function to eliminate uric acid. This leads to increased uric acid and causes gout and gouty arthritis.
Kidney stones
Due to the excess water intake the body will flush out all the minerals like sodium and potassium, thus making the kidney to work extra. In the process, these minerals gets deposited as stones. In individuals following water fast kidney stones are very common.
Anaemia
Due to the increased blood dilution, decrease in haemoglobin concentration is seen. Severe anaemia can cause heart failure and death. It is a physical side effects of water fasting.
Even though water fast is a powerful experience and water fast is beneficial in many ways , it requires adequate preparation before starting this kind of diet. It is very much essential to recognize the warning signs and return back to the medical practitioner for help. Therefore, to avoid any Water Fasting Dangers during this diet it is mandatory to seek guidance from a health practitioner and dietitian to know one self to follow this fast as per the necessary protocol.
