FACTS

Liquid diets usually lack adequate essential nutrients, which makes them risky and difficult to sustain

Such diets don’t replicate the food matrix effect, which is how the structure and nutrient content of food interact with each other

Drastically low calories may also slow down metabolism due to processes such as adaptive thermogenesis and relative energy deficiency Liquid diets lack fibre, which is partly responsible for the feeling of satiety – as a result, a laxative regime is usually implemented to counteract constipation during a liquid diet, which could eventually start depleting electrolytes, wreak havoc on your intestines and lead to dehydration