Dangers to the heart from crash diets

Zu high cholesterol levels, lack of exercise, unhealthy eating and excess pounds are a major threat to the cardiovascular system. arteriosclerosis, Heart attack and Stroke are just some of the possible Diseases, which leads to permanent excess weight. Effective weight loss and a change to a healthy lifestyle are therefore the best thing for a healthy heart. But be careful with a crash diet. This can be harmful to the heart, especially in the first few days, and can lead to serious health consequences.

When the body loses fat, it accumulates in the heart

The reason for this is the accumulation of fat in the heart during a crash diet. Doctors came to this conclusion as part of a study by a team led by Dr. Jennifer Rayner from the Oxford Centre for Magnetic Resonance at the University of Oxford. They accompanied overweight patients on a crash diet. The aim of the study was to examine the fat content in the body over the period of the crash diet. For this purpose, MRI scans were taken of 21 overweight volunteers during the diet period. All of the subjects were severely overweight with an average BMI of 37 kg/m². Over a period of eight weeks, they were only allowed to consume 600 to 800 kcal per day. The first MRI scan was taken after one week. Another MRI scan followed eight weeks later. As expected, a significant reduction in body fat was seen after just one week of the diet. Health and body awareness improved significantly.

When the fat in the body melts it is carried by the blood to the heart

On the negative side, the heart had gained a good 44 percent more fat after a week of dieting. The result was a reduced pumping capacity and, as a result, a poorer supply of nutrients to the body. Only during the second MRI after eight weeks had the fat on the heart receded.
The reason for the accumulation of fat in the heart, according to the doctors' assumptions, is that the blood enriched with fat, which the organs release when losing weight quickly, reaches the heart and the fat is deposited there. Only the sustained reduction in calorie intake led to the breakdown of the fat in the heart. From this point on, the cardiovascular system can benefit from the rapid weight loss as a whole. There remains a short phase in which the heart is subjected to greater strain.

Lose weight quickly, yes, but under supervision

The conclusion of the cardiologists involved in the study is that rapid weight loss is generally to be welcomed in order to improve health in the long term. However, close medical observation, especially for those who suffer from a pre-existing cardiological condition. It should also be noted that rapid weight loss is only the first step towards long-term improvement in health; a subsequent change to a healthy lifestyle is essential. Ideally, this should be observed throughout life in order to prevent most of the so-called "diseases of civilization".