The lemon juice diet has become popular as a possible means of rapid weight loss. But is it effective, and what does science have to say? The lemon juice diet, also linked to the "Master Cleanse," consists of drinking a combination of lemon juice, water, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper for a few days, excluding solid foods. People who have tried it say that it cleanses the body and helps with rapid weight loss.

Studies show that these diets are effective in causing short-term weight loss mostly by restricting calories. For example, one study discovered that subjects on a seven-day lemon detox diet lost body fat and had better insulin resistance. Another study noted that subjects taking lemon water and honey while fasting for four days lost 4.8 pounds on average.

But, of course, it's important to mention that such effects are usually short-term. As soon as regular eating is resumed, the lost weight comes back. Furthermore, such diets often don't offer healthy or long-term solutions for losing weight.

How Does Lemon Juice Help Lose Weight?

So, how does the lemon juice diet contribute to weight loss, then? Everything depends on a few mechanisms. To begin with, there is the calorie deficit. By cutting out solid foods and continuing on a liquid diet, your calorie intake for the day reduces dramatically—this automatically causes your body to begin losing weight. And then there's the diuretic effect. Lemon juice is a natural diuretic, so your body sweats out excess water, leaving you with that lighter, less bloated sensation. Another highly mentioned advantage is suppression of appetite. The acidity in lemon juice can suppress hunger cravings, so you end up eating less during the day. Although these effects may register loss on the scale, a majority of the lost weight is water—not fat. When you return to eating normally, the figures tend to bounce back immediately. Therefore, even though lemon juice diet may be a good starting point for losing weight, it is certainly not a long-term solution.

Health Considerations and Risks

Whereas temporary weight reduction may be attractive, the lemon juice diet has possible risks:

Nutrient Deficiency: Excessive fasting may result in shortages of necessary nutrients, such as proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Metabolic Slowdown: Long-term calorie deprivation may result in a slowdown of metabolism, which will be more difficult to sustain the weight loss.

Digestive Problems: Fiber and solid food deprivation may interfere with normal digestive processes.

Electrolyte Imbalance: Overdiuresis can cause electrolyte imbalances, and the function of heart and muscles is affected.

It's important to be careful with such diets and take the advice of medical experts before embarking on them.

Lemon Water as a Healthier Alternative

For individuals who want to indulge in the goodness of lemon without resorting to extreme diets, incorporating lemon water into your lifestyle can be a healthy and invigorating practice.

Consider it like a quick flip—putting a slice of lemon in your water not only makes the water taste better but also can motivate you to stay hydrated all day long. It's a clever, low-calorie substitute for sugary beverages or juices that makes it easy for you to reduce excess calories. And lemons are full of natural vitamin C, a gentle kick to your immune system but here's the point—lemon water is not a weight loss magic potion. In order to really see results, it must be part of a larger context that includes a balanced diet and regular exercise. So, drink your lemon water, but let it supplement a healthy lifestyle, not substitute for it.

Though the lemon juice diet can lead to a short-term weight loss, it's mostly because of calorie deprivation and water loss. The possible health consequences and the chances of regaining weight make it a short-lived long-term option. To achieve permanent weight management, try eating a balanced meal, routine physical exercise and a healthy way of living is advisable.

For a long time, eggs have been vilified as a part of an unhealthy diet that aids in our declining heart health. One of the biggest reasons why was said to be the amount of LDL in the egg yolk, which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, new research has debunked this myth and showed that eggs were never to blame for the decline.

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition brings great news for eggs, a breakfast food often blamed for health problems. While eggs are commonly thought to increase the risk of heart disease by raising cholesterol, this research suggests otherwise.

Eggs and Your Cholesterol

Researchers discovered that people who ate two eggs daily actually experienced a decrease in their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. This positive effect held true as long as the rest of their diet was low in saturated fat. The study, published in a medical journal, showed that it was the amount of saturated fat in someone's diet, not the cholesterol from the eggs, that led to higher LDL cholesterol levels.

Researchers explained that we now have strong evidence supporting eggs. theye suggested that when enjoying a cooked breakfast, the real concern for heart health isn't the eggs, but rather extra servings of foods like bacon or sausage. Eggs are quite unique: they contain a lot of cholesterol but are low in saturated fat. Yet, it's their cholesterol content that has often caused people to question if they're a healthy food choice.

How the Study Was Done

The study involved a group of adults between 18 and 60 years old. On average, their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels were around 105. It's important to know that LDL cholesterol levels above 100 are considered a risk factor for heart disease. High LDL can lead to plaque buildup in arteries, which can cause heart attacks or strokes. Participants followed three different eating plans, each for five weeks:

Diet 1: Included two eggs daily, making it high in cholesterol, but it was low in saturated fat.

Diet 2: Had no eggs, making it low in cholesterol, but it was high in saturated fat.

Diet 3: Included only one egg per week, and was high in both cholesterol and saturated fat.

The researchers pointed out that this was the first study to directly compare these specific ways of eating. They wanted to see how a typical Western diet (often high in both cholesterol and saturated fat) compared to diets where these two components were separated.

Saturated Fat is the Culprit

At the end of the study, blood samples were taken after each diet period. The results were clear. People's "bad" LDL cholesterol levels dropped when they were on the diet that included two eggs daily and was low in saturated fat. Their average LDL cholesterol on this diet was just under 104, which was lower than the 108 and 109 seen with the other two diets.

Researchers emphasized that the study helped separate the effects of cholesterol from saturated fat. They found that eating eggs, which are high in cholesterol, as part of a low-saturated fat diet, does not raise "bad" cholesterol levels. Instead, it was the saturated fat that was the main reason for cholesterol increases.

Specifically, the study showed that for every gram increase in saturated fat consumed, there was a slight rise in LDL cholesterol. However, there was no significant connection found between how much cholesterol a person ate and their LDL cholesterol levels.

The researchers concluded that eggs have been unfairly judged for a long time based on outdated dietary advice. This research helps to clarify the situation, suggesting that eggs can indeed be a healthy part of a balanced diet, especially when saturated fat intake is kept in check.

University of Colorado Boulder's new study found that erythritol, which is a widely used sweetener found in countless diet and specialty food items could carry unexpected health risks. These sweeteners are found in low-carb ice creams and keto-friendly protein snacks, to 'sugar-free' speciality.

The study was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

What Did The Study Find?

The study found that erythritol could affect brain cells in ways which could increase the likelihood of stroke.

“Our study adds to the evidence suggesting that non-nutritive sweeteners that have generally been purported to be safe, may not come without negative health consequences,” said senior author Christopher DeSouza, professor of integrative physiology and director of the Integrative Vascular Biology Lab.

What Is Erythritol?

Erythritol, a type of sugar alcohol approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001, is usually produced by fermenting corn. It's widely used in hundreds of products thanks to its appeal: it has almost no calories, offers about 80% of the sweetness of regular sugar, and causes minimal spikes in blood sugar or insulin. These qualities make it especially attractive to those watching their weight, following low-carb diets, or managing diabetes.

However, new research is beginning to highlight potential health risks linked to its use.

What Kind of Health Threats Does Erythritol Pose?

A recent study of 4,000 people across the U.S. and Europe found something concerning: those with higher levels of erythritol in their blood were significantly more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke within three years.

To dig deeper into why this might happen, researchers led by DeSouza and graduate student Auburn Berry ran lab tests on cells that line the blood vessels in the brain. They exposed these cells to an amount of erythritol similar to what you'd get in a standard sugar-free drink.

What they saw was troubling.

The cells produced much less nitric oxide, a key molecule that helps blood vessels relax and widen, and more endothelin-1, which has the opposite effect—tightening blood vessels. On top of that, when the cells were exposed to thrombin (a clot-forming substance), they struggled to produce enough of the natural clot-buster t-PA. The erythritol-treated cells also pumped out more reactive oxygen species—unstable molecules known as free radicals, which can inflame tissues and damage cells over time.

Why It Might Raise Stroke Risk

“Big picture, if your blood vessels are tighter and your body isn’t breaking down clots efficiently, your stroke risk goes up,” Berry explained. “Our study shows not just that this could happen—but how erythritol might actually be contributing to it.”

It’s worth noting that the study used just one serving's worth of erythritol. So, if someone consumes several sugar-free products a day, the potential risk could be higher.

That said, the researchers also stress that this was a lab-based study using cells, not people. More human studies are needed before drawing firm conclusions.

Still, DeSouza suggests being cautious: check product labels for erythritol or terms like “sugar alcohol.”

“Considering both the earlier population study and our lab findings,” he said, “it’s wise for people to keep an eye on how much of these non-nutritive sweeteners they’re consuming.”

Blackmores Vitamin B6 Case: "I first reported numb hands and feet to doctors in 2012, when I was taking vitamin B6 in various supplements. In 2019, I suffered a paralysed vocal cord, which affects my ability to speak and swallow liquid. I was teaching English at TAFE and I basically had to give up my job because I could not speak. I had other symptoms, like stabbing in my feet, numbness, headaches, and gut pain. I have seen dozens of specialists over he past 10 years, trying to get a diagnosis on my "mystery illness"," shares 61-year-old, Penny Thompson from Wollongong to The Sydney Morning Herald.

There are many others like her. The reason behind all this is the over-the-counter vitamins. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that many patients developed twitches, migraines, nerve damages, and other neurological symptom after they took over-the-counter supplements. These are the same patients who have now "joined a class action investigation against wellness giant Blackmores", for selling vitamin "linked to a growing number of toxicity cases".

What Is Happening With OTC Vitamins?

In May, Melbourne injury law firm Polaris announced that it was pursuing a class action investigation against Blackmores, an Australian health supplement company, on behalf of anyone who has suffered injuries after taking its supplements. The reason being, it contains "higher than recommended levels of vitamin B6".

The law firm's principal, Nick Mann, said that they have more than 300 inquiries joining the potential suit. Majority of these respondents have suffered injuries after consuming Blackmore's supplements that contain vitamin B6.

“One of the things that surprised me has been the number of people who’ve told us about really significant and ongoing impacts of B6 toxicity long after they’ve ceased taking the supplement,” Mann told The Sydney Morning Herald. “The impacts on them have been permanent and ongoing.”

However, Blackmores spokesperson told the media outlet that all its products including those that contain vitamin B6 are "in strict accordance" with Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA), a regulatory agency of the Australian Government as part of its Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, regulatory requirement.

Is Vitamin B6 Toxic?

Vitamin B6 is considered toxic when consumed in high doses over a long period. However, the TGA notes that there was no scientific consensus on a 'safe' threshold.

The TGA notes: "Taking vitamin B6 even at low doses can cause peripheral neuropathy but people are more likely to get it if they are taking more than one supplement."

A 2022 report by the TGA notes that it has receieved over 30 reports of peripheral neuropathy, which are related to products containing vitamin B6.

The Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb has also previously reported on nerve damage caused by the use of nutritional supplements that contain vitamin B6.

As per Lareb's 2024 report, "A healthy and varied diet will provide most people with enough vitamin B6. Yet many people take nutritional supplements with vitamin B6 in addition to their regular diet. Excessive intake of vitamin B6 over a long period of time can sometimes lead to damage to nerves in arms and/or legs. Symptoms are tingling, numbness or pain in hands and/or feet."

What Is The Recommended Levels of Vitamin B6?

Lareb notes that the recommended dietary allowance for adults is 1.5 milligram of vitamin B6 per day. Whereas, the TGA notes that maximum permitted daily dose in individual products has been reduced to 100mg for adults and even less for children. However, peripheral neuropathy can occur at very low doses, which could be less than 50mg.

This is not just the case with vitamin B6, but consuming any vitamin without being prescribed could lead to nutrient overdose and cause blood clots, and/or infections. Dr Shrey Kumar Srivastav, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine at Sharda Hospital says, "frequent or routine use can cause vitamin toxicity or electrolyte imbalances". While some people opt for oral supplements, others opt for IV supplements. However, Dr Prashant Sinha, Head of Emergency and Internal Medicine at PSRI Hospital, Delhi, says that for a healthy person with no diagnosed deficiency, there is generally no medical reason to receive IV supplements regularly. "Getting them too frequently can lead to nutrient overload or dependency, where the body becomes less efficient at natural nutrient absorption," he points out.

ALSO READ: The Truth About IV Drips: Are They Better Than Food Or Supplements?

Symptoms To Look Out For:

• Nausea
• Hypersensitivity
• Nerve damage could lead to tingling, burning, and numbness throughout the body