Harmful Effects Of Macrobiotic Diet

The main harmful effects of the macrobiotic diet occur because the diet is unable to fulfill all of a persons nutritional needs. This causes a deficiency. Besides being deficient in protein, the macrobiotic diet, which is focused on grain and fiber consumption also lacks a few more essentials...

B Vitamins and Nerve damage

Vitamin B12 are important for nerve function. B12 is only found in animal sources such as eggs, meat and dairy products. The best and most effective source of B12 and other essential vitamins and minerals is liver. It helps to protect nerve cells and a diet which is B12 deficient may lead to some nerve damage if left untreated in the long term.

Unfortunately, there are no other sources for B12 than meat products.

Essential fats

Essential fatty acids may also get missed with this diet. Those include the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid chains which are essential for vitamin and mineral absorption, normal functioning of the brain and to help with building and maintaining cell structures. These acid chains cannot be metabolized in the body, and must come from an external source. On a vegetarian diet, this can easily get missed as it is found primarily in fish and eggs. Grains and veggies do not contain fats, but some nuts do.

Nuts will prove to be very important on this diet! Having a handful each day of mixed nuts will provide you with enough of your omega fatty acids for a day. Avoid salted and roasted nuts. The best nutrition will come from nuts in their raw form.

Claims and assumptions of the Macrobiotic diet

Though this diet can be followed in a very healthy way, it can also go awry if not followed in a healthy way. Experts believe that it is more important to first look after your health than to worry about balance your sweet and salty food intake. Following the spirit of the diet and lifestyle is far more healthy than following the letter of the law.

Because followers of this diet eat a lot of soy (which contains a chemical that fights and prevents against breast cancer), there is a claim made by supporters of the diet that the diet itself prevents cancer. However, this claim is not directly supported by research.

The macrobiotic diet is not bad, and even critics agree that this is a far healthier lifestyle compared to what the majority of North Americans eat. The best way to follow this diet and to be successful at it is to gradually become accustomed to it. Start by cutting out your processed foods. That includes all soft drinks, synthetic sweeteners and anything that comes packaged! This will be a challenge for most households as it is.

Give yourself 1 to 2 weeks, then make a new change, give it a week, and so on. This will make it easier to create a long-term lifestyle change.