For some refusal to eat is a healthy lifestyle, for others this is a self-torture. In pursuit of a slim figure, many resort to therapeutic fasting. Who is categorically unsuitable for this method of weight loss? This was told by the chairman of the public association "Belarusian Association of Doctors," Dmitri Shevtsov.
He noted: health problems in a person begin after ten days of incomplete fasting.
"The feeling of hunger indicates that the reserves of glycogen - the main source of fast energy - come to an end, charging is required. If it does not occur, the so-called hunger crisis occurs. In the norm, the body mass index should be from 18.5 to 25. If it is less than 16, it is a significant deficit of body weight", - emphasized Dmitry Shevtsov.
"Therapeutic fasting is a method of non-medicated treatment, recovery, purification and rejuvenation of the body. But it should be taken into account that fasting can provoke acidosis - a condition that manifests itself in the form of white plaque on the tongue and a pronounced smell of acetone breath. Lack of carbohydrates causes accelerated breakdown of fats and leads to energy deficiency. As a result, a large number of pathogenic substances begin to be produced, intoxication occurs. Starvation can also lead to exacerbation of chronic diseases, especially GI diseases," she added.
The list of contraindications for therapeutic fasting is quite large. These are pronounced body weight deficiency (more than 15% of the proper values), systemic blood diseases, thyrotoxicosis, heart rhythm disturbance.
Contraindications also include heart failure, severe arterial hypertension, biliary and urolithiasis, gastric and duodenal ulcer in the acute stage, fever of any genesis, pregnancy, lactation and, of course, children and old age.
