Nutritional supplements for dieters and the dangers of blindly dieting.

4. Nutritional supplements for dieters

As mentioned earlier, there are six main categories of nutrients in food: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. The first three are energy sources, providing the body with energy. Eating more than the body needs (i.e., nutritional excess) will be converted into fat, leading to obesity. The latter three are not energy sources; they do not contain energy and are not converted into fat in the body. Eating more of these will not cause obesity (but can cause poisoning). When dieting to lose weight, you reduce food intake and energy intake, but this inevitably reduces the intake of vitamins and minerals, which is undesirable. This is a major reason why dieting has side effects (such as malnutrition and anorexia). Dieters rarely eat meat, thus reducing their intake of zinc, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin B2, leading to deficiencies in trace elements and vitamins. This can easily cause symptoms such as decreased appetite, anemia, decreased libido, decreased vision, angular cheilitis, rough skin, and hair loss; in severe cases, it can lead to anorexia. Appropriate supplementation of these nutrients can prevent these symptoms. Therefore, dieters may need to take appropriate nutritional supplements composed of vitamins and minerals. These products are now very common and easily available at pharmacies or hospitals. However, it is important to note that the supplements must be composed of multiple vitamins and minerals and must not contain the three energy sources: protein, fat, and carbohydrates, otherwise they will counteract the effects of dieting.

Similarly, when dieters exercise intensely, energy expenditure increases, and body fat is burned. However, this also increases the consumption of vitamins and minerals. Coupled with a restricted diet, resulting in low vitamin and mineral intake, this easily exacerbates deficiencies, making the situation even worse. Therefore, dieters who exercise to lose weight also need to pay attention to supplementing their vitamin and mineral intake. Generally, the vitamin and mineral content of such supplements is close to the body's needs; taking one supplement daily can generally meet the body's requirements for various vitamins and minerals. It's worth noting that dieters often eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, which are low in calories, to reduce hunger and supplement some vitamins such as vitamin C, folic acid, B6, and carotene. However, vegetables lack vitamin E, vitamin B1, and vitamin D, and the minerals in vegetables are also more difficult to absorb. Therefore, simply relying on eating more vegetables and fruits cannot prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Besides preventing the side effects and malnutrition associated with weight loss, supplementing with vitamins and minerals can enhance the effects of weight loss. Research from the Center for Biological Nutrition at the University of Southern California has found that a deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals is one of the causes of obesity. Their experiments showed that some obesity is caused by a lack of certain vitamins and minerals, which collectively participate in energy metabolism, promoting the conversion of fat into energy. These include vitamins C, B1, B6, B12, niacin, zinc, iron, and magnesium. Researchers divided experimental animals into two groups with similar energy intake and activity levels. One group was supplemented with the aforementioned vitamins and minerals, while the other group was not. After a period of time, the animals in the first group had significantly less abdominal fat than those in the second group. Experts explained that the reason why a deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals causes obesity is that many specific processes in the body require the participation of these nutrients when fat is oxidized and broken down for energy. For example, vitamin B1 has a near-decisive effect on energy metabolism. Without vitamin B1, energy substances such as fat cannot be converted into energy, let alone lose weight; even the body's basic energy needs cannot be met.

Section 7 The Dangers of Blindly Losing Weight

Women planning to lose weight and shape their bodies should be especially reminded that weight-loss drugs and health products with unknown ingredients, unclear mechanisms of action, and whose efficacy and safety have not been clinically studied and verified by authoritative departments may not only fail to achieve weight loss but also cause serious harm to their health if ingested. Therefore, women who want to lose weight must be cautious, carefully consider their own physical condition and any contraindications, and never blindly follow trends to avoid adverse consequences.

1. The adverse consequences of haphazard weight loss

Amenorrhea: This type of amenorrhea is entirely caused by a rapid decrease in weight due to dieting. Adolescent girls need to accumulate a certain amount of fat to ensure their first menstruation occurs on time and maintains a regular monthly cycle. If they blindly diet and reduce body fat, their first menstruation may be delayed, and those who have already started menstruating may experience menstrual irregularities or amenorrhea.

Gallstones: Low-calorie, low-fat diets for dieters can increase the risk of gallstones. This is because when fat and cholesterol intake is drastically reduced and starvation occurs, the gallbladder cannot supply enough bile to the small intestine, leading to bile stagnation and the formation of stones.

Brain cell damage: Physiologists believe that dieting results in nutritional deficiencies in the body, with brain cells being particularly damaged, directly affecting memory and intelligence.

Osteoporosis: Adipose tissue is an important site for estrogen production in the body, besides the ovaries. Fat cells can process and convert raw materials provided by the adrenal cortex into estrogen. In menopausal women, especially postmenopausal women, estrogen production has already decreased significantly due to the cessation of ovarian function. If they blindly lose weight, their estrogen levels can drop even lower, which can easily lead to osteoporosis and fractures.

Hair loss: Recently, there has been an increasing number of people experiencing hair loss due to weight loss, with 20-30% of these cases occurring among young women aged 20 to 30. Hair is mainly composed of protein and trace elements such as zinc, iron, and copper. People who diet on a vegetarian diet often have insufficient intake of protein and trace elements, which can lead to hair loss due to severe malnutrition.

Therefore, experts warn that relying on laxatives for weight loss can cause electrolyte imbalances, leading to exhaustion, hypoglycemia, and even heart disease, directly endangering life. To mitigate the negative effects of obesity, it is essential to increase physical activity in daily life and take medication under the guidance of a doctor.