Single-type diets, which have been gaining increasing popularity in recent years, also bring along serious health problems. The case of actor Ufuk Özkan, who is awaiting a liver transplant due to improper nutrition, once again highlighted how severe the consequences of uncontrolled and unscientific diets can be.
Nutrition Specialist Lecturer Hatice Nurseda Hatunoğlu, drawing attention to the fact that the deficiency of protein and healthy fats places a significant burden on the liver, said, “Proteins and healthy fats are essential for maintaining metabolic balance. Not consuming these nutrients for a long time can increase fat accumulation in the liver.”
Hatunoğlu noted that excessive fructose intake, especially in fruit-heavy diets, creates a burden on the liver and can lead to fatty liver over time. She added, “This situation can negatively affect liver health even if alcohol is not consumed. Improper and unbalanced nutrition can lead to liver diseases, even progressing to cirrhosis, without alcohol consumption.”
Lecturer Hatice Nurseda Hatunoğlu from Üsküdar University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, evaluated single-type diets, which have been gaining increasing popularity in recent years.
Fruit-only or liquid-based diets do not offer a healthy solution
Lecturer Hatice Nurseda Hatunoğlu stated that while fruit-only, detox, or liquid-based diets may seem to provide rapid weight loss, they do not offer a permanent and healthy solution for the body. She said, “Fruit-only, detox, or liquid-based diets do not adequately meet the body’s needs for protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Although these diets typically lead to rapid weight loss, most of this loss comes from muscle tissue and water, not fat. When an individual stops the diet, the lost body weight is quickly regained. In other words, these methods do not offer a permanent and healthy solution.”
Marketing with slogans like “natural and clean” is dangerous
Lecturer Hatice Nurseda Hatunoğlu pointed out that the dangerous aspect of such diets is their marketing with phrases like “natural,” “clean,” and “body-cleansing.” She stated, “Especially young individuals looking for quick results can easily believe these claims. However, healthy living is not about focusing on a single food group but about maintaining balance and ensuring diversity. When improper diets are normalized under the guise of healthy living, serious long-term health problems can arise.”
The metabolic cost of a fruit-only diet is heavy
Hatunoğlu stated that fruit is a healthy food group but not sufficient on its own. She noted, “When consuming only fruit, there is excessive fructose intake, and blood sugar fluctuates. At the same time, vital nutrients such as B12, iron, zinc, and essential fatty acids are inadequately consumed. This situation can lead to fatigue, dizziness, concentration problems, and weakened immunity.”
Liver health can silently deteriorate
Hatunoğlu, drawing attention to the fact that the deficiency of protein and healthy fats creates a significant burden on the liver, said, “Proteins and healthy fats are essential for maintaining metabolic balance. Not consuming these nutrients for a long time can increase fat accumulation in the liver. Especially in fruit-heavy diets, excessive fructose intake creates a burden on the liver and can lead to fatty liver over time. This situation can negatively affect liver health even if alcohol is not consumed. Improper and unbalanced nutrition can lead to liver diseases, even progressing to cirrhosis, without alcohol consumption. These diseases often progress ‘silently’; individuals do not experience symptoms for a long time. When symptoms appear, the disease is usually in an advanced stage. Therefore, regular nutrition and preventive health check-ups are of great importance.”
The immune system strengthens with balance
Nutrition Specialist Lecturer Hatice Nurseda Hatunoğlu stated that one-sided nutrition directly weakens the immune system because a strong immune system requires a balanced intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. She said, “Inadequate protein intake reduces the production of immune cells and antibodies, while healthy fat deficiency disrupts the structure of cell membranes, negatively affecting communication between immune cells. Excessive or unbalanced carbohydrate consumption can lead to blood sugar fluctuations, weakening the body’s defense response. Furthermore, deficiencies in important vitamins and minerals for immunity, such as vitamins A, C, and D, zinc, iron, and selenium, are common in single-type diets. These micronutrient deficiencies can cause individuals to get sick more frequently and prolong the recovery process after illness; therefore, the immune system can only remain strong with dietary variety and balance.”
Hollywood diets lack scientific basis
Hatunoğlu stated that most of the diet programs marketed through celebrity names have no scientific basis. She concluded, “The vast majority of programs presented under names like ‘Hollywood diet’ and ‘celebrity diet’ have no scientific foundation. The sine qua non of healthy weight loss is a personalized, sustainable, and balanced nutrition plan. Permanent health, not rapid weight loss, should be targeted. Regular meals, adequate protein, healthy fats, a balance of fruits and vegetables, and an active lifestyle are fundamental approaches. Nutrition is not a method of punishment but a means to support the body. Healthy living is possible with balance, not prohibitions. The most accurate way is to adopt nutrition habits based on scientific knowledge and tailored to the individual.”
