{"id":9464,"date":"2025-07-20T02:55:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T02:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/9464\/"},"modified":"2025-07-20T02:55:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T02:55:10","slug":"retro-diet-that-doctors-say-can-be-better-than-weight-loss-jabs-new-research-shows-it-can-burn-fat-fast-maintain-muscle-and-slash-your-health-risks-with-no-side-effects-no-wonder-experts-call-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/9464\/","title":{"rendered":"Retro diet that doctors say can be BETTER than weight loss jabs: New research shows it can burn fat fast, maintain muscle and slash your health risks – with no side-effects. No wonder experts call it ‘game-changer’"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was one of the most popular fad diets of recent decades \u2013 rocketing to fame in 2013 after a single tweet from Victoria Beckham<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Love this healthy eating cook book!!\u2019 gushed the former Spice Girl turned fashion designer, alongside a picture of recipe book Honestly Healthy.<\/p>\n

Beckham was, at the time, almost as famous for her slender frame and rigid eating habits as her pop or fashion careers \u2013 and within a year, the book, which outlined \u2018how to eat the alkaline way\u2019, was a number one bestseller with a sequel in the works.<\/p>\n

The alkaline diet quickly gained a celebrity following, including actress and wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow<\/a>, Friends star Jennifer Aniston<\/a> and supermodel Elle Macpherson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The approach divided foods into either acidic or alkaline.<\/p>\n

Those that \u2018produce acid\u2019 when digested, such as meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, processed foods and alcohol<\/a>, are deemed to raise the blood\u2019s naturally slightly alkaline pH level and unbalance the body. This, in turn, can lead to a range of problems from low energy and poor memory, to headaches, muscle pain and insomnia.<\/p>\n

So-called alkaline foods, meanwhile \u2013 fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes and wholegrains \u2013 help to restore the body\u2019s pH balance, improving health problems and even slowing the ageing process.<\/p>\n

By cutting out all acidic foods, alkaline diet advocates claimed, dieters could prevent everything from tiredness, bloating and spots to serious illnesses such as heart disease, bone-thinning condition osteoporosis, arthritis and even cancer.<\/p>\n

\"Victoria <\/p>\n

Victoria Beckham, who was famed for her slender frame and rigid eating habits, pictured in 2003<\/p>\n

\"Gwyneth <\/p>\n

Gwyneth Paltrow is said to be a fan of the alkaline diet, which aims to cut out acidic foods<\/p>\n

\"Supermodel <\/p>\n

Supermodel Elle Macpherson was also a fan of the diet, which helps to restore the body’s pH balance<\/p>\n

But just as quickly as it became a worldwide phenomenon, the diet fell from grace, as experts cast doubt on the science behind it.<\/p>\n

High-profile medics refuted the idea that blood pH could be changed by diet \u2013 or that the diet could prevent cancer. Any benefits, they countered, were due to the fact that \u2018acidic\u2019 foods to avoid \u2013 including caffeine, sugar and anything processed \u2013 were often less healthy, while \u2018alkaline\u2019 foods included fresh fruit and veg.<\/p>\n

In 2017, the \u2018naturopathic doctor\u2019 credited with inventing the diet, Robert Young, was jailed for practising medicine without a licence \u2013 and allegedly defrauding terminally ill cancer patients by \u2018treating\u2019 them with infusions of baking soda.<\/p>\n

Now, more than a decade after its shady heyday, pioneering research is bringing the alkaline diet back into the spotlight. Recent studies suggest that it may reduce the risk of conditions including osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.<\/p>\n

Unlike the vague, detox-like claims of the past, the modern approach is based on a measurable concept, called potential renal acid load, or PRAL.<\/p>\n

This estimates the amount of acid the kidneys must excrete after food is metabolised. That acid comes from the breakdown of certain nutrients \u2013 particularly protein and phosphorus \u2013 which generate compounds such as sulphuric and phosphoric acid as waste.<\/p>\n

Foods with a negative PRAL \u2013 including fruits, vegetables and legumes \u2013 are considered alkalising, as they produce fewer of these acidic by-products. In contrast, meat, dairy and refined grains typically have a positive PRAL, meaning they generate more acid and so are classed as acid-forming.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the long-term build-up of these by-products, researchers believe, that may contribute to chronic disease \u2013 not any meaningful shift in the body\u2019s pH level.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

And while some experts warn the claims may still be overstated, others believe this evidence-based version of the diet could be part of the answer to the obesity crisis.<\/p>\n

\u2018The more alkaline foods you eat, the easier it is for the body to lose weight,\u2019 says Washington DC-based endocrinologist Dr Hana Kahleova. \u2018We know that GLP-1 medications [such as Mounjaro] are an effective way to lose weight, but they\u2019re also expensive, have side effects and are causing people to lose a lot of muscle. Some people will even end up worse off than when they started.<\/p>\n

\u2018Instead, more people need to start making changes to their diet. Low-fat, vegan foods can help reduce the risk of diabetes, lower stress levels and help shed excess fat, without muscle-loss.\u2019<\/p>\n

A study of alkaline eating, led by Dr Kahleova alongside researchers from the University of Utah and George Washington University, found it helped participants lose nearly a pound a week.<\/p>\n

The trial \u2013 which compared an alkaline-heavy, low-fat vegan diet with the Mediterranean diet, which includes meat, fish and olive oil \u2013 saw 62 overweight adults try both diets for four months each.<\/p>\n

There was no calorie restriction on either diet \u2013 they could eat until they were full.<\/p>\n

While on the alkaline diet, participants lost, on average, 13.2lb over 16 weeks. The Mediterranean diet, on the other hand, resulted in no weight loss at all.<\/p>\n

The results, says Dr Kahleova, could be a game changer for those struggling with obesity \u2013 16.8 million people in the UK.<\/p>\n

She says: \u2018On the Mediterranean diet, participants saw their blood pressure go down. But on the vegan diet their blood pressure reduced, their insulin sensitivity and blood lipids improved and they lost fat while gaining muscle.\u2019<\/p>\n

This occurs, claims Dr Kahleova, because eating acidic foods triggers the release of stress hormone cortisol, which is needed to process and digest the meal, and the body has to work harder to regulate it \u2013 causing cortisol to spike even further. High levels of cortisol have been shown to disrupt metabolism, increase appetite and promote fat storage, particularly in the stomach.<\/p>\n

\u2018The body has an amazing capacity to correct any fluctuations in pH \u2013 but we\u2019ve only started to realise how much stress this can put on the body,\u2019 says Dr Kahleova. \u2018The more alkaline foods you consume, the less stress hormones are being released and the easier it becomes to lose weight.\u2019<\/p>\n

However, Dr Susan Lanham-New, Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Surrey, claims the weight loss benefits of alkaline eating shown in the trial may be overstated.<\/p>\n

\u2018The study showed that changes in the dietary acid load was associated with changes in body weight,\u2019 she explains. \u2018But adjusting for energy intake lowers that statistical significance. Those on the vegan diet were simply eating less.\u2019<\/p>\n

Despite this, says Dr Kahleova, even when a difference in calories was factored in, higher consumption of alkalising foods led to more weight loss. \u2018A reduction in dietary acid load was still associated with weight loss, independent of the calories consumed,\u2019 she insists.<\/p>\n

A 2017 study by the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil found eating an excessive amount of acidic food \u2013 and not enough alkaline food \u2013 can cause a condition called low-grade metabolic acidosis, that causes inflammation and, eventually, kidney damage. Another paper, published in the International Journal of Cardiology Cardiovascular Risk and Prevention this year, linked a more acidic diet to a type of arterial thickening that causes heart disease.<\/p>\n

Too much acidic byproduct in the body has even been shown to raise the likelihood of osteoporosis \u2013 the bone thinning condition.<\/p>\n

In general, Professor Lanham-New adds, dietary acid load is a concept that has the potential to be very exciting.<\/p>\n

\u2018What we have seen so far is that dietary alkalinity has been shown to have positive effects on a range of health outcomes. We just need more research into it.\u2019<\/p>\n

But a vegan diet \u2013 or one with a reduced amount of dairy and animal products \u2013 can come with its own challenges, says registered nutritional therapist Grace Kingswell.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s no surprise that when people go vegan they start to immediately feel better, because all of a sudden they\u2019ve cut out processed food and are eating far more fruit and vegetables,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n

\u2018But we know that long term, there\u2019s a real risk of nutrient deficiencies when following a vegan diet.\u2019<\/p>\n

And just as essential is protein \u2013 which is fundamental to our muscles and cells, as well as blood sugar, inflammation and insulin regulation.<\/p>\n

\u2018Unless you do a vegan diet very well, it\u2019s really hard not to be nutrient deficient,\u2019 warned Ms Kingswell.<\/p>\n

But reducing your acidic load doesn\u2019t require an all-or-nothing mindset. \u2018There\u2019s no need to obsess over it,\u2019 insists Dr Kahleova. \u2018The aim isn\u2019t to only eat alkaline foods \u2013 it\u2019s more like a shift towards more alkaline eating that we need.\u2019<\/p>\n

And after all, even Gwyneth Paltrow admits that she (occasionally) eats pasta now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It was one of the most popular fad diets of recent decades \u2013 rocketing to fame in 2013…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9465,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[97,5933,5934,59,2581,102,5931,56,54,55,5932,803],"class_list":{"0":"post-9464","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-elle-macpherson","10":"tag-friends","11":"tag-gb","12":"tag-gwyneth-paltrow","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-jennifer-aniston","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom","17":"tag-unitedkingdom","18":"tag-victoria-beckham","19":"tag-washington-dc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}