These 5 celebrity food regimes were just ripped to shreds by a top authority on diets

Wikimedia Commons/Sunny Mama

After a Christmas period filled with food, alcohol, and indulgence, many of us promise ourselves that we'll try to lose some weight in the new year.

But the rush to faddy diets now comes with a warning label, courtesy of the British Dietetic Association (BDA). The organisation has released a list of five of food regimes endorsed by celebrities in 2017 that should be avoided.

It debunks the diets' supposed methodology, suggesting that some "health" trends sometimes do more harm than good.

Sian Porter, a consultant dietitian for the BDA, said: "As practising dietitians, we hear it all when it comes to the latest health and weight loss diets. In reality, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Scroll on to discover five celebrity diets that have been ripped to shreds by the BDA.

Raw Vegan

Celebrities linked: Megan Fox, Sting.

What is it? The plan involves a strict diet of raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. The diet is promoted as a cure for obesity and other diseases.

BDA's verdict: "A carefully planned vegan diet with the necessary supplements like vitamin B12 and vitamin D can be healthy, but it is not a guarantee of losing weight. A vegan cake is still a cake, [and] vegan foods often contain the same calories as non-vegan foods.

"The human body can digest and be nourished by both raw and cooked foods so
there's no reason to believe raw is inherently better. Raw food can be time-consuming to prepare, hard to find when eating out, and is not suitable for certain groups like children or pregnant women so family meals could be a challenge and you could miss hot food."

Is it worth it? No. The challenging diet could potentially damage your health in the long-run, according to the BDA.

Alkaline

Celebrities linked: Tom Brady, Gwyneth Paltrow, the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson.

What is it? The plan states that, by changing the pH levels of the food you consume, you can change the pH balance of your blood and produce health benefits.

BDA's verdict: "While encouraging people to eat more fresh veggies is a good thing, the pH of your food will not have an impact on the pH of your blood – and you wouldn't want it to! Your body is perfectly capable of keeping its blood within a very specific pH range (between 7.35 and 7.45).

"Diet can change the pH value of urine, but [...] it's not related to the pH of your blood, which cannot be affected by diet."

Is it worth it? No. Although the diet does encourage you to ditch processed foods, which is always a good thing, eating alkaline foods will have absolutely no effect on your overall health, the BDA said. 

Ketogenic

Celebrities linked: Kim Kardashian, LeBron James, Halle Berry, Mick Jagger, Rihanna, Alec Baldwin, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Jones.

What is it? Dieters consume little to no carbs (around 20-50g per day or 5% total calories), filling up on fats and proteins instead.

BDA's verdict: "A carefully dietitian-planned ketogenic diet can be a very effective treatment for people with epilepsy. For weight loss, there's no magic, the diet works like any other by cutting total calories and removing foods people tend to overeat.

"Initial side effects may include low energy levels, brain fog, increased hunger, sleep problems, nausea, digestive discomfort, bad breath, and poor exercise performance.

"It can be an effective method of weight loss in the short term with careful planning but it is hard to sustain for many in the long term and most of the initial weight loss seen is often associated with water/fluid losses."

Is it worth it? No. The BDA said over-restricting any food group is a bad idea and leads to uncurbable cravings, often causing the weight to pile back on.