Article: For most people who don't have any current dietary restrictions, soup diets can be safe and effective. On the other hand, if you do have existing dietary restrictions — especially those dealing with sodium levels — you may wish to avoid both canned and cabbage soup diets.  Soups are notoriously high in sodium. You can choose homemade and low-sodium options to reduce your salt intake, but if your body has trouble processing sodium, it's best to avoid soup diets altogether. Congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, and chronic kidney disease make it difficult for your kidneys to process sodium. Additionally, excess sodium can actually contribute to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and congestive heart failure.  Additionally, the cabbage soup diet and other soup diets low in carbohydrates are considered dangerous for individuals with diabetes. People with diabetes need to be on a set meal pattern in which carbohydrates are consistent at each meal. If you have diabetes, you should not attempt any "fad" diet. The cabbage soup diet can help you lose up to 10 lb (4.5 kg) in one week. While most people can follow this diet for one week with only limited risk to their health, it is important that you follow this diet for only one week.  Cabbage soup diets are low in protein, complex carbohydrates, and other vital nutrients. In addition to losing fat and water weight, you'll likely lose lean tissue following this diet. Since you'll lose nutrients and muscle while on this diet, following it for more than one week can result in moderate to severe health problems.  Due to its short-term nature, cabbage soup diets have no long-term effect on heart disease, cholesterol, or blood pressure.  You should also avoid following any other fad diets extremely low in calorie immediately after ceasing the cabbage soup diet since your body will need to replenish the lost nutrients. While soup diets don't often present a serious risk to most healthy individuals, it's always a good idea to check with your doctor before starting a major weight loss program like this. Checking with your doctor is especially important if you have any pre-existing conditions, but it's still a good idea even if you have no known issues.  Your doctor should be able to work with you to determine if a soup diet is a good choice for your health needs. Additionally, your doctor may also be able to help you determine the safest way to attempt a soup diet. Seeking advice from a registered dietician is also a good idea, but do so only after checking with your doctor first. Your doctor will help you determine if the diet is safe for you; a registered dietician can then help you determine the healthiest options for your soup diet. Canned soup and cabbage soup diets are classified as fad diets. While canned soup diets may offer more potential long-term benefits than cabbage soup diets, you should supplement either one with long-term lifestyle changes, including nutritional food choices, moderate exercise, and adequate sleep. It can be easy to regain lost weight after you stop your soup diet. As such, relying solely on soup diets or other fad diets can result in yo-yo dieting or weight cycling, which can have negative effects on your health, including a loss of white blood cells, higher blood pressure, higher cholesterol, and an increased risk of gall bladder disease. If you choose to follow a soup diet, reduce the risk of weight cycling by maintaining healthy long-term lifestyle choices.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Try soup diets if you don't have any dietary restrictions. Attempt the cabbage soup diet for short-term weight loss. Consider a soup diet after consulting with your doctor. Supplement any soup diet with healthy lifestyle changes.