The Potential Dangers of Liquid Dieting

by Wara Lounsbury

It’s a start of a new semester and a new year, and the return of students to Queen’s has been heralded by the fall of fresh white snow blanketing the campus. This crystalline transformation is a physical manifestation of the blank slate that a new year represents; an opportunity to resolve to make a change for the better. Some of these resolutions may have fallen to the wayside already (I for one have not held to my resolution to exercise more, but who was I kidding really?), but some of us still hold steadfast. After all with the ushering in of a new year comes newfound motivation to be more productive, exercise more, or to lose some of that weight gained after feasting during the holidays. One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, be that through exercise or through dieting. Unfortunately, there are many dangers associated with diets, some widely publicized, and some less known. In fact, sometimes dieting can even be fatal, as in the Terri Schiavo case.

The Terri Schiavo case, a right-to-die case that took place from 1990-2005, is one of the most famous legal cases in the USA that serves as a testimony to one of the less known dangers of dieting. The case involved a woman in a persistent vegetative state (Terri Schiavo), and her husband and parents who disputed whether or not she should be taken off of life support. The reason Schiavo was in this state was because in the course of dieting she had become hypokalemic (low potassium blood concentration), triggering an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) that resulted in cardiac arrest. One of the lesser-known dangers associated with some liquid based diets is the possibility of developing an electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes include calcium, sodium, chloride, and potassium. A deficit in potassium in particular can be deadly as it plays a key role in the functioning of the heart. Potassium channels in the heart have an important role in ventricular repolarization (associated with the relaxation of the ventricles of the heart). There are various possible explanations for the mechanism by which low potassium triggers cardiac arrest.

From research conducted at Queen’s, it has been determined that  in low potassium environments, potassium channels that contribute greatly to ventricular repolarization (hERG channels) become unstable and are internalized in the cell or degraded. The loss of these channels contributes to the prolongation of ventricular repolarization, causing a condition known as long QT syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by a significantly prolonged repolarization of the heart, evidenced through a prolonged QT on electrocardiogram (ECG) results. Long QT syndrome increases the risk of an irregular heartbeat, which can lead to cardiac arrest.

Unfortunately, diets that advise drinking plenty of fluids, like tea or lemonade, and diets that are low in carbohydrates often carry the risk of decreasing your electrolyte levels. In the course of pursuing a decreased calorie count by reducing carbohydrates or fats in our diet, it’s easy to overlook our potassium or calcium levels. Luckily there are some indicators of low potassium before you reach the levels capable of affecting heart repolarization. Some early symptoms of low potassium include leg cramps, weakness, and feeling tired. Optimally though, dieting should not cause any imbalances. So, while trying to fulfill a New Year’s resolution to go on diet, its important to do your research and be aware of the potential dangers associated with dieting.

Cutting out entire food groups can be unhealthy. It's important to get all types of nutrients, and its alright to sneak some chips now and then to replenish your sodium and potassium supply!