The macrobiotic diet promotes a healthy lifestyle but poses certain risks. Overeating seeds and whole grains may cause excessive fiber intake, leading to digestive tract irritation and other side effects.
6 Important Side Effects of the Macrobiotic Diet!
1- Hormonal unbalance
The macrobiotic diet promotes a risk of hormonal imbalance. This is because it eliminates vitamin-rich foods known as “hormone precursor nutrients”. These are vitamins and substances that stimulate the proper functioning of hormones, such as vitamin D, zinc, and vitamin B, which are very much lacking in the macrobiotic diet.
In which foods can we find them?
We find vitamin D mostly in
- Meat
- chicken
- Seafood
- Vegetable oils
- Sea oils
- Milk and dairy
As you can see this list of foods rich in vitamin D are largely restricted from the macrobiotic diet.
We find zinc mostly in
- Seafood especially oyster
- Dark chocolate
- Meat
- Cheese
We find Vitamine B in
- Beans and legumes
- Eggs
- Ham
- Chicken
In the macrobiotic diet, all these foods mentioned below, are restricted and some are forbidden from the macrobiotic diet, and we eat mostly whole grains and veggies, which is really difficult or almost impossible to get these nutrients from the macrobiotic-allowed food for a proper hormonal function.
Many hormones in our body need these nutrients such as cortisol ( metabolism hormone), stress hormones, and thyroid hormones… and this is just the first side effect of the macrobiotic diet.
2- Frustration
The reason why people quit macrobiotics and other restrictive diets is that they lack essential vitamins for their hormones, including stress and happiness hormones. When these nutrients are insufficient, our hormones don’t perform well, resulting in feelings of frustration and demotivation while on a restrictive diet.
Although the macrobiotic diet doesn’t limit the daily calorie intake, it indirectly restricts important nutrients that can cause hormonal imbalances. To reduce the feelings of stress and frustration that arise, it is necessary to reintroduce these nutrients to our diet.
3- Dietary deficiencies
Banning certain food groups will certainly lead to health complications because several essential nutrients for the body will be missing.
Nutritional deficiencies are the cause of many health problems, especially vitamin D, iron, zinc, vitamin B, and magnesium, as I explained above. This can lead to concentration problems, bone, and joint pain, arthritis problems, hair loss, and muscle weakness due to a lack of animal protein.
4- High- Salt diet ( Includes more sodium)
The American Medical Association has labeled the macrobiotic diet as the most dangerous diet due to its high salt content which is often concealed, and the allowance of added salt whether Himalayan or other.
Additionally, this diet is abundant in sodium-rich foods such as miso soup, and soy products. According to the previously mentioned association and scientific evidence, the macrobiotic diet does not safeguard against cardiovascular disease.
Over-consumption of sodium requires very good hydration so that it can be eliminated by the body, but the problem is that the macrobiotic diet limits drinking to small quantities, which has created problems on this topic.
5- Gut problems
The macrobiotic diet eliminates processed foods like white flour and allows solely whole grains and wholemeal flour, which are high in dietary fiber.
One of the crucial roles of dietary fiber is its fermentation in the colon. But, if you do not balance your fiber consumption with other foods, it may cause issues with your colon. To learn more: 3 Risks of Dietary Fiber Excessive Intake!
In short, it may lead to different gut disorders, mostly; IBS ( irritable bowel syndrome) and hemorrhoids.
6- Yoyo Effect
For people who follow the macrobiotic diet to lose weight, if you cut out various foods from your diet, it’s considered a restrictive diet, and so you’re 80% going to regain your lost weight (if not more). Weight loss must be followed by a more balanced diet that does not restrict several food groups.
What Feeling Comes After Starting the Macrobiotic Diet?
At the start of the macrobiotic diet, especially during the first month, you should feel some strange sensations due to the new way of eating.
1- Intense hunger
When you’re used to eating a diet richer in different foods, and you start the macrobiotic diet suddenly, it’s normal to feel hungry for the first few days, because you’re in calorie restriction mode indirectly, as the macrobiotic diet doesn’t last too long in the stomach, and it’s better digested due to the suppression of starchy foods.
2- Weakness
Hunger is generally associated with either psychological or physical weakness. The more you get used to the rhythm of the macrobiotic diet, the better you feel.
3- Mild to moderate colon pain
The fiber content in each food group, whether vegetable or wholegrain, will make you feel some digestive discomfort at the start of the diet, as your colon is not used to the large amount of fiber that nourishes the bacterial flora in the colon.
You only need a few weeks to get used to it and it should normally disappear over time. But if it doesn’t disappear within a month, you need to watch your diet, as it may be a side effect of the macrobiotic diet as I explained above.
4- Dryness, thirst
The macrobiotic diet recommends drinking little, which means you may notice dryness in your skin, or thirst, especially if you’re used to drinking a lot before you start the macrobiotic diet.
Can We Avoid Macrobiotic Diet Side Effects by Taking Supplements?
Some disorders can be treated with supplements, such as vitamin D, an essential nutrient for normal hormonal function. Only by doctor’s prescription to avoid complications.
But other problems, such as digestive problems caused by excess fiber, dryness caused by lack of hydration, and muscle wasting caused by lack of animal protein intake, cannot be solved by simple supplementation.
For this reason, the macrobiotic diet is contraindicated for pregnant women and teens because of the terrible lack of protein, even though protein has a major impact on hormones and the development of the human body.
Will the Macrobiotic Diet Cause Kidney Disease?
Generally speaking, 2 main things can cause kidney disease such as kidney failure. First lack of hydration, drinks are allowed during this diet, but it doesn’t allow to drink enough per day. And second, the over-consumption of protein, especially in people with a family history of this disease.
The macrobiotic diet does not encourage the consumption of too much protein; on the contrary, it reduces the consumption of animal proteins, which are more difficult for the kidneys to filter in case of excess.
You only need to watch out for excess sodium, because as mentioned above, the macrobiotic diet is rich in sodium and added salt, which can affect cardiovascular and even kidney health (in case of excess sodium, the kidneys make an effort to eliminate it, and if this persists, it can affect the kidneys).
But when you’re healthy, and you eat healthy, you have a good lifestyle, you’re drinking enough water, and macrobiotic food won’t cause you any kidney disease.
Who Must Avoid the Macrobiotic Diet?
People with illnesses
People with any disease shouldn’t follow the macrobiotic diet without a medical indication, which means the food choice may not be allowed to be associated with your disease. So if you have any chronic or simple disease, ask a nutritionist or your doctor first.
Elderly people
Seniors’ digestive tract doesn’t work properly as young people. It doesn’t digest well food. While they need a good intake of protein to be in good shape and for their cell renewal, the macrobiotic diet is restrictive and doesn’t allow them to get enough protein.
Apart from protein, there is also calcium which is important for seniors and that’s strictly lacking in the macrobiotic diet, so the macrobiotic diet may be dangerous for the elderly.
Teenagers
Teens need a high-protein diet, for their growth, and development, since their age is the right time when their body is growing fast. The macrobiotic diet is a low-protein diet, and it lacks many nutrients so it’s not healthy for them.
Pregnant and breast-feeding women
Pregnant women require a complete diet. It’s a subject that requires hormonal development for the woman, brain and physical development for her fetus.
For the well-being and smooth progress of her pregnancy, a pregnant woman needs an adequate supply of magnesium (to avoid cramps and pain in the uterus during pregnancy), as well as Vit D, for the proper functioning of female hormones.
Also, Iron, is very important during pregnancy, bearing in mind that supplementation must complement a healthy iron-rich diet during pregnancy, and supplementation alone is not enough. Unfortunately, the macrobiotic diet is not suitable for pregnant women, as it lacks the nutrients they need for a healthy pregnancy.
And for Breast-feeding women?
Hydration comes first. The macrobiotic diet recommends drinking very little, whereas breast milk is made up of 75 to 80% water, which means that the macrobiotic diet can even prevent the milk from coming in, so the diet of the pregnant woman is almost the same as that of the breastfeeding woman because they need the same nutrients.
Bottom Line
Banning certain food groups will certainly lead to health complications, as several essential nutrients for the body will be missed. Dietary deficiencies are the cause of many health problems, especially vitamin D, iron, zinc, vitamin B, and magnesium, as I explained above.
This can be linked to concentration problems, bone and joint pain, arthritis problems, hair loss, and muscle weakness because of a lack of animal protein. The macrobiotic diet is still a restrictive diet even it doesn’t recommend counting calories.
