The Cayenne Pepper Diet: Fact or Fad? by sverdlow

The Cayenne Pepper Diet is one of the latest miracle diets to emerge for the overweight. Created from a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup, and the main ingredient – cayenne pepper, this diet is also known as the Master Cleanse Diet, putting the dieter through a regimen that involves no intake of solid food until the digestive system is cleansed of all impurities.

Advocates of the Cayenne Pepper Diet claim that not only can it help loose the poundage, it also gives more energy and promotes happiness.

All within the span of 10 days!This prepared concoction may be taken as a cold drink, or brewed as a tea. It is reported to contain enough amounts of vitamins and minerals and is considered more of a fast than a diet. The Cayenne Pepper Diet is said to cleanse the body of congestion and toxins derived from unhealthy eating.

As a laxative tea, the Master Cleanse is to be taken once in the morning, and again at night in the form of the mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper in 32 ounces of warm water combined with sea salt. The tea is said to work in a matter of an hour to rid the body of toxins.Taken for 10 consecutive days, some dieters have been known to be on the Cayenne Pepper Diet for even longer.

However, going back to eating solid foods should be done in a slow and gradual manner to prevent what nutritionists call the “dumping syndrome”. This happens when a sudden deluge of solid food gets stuck in the digestive tract and congests the whole system.As soon as dieters ease up on the Cayenne Pepper diet, they will need to have a huge intake of juices for the first few days, graduating to soups, followed by soft vegetables and nuts until their digestive system is ready to take on a regular diet. It is also advisable for dieters just off the diet to add probiotics to their food intake in order to ensure that their intestines are able to develop a healthy mucus lining in preparation for resuming regular solid food intake.

There has been some concern that the diet contains a marked lack of the necessary proteins, minerals and vitamins to sustain a healthy life. There have been some instances when dieters have experienced dizzy spells, fainting, and even delirium while on this Master Cleanse fast. However, purveyors of this diet insist that these side-effects are merely the result of the detoxification process, which will pass as soon as the body becomes accustomed to consuming the liquid mixture alone during the duration of the diet.

The salt water contained in the tea is also said to flush away both good and bad bacteria which the body may need for healthy digestion. This is the reason why dieters who embark on the regimen need to follow instructions to the letter, especially on how to go off the diet in a slow and gradual manner. An abrupt segue to solid food after going off the Cayenne Pepper Diet may cause sudden constipation, as an influx of solid food will render the intestines unable to process digestion after 10 days of ingesting only the Master Cleanse tea.

While going on the Cayenne Pepper Diet may be one way to lose weight, not adapting healthier eating habits, regular exercise and a less stressful lifestyle afterwards will result in gaining all the weight back.