Everything you need to know about the controversial hygienist diet –

From time to time we hear about a new way of eating which ends up gaining popularity. This is the case of the hygienist diet, which, in recent times, has once again made headlines around the world.

It turns out that, contrary to popular belief, it is far from being a new diet. The hygienist diet emerged around the 1940s, under the tutelage of the naturopath Herbert Sheldon. It is a continuation of the movement called hygienism, which emerged almost a century earlier, in 1830, in the United States.

In essence, this movement was against the practice of traditional medicine, and it introduced new concepts and approaches to the causes and treatments of disease.

WHAT IS THE HYGIENIST DIET?

Hygienism is a movement based on Greek philosophy about health and wellness. Basically, it says that diseases are not the result of external causes, such as viruses and bacteria, but of a breakdown in a person’s life habits, which go against human nature: such as eating unnaturally, sleeping little and consume harmful substances such as alcohol and cigarettes.

Well, how is this reflected in food? “The basis of the diet is the use of food specific to the human species, that is, fruits, vegetables, sprouted grains, nuts, roots and seeds”, explains the Dr. Andrea Pereira, nutritionist at Albert Einstein Hospital, and co-founder of the NGO Obesidade Brasil. “Their menu is limited to two or three items, preferably from the same category. It prohibits any type of industrialized food and suggests the consumption of raw food.”

In other words, no dishes based on rice, beans, steak and potatoes, as is typical in Brazil. For hygienists, this mixture of foods is not only seen as a bomb for the organism, but as a gateway to diseases. Therefore, limiting your diet to a few foods, avoiding mixtures between categories, is an essential part of this diet.

In the United States there are schools specializing in the hygienist movement, however, there is still not enough scientific evidence that this diet should be followed or that it has any specific benefit. This information is especially important in this case because the hygienist diet is quite restrictive and limited.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE HYGIENIST DIET?

For Dr. Andrea, the lack of supporting studies on this type of food prevents us from talking about benefits – it is only known that this whole movement would be a response to the unbridled consumption of industrialized foods.

“In the literature there are reports of diseases associated with high consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, such as obesity, cancer and metabolic syndrome”, he explains. “So there is an indirect benefit in preventing these diseases.”

The implementation difficulties are also many, since it is a very restricted diet. In essence, few ingredients are used, so it must be very well balanced so as not to lead to nutritional deficiencies – that is, having the guidance of a nutrition professional is essential.

It is also worth mentioning that this diet became popular more because of its supposed therapeutic benefits than aesthetic ones: the idea of ​​the hygienist diet is not to make people lose weight or achieve a more defined body, but to prepare the body against diseases, whether chronic or acute. , of modern life – think of cancers, for example.

That’s why, more than once, Dr. Andrea explains that the guidance of a professional specialized in adopting this diet is essential – which can also work according to a fasting scheme -, especially when considering the high risks of nutritional deficiencies and the possibility of loss of muscle mass, due to the very low consumption. of proteins.