Dry Fasting: The Dangerous New Wellness Trend Influencers Just Can’t Stop Raving About

Weird internet wellness trends are getting more prevalent than ever. From the snake diet, jade eggs, and the like, a new trend for wellness is now taking social media over its head—dry fasting. However, it may not be is as beneficial as one might think.

Dry Fasting & Influencer Culture

Dry fasting is the latest trend that people are using for wellness and fitness, and it is getting a significant amount of attention, specifically among lifestyle influencers. The main idea behind this strange and new concept is that drinking water can make your health bad. It is practiced by giving up on major liquid sources in your diet.

Sophie Prana, an Austrian influencer on YouTube and Instagram, posted a video entailing her dry-fasting diet. In it, she mentioned that this type of water-free fasting diet is the best option for her body and the environment. She said that the water from various fruits and vegetables provides her a pure and simple form of H3O2. By doing this, she apparently got rid of her immense skin swelling, aching joints, digestive issues. Simply put, she claims to have achieved optimal health with dry fasting. Not bad, right? Well…

Dietitians Are Worried

Health professionals are quite concerned about folks pushing this message. According to a dietitian named Nichola Ludlam-Raine, it is even one of the most absurd diet fads she’s seen so far. Not drinking water is profoundly irresponsible and could cause dehydration that can trigger headaches leading to constipation, lethargy, muscle pain, and worst, kidney problems.

Ludlam-Raine advises most of her patients to consume about eight 200ml glasses of fluid daily (especially if it’s hot or after working out) and promote water as a wonderful sugar- and caffeine-free option. Furthermore, she adds that it is a privilege to reside in a country where drinking water is easily accessible, so it’s hard for her to believe that Social Media influencers like Prana are encouraging other people not to drink it.

Nutritionists think we need to drink more water

Quite the opposite of what some micro-influencers are saying, the registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert believes that a lot of folks don’t drink enough water. Our bodies are made up mostly of water, so, naturally, each function within our body is dependent on it to work well. Cells, tissues, and organs all need water, and it’s unquestionably crucial that we drink enough.

More so, water is needed for the nutrients to properly circulate in our bodies, serving as part of its transportation system. So when we’re dehydrated, those just can’t get about as well as they should. Also, having enough water helps us become more proficient at dropping it through perspiration and urination, which is vital in eradicating toxins.

If you don’t drink enough and become dehydrated, you might also experience tiredness, headaches, poor concentration, and dizziness, as Lambert explained. By saying all this, she strengthened Ludlam-Raine’s advice adults should be striving to drink eight glasses of water every day.