Low calorie diets in the prevention and treatment of human diseases

Abstract

Phytochemicals affect metabolic changes as well as organ changes. With their effects, they can prevent diseases or, in the case of established disease, affect speeding up conventional treatment. Low-calorie diets and other restrictive diets are challenging to follow for an extended period. As a result, they are less popular than non-restrictive programs that instead encourage good eating habits. In our experiment, we dealt with the health problems of 8 probands with the following health problems: high blood sugar level, overweight, high blood cholesterol level, high blood pressure. Before and after the end of the restrictive diet, we determined changes in the organism. Blood sugar levels, body weight, changes in blood pressure, subjective expression of pain, physiological values in the blood (cholesterol, hemoglobin, white blood cells, glucose, urea, cholesterol, thyroid function and hormones (T3 – triiodothyronine, T4 – thyroxine)) and urine (urine pH, urine proteins, glucose, ketones, urobilinogen, blood in urine and hemoglobin) were determined. As for blood biochemical parameters, positive changes were observed in almost all probands, except for the decreased creatinine level. After completing the restrictive diet, the participants' blood pressure moved towards normal values (120/80). In addition, the participants' body weight decreased by an average of 3-4.5 kg, which led to a change in their BMI (Body Mass Index). During the entire 7-day period of the diet, most of the participants initially reported negative subjective experiences, but at the end of the restrictive diet, they generally felt good.