Milly Gaines
A 500-calorie diet is an extreme form of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) that requires you to drastically reduce the amount of food you eat. Doctors may recommend this diet to help people with obesity or those at risk of type 2 diabetes. It can also be useful before certain surgeries. However, it is not suitable or safe for everyone and comes with certain health risks, such as nutritional deficiencies, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and muscle loss.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of diet | Very low-calorie diet (VLCD) |
| Calorie intake | 500 calories per day |
| Popularity | Recently popularized |
| Usage | To help people with obesity or people who are at risk of type 2 diabetes |
| Risks | Nutritional, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, muscle loss |
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What You'll Learn
- Doctors may recommend a 500-calorie diet to help people with obesity or those at risk of type 2 diabetes
- A 500-calorie diet is an extreme form of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD)
- The 500-calorie diet is sometimes used as part of the 5:2 intermittent diet plan
- A 500-calorie diet can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which can cause many health problems
- A 500-calorie diet can also lead to muscle loss
Doctors may recommend a 500-calorie diet to help people with obesity or those at risk of type 2 diabetes
VLCDs may also be useful before bariatric and laparoscopic surgery, as losing fat can reduce operative time, blood loss, and the risk of complications. However, while a 500-calorie diet may help people lose weight, it is not a suitable or safe diet for everyone and comes with certain health risks. People should consider the following risks before following a 500-calorie diet without a doctor’s supervision: eating too few calories a day may put people at risk of nutritional deficiencies, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and muscle loss. For example, a diet lacking the mineral zinc, found in pumpkin seeds and beef, can cause hair loss. Low iron intake can lead to anaemia, while chronic low intake of calcium and vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis later in life. If you don’t get enough of the vitamin niacin, found in tuna and dates, you could be at risk of a heart attack due to clogged arteries.
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A 500-calorie diet is an extreme form of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD)
The greatest dangers associated with a 500-calorie diet relate to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Most people cannot meet their vitamin and mineral requirements if they eat less than 1200 calories per day. For example, a diet lacking the mineral zinc, found in pumpkin seeds and beef, can lead to hair loss. Low iron intake can cause anaemia, while a chronic low intake of calcium and vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis later in life. If you don’t get enough of the vitamin niacin, found in tuna and dates, you could be at risk of a heart attack due to clogged arteries.
A 500-calorie diet can also put you at risk of muscle loss. Sharon Palmer, R.D., dietitian and author of 'Plant-Powered for Life', points out that "Once your body has consumed your fat reserves, it begins to burn healthy muscle".
Some people use a 500-calorie diet as part of the recently popularised 5:2 intermittent diet plan. Under this plan, you eat a balanced Mediterranean-style diet of about 2000 calories for five days of the week and then limit yourself to 500 low-carbohydrate calories per day for the other two days. The two 'fasting' days are usually non-consecutive.
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The 500-calorie diet is sometimes used as part of the 5:2 intermittent diet plan
A 500-calorie diet is an extreme form of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD), which requires you to drastically reduce the amount of food you eat. Doctors may recommend the 500-calorie diet to help people with obesity or those at risk of type 2 diabetes. VLCDs may also be useful before bariatric and laparoscopic surgery. Losing fat can reduce operative time, blood loss, and the risk of complications.
However, while eating 500 calories per day may help a person lose weight, it is not a suitable or safe diet for everyone and comes with certain health risks. The greatest dangers associated with a 500-calorie diet relate to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which can lead to many health problems. Most people cannot meet their vitamin and mineral requirements if they eat less than 1200 calories per day. For example, a diet lacking the mineral zinc, found in pumpkin seeds and beef, can cause hair loss. Low iron intake can lead to anaemia, while chronic low intake of calcium and vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis later in life. A 500-calorie diet can also put you at risk of muscle loss.
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A 500-calorie diet can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which can cause many health problems
A 500-calorie diet is an extreme form of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD), which requires you to drastically reduce the amount of food you eat. Doctors may recommend this diet to help people with obesity or those at risk of type 2 diabetes. It can also be useful before bariatric and laparoscopic surgery, as losing fat can reduce operative time, blood loss and the risk of complications. However, it is not a suitable or safe diet for everyone and comes with certain health risks.
The 500-calorie diet can also put you at risk of muscle loss. Sharon Palmer, R.D., dietitian and author of 'Plant-Powered for Life', points out that 'once your body has consumed your fat reserves, it begins to burn healthy muscle'.
Some people use a 500-calorie diet as part of the recently popularised 5:2 intermittent diet plan. Under this plan, you eat a balanced Mediterranean-style diet of about 2000 calories for five days of the week and then limit yourself to 500 low-carbohydrate calories per day for the other two days. The two 'fasting' days are usually non-consecutive. However, there is very little evidence to support the benefits of 5:2 intermittent dieting over daily calorie reduction.
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A 500-calorie diet can also lead to muscle loss
A 500-calorie diet is an extreme form of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) and is usually recommended by doctors to help people with obesity or those at risk of type 2 diabetes. It is also sometimes used before bariatric and laparoscopic surgery to reduce operative time, blood loss and the risk of complications.
However, a 500-calorie diet is not suitable or safe for everyone and comes with certain health risks. A 500-calorie diet can put you at risk of nutritional deficiencies, particularly vitamin and mineral deficiencies. For example, a diet lacking in zinc, found in pumpkin seeds and beef, can cause hair loss. Low iron intake can lead to anaemia, while a chronic lack of calcium and vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis.
Therefore, it is important to always consider the full nutritional makeup of the foods you eat, not just their calories.
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Frequently asked questions
A 500-calorie diet is an extreme form of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD), which requires you to drastically reduce the amount of food you eat.
Doctors may recommend a 500-calorie diet to help people with obesity or those at risk of type 2 diabetes. VLCDs may also be useful before bariatric and laparoscopic surgery. However, a 500-calorie diet is not a suitable or safe diet for everyone and comes with certain health risks.
The greatest dangers associated with a 500-calorie diet relate to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which can lead to many health problems. For example, low iron intake can lead to anaemia, while chronic low intake of calcium and vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis later in life. A 500-calorie diet can also put you at risk of muscle loss.
Some people use a 500-calorie diet as part of the 5:2 intermittent diet plan. Under this plan, you eat a balanced Mediterranean-style diet of about 2000 calories for five days of the week and then limit yourself to 500 low-carbohydrate calories per day for the other two days. The two 'fasting' days are usually non-consecutive.
