The Cambridge Diet

The Cambridge Diet is a fad diet in which 600 to 1500 kcal are consumed per day, principally in liquids made from commercial products sold as part of the diet regime. These products are manufactured in the UK and include shakes, meal replacement bars, soups and smoothies.

The diet does not help people achieve lasting weight loss and carries a number of health risks.

In 2016, 2,300 people with pre-diabetes did The Cambridge Diet for eight weeks alongside regular exercise. The findings were obese people reduced their diabetes risk. Experts claimed the risk could fall by 90% with a 10% loss in body weight.

Development and Reception

The Cambridge Diet was developed in 1970 by Dr. Alan Howard at Cambridge University, England. It was launched as a commercial product in the United States in 1980. The Diet was very popular in America but was also the subject of some controversy. It later came under scrutiny from regulators and health authorities after potential health concerns were raised. In the UK, the Cambridge Diet was launched in 1984. In 1986 the Diet was reformulated to adhere to recommendations made by the Commission on Medical Aspects (COMA)

The Cambridge Diet is categorized as a low calorie diet.

Although people taking the diet lose weight at first, the weight loss is not sustainiable. The British Dietetic Association list the possible adverse side effects as including "bad breath, a dry mouth, tiredness, dizziness, insomnia, nausea and constipation", and say that any person eating fewer than 600 kcal per day should be medically supervised.

Method

The core of the Diet in the UK is a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD), as low as 415 calories/day, combined with minerals, vitamins and fatty acids to reduce the loss of nutrients typical of low calorie restriction. Participants are advised to drink water freely.