What is the Markert-Diet?
With the Markert parliamentary allowance it concerns a concept of the welfare chamfered developed by the physician Dr. Dieter Markert and published in the middle of the 90’s. Thus it is in the actual sense no diet but a welfare chamfering cure. With the cure energy is taken up only in the form of liquids, solid food is not intended with this drinking cure. Basis offers a special Soja protein drink which is sold in drugstores or pharmacies, besides vegetable broth and juices in measures are permitted. The drink has gained great fame under the name Almased®, and there are similar products on the market.
Procedure of the diet
As with traditional therapeutic fasting cures, intestinal cleansing is also necessary at the beginning of the original Markert diet. Bitter or Glauber’s salt is used to help with this, and you must drink enough. Then the actual chamfering phase begins: The first two weeks are done without solid food, the drink replaces all three main meals.
Besides vegetable broth is permitted. In the following phase two meals are replaced by the drink, besides that a carbohydrate-poor, protein-rich main meal is permitted. Finally, in the stability phase, only one meal is replaced by Almased®, the remaining meals should be balanced and low in carbohydrates again. In the meantime, revised versions of the Markert diet are also available, in which solid food is permitted, but energy intake is still severely limited at less than 1000 kcal per day.
What are the risks of this diet?
Anyone who is in good physical condition and is far from medically questionable underweight can follow the Markert diet for the intended period without any major health concerns. It is not advisable to carry out the diet for a longer period of time, as this can lead to deficiencies that are a threat to health. Particularly the nutrition in the chamfering phase can supply only with difficulty all necessary macro and micro nutrients. In addition the calorie supply is strongly reduced, which can accompany physical and mental performance reduction.