Warning: This article contains discussion of eating disorders which some readers may find distressing
Have you ever wondered what would happen to your body if you strictly only ate sardines for three months? Well... neither have I.
But at least we now know anyway, thanks to 62-year-old Jane Crummett, who admitted during a discussion with Dr. Annette Bosworth that 'people think I'm absolutely nuts'.
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The Florida physician, known as Dr. Boz, came up with a 72-hour sardine fast which Crummett came across online.
The concept of strictly eating the small canned fish helps kick off your metabolism and helps to quickly burn fat to provide your body with energy.
The retired military therapist ate four cans of sardines each day for 90 days and supplemented it with MCT oil - which again is used to generate quick energy boosts for your body.
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Speaking on Bosworth's YouTube show, the pensioner explained that she weighed in at 196 pounds in May when she began strictly eating fish, and by the end of it weighed just 161 pounds - shedding an incredible 35 pounds.
Crummett, who was experiencing extreme foot pain, inflammation and had an alleged 'food addiction', consumed
around 1,500 daily calories through the tinned fish.
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The average woman needs around 2,000 calories every day, but claimed she wasn't 'starving herself'.
The sardine-only diet helped relieve her foot pain and lowered her blood sugar levels, as well as gave her more energy.
Dr. Masarat Jilani, a doctor who works with health company Jude, explained in more detail about why consuming sardines could be a concern if it is the only thing consumed over long periods.
Speaking to SurreyLive, a UK publication, she said: “The history of dieting is full of single-food diets, and the viral sardine fast is just the latest.
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"There is a lot of nutritional good in sardines, they are full of healthy fats, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins D and B12, as well as calcium.
"That said, eating sardines alone is not a healthy choice. Firstly, they contain zero fibre. Fibre is crucial for gut health and digestion. A diet based solely on sardines could lead to constipation."
She continued: "The way sardines are canned means they are usually preserved in either salt or oil. If they are salted sardines, you will be consuming an excessive amount of sodium, which can raise your blood pressure and put strain on your kidneys.
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"They also contain heavy metals and mercury—though not in the same amounts as larger fish. Sardines are generally low in these contaminants.
"However, if consumed in large quantities over time, the accumulation of these trace metals could still be a concern, especially as part of a sardine-only diet or fast.”
So, while eating strictly fish seems to work... maybe change things up a little after a week or so?
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone, contact National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). You can reach them on their free hotline at 1(888)-375-7767, which is open Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm CST.
Topics: Health, Food and Drink
Joe Yates