How Do Dietary Restrictions and Dieting Affect Health?

Following a diet usually means limiting the daily food intake to a certain extent. Even relatively mild diets may lead to a lack of vitamins and micronutrients needed by the body, as they often require restricting some healthy fruits and other foods.

Diets can often produce noticeable results in a short period of time. They may be used for losing excess weight, helping the body recover after major surgery, or as a special eating regimen for conditions such as gastritis and stomach ulcers.

Long-term dietary restrictions may be necessary for people with certain chronic conditions, such as diabetes, or for those who have undergone major surgery involving the digestive system.

For completely healthy people, however, a diet should generally be short-term. It may last from 3 days to 1 month.