The latest dieting craze is called "Alternate Day Fasting," or ADF. Advocates say that the ADF regime is less dangerous than the fad it replaced - liquid detoxification diets - and two new studies seem to demonstrate that ADFs may produce some benefits.

A study from the University of California found that when mice eat only every other day, their fat cells shrink by 35 percent and they lose weight. Even if they eat only half as much every other day, their fat cells shrink 35 percent and they lose weight, although not as much as the first group. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who fasted every other day for 21 days lost 2.5 percent of their body weight and 4 percent of body fat.

Scientists believe that an ADF regime may stress the human body in a positive way, activating SIRT1, a gene that helps the body use fats in the bloodstream for energy.

Liquid detox diets usually last between three and 21 days, and involve drinking dandelion tea or special lemonades made with maple syrup, or eating only raw vegetables and fruits. The idea is to rid of the body of environmental pollutants and "cleanse" the organs. However, several people have died from water intoxication or suffered permanent brain damage after following such regimes.

Labels: death, dieting, fasting