A weight-reducing diet heavily promoted in the past required the daily intake of ‘liquid protein' (soup of hydrolyzed gelatin), water and an assortment of vitamins. All other food and drink were to be ignored. People on this diet usually lost 10-14 lb in the first week.
a) Opponents argued that the weight loss was almost completely water and would be regained almost instantly when a normal diet was resumed. Determine the biochemical basis for the opponent's argument?
b) A number of people on this diet died. Write down some of the dangers inherent in the diet and how can they lead to death?