To ask if anyone has had liver problems with the 1:1 diet?!

[waggydog21]

Hello, I’ve been on the 1:1 diet (also Cambridge) plan for about two months. I’ve done really well and lost nearly a stone. However I recently had a routine blood test following on from one in March and I now have incredibly high GGT (I think that’s right, sorry) markers in my liver where before my liver readings were absolutely normal. I’ve been trying to look this up in relation to being a side affect of the diet as the only thing that is different is this diet (step 3, 2 products and 500 calories a day) but it’s seemingly impossible to find anything negative at all about it. My doctor knows nothing about the diet but thinks it’s a probable cause and I’m feeling pretty desperate as nobody seems to know what’s going on. Have obviously stopped diet straight away on medical advice.

Could anyone tell me what the markers actually indicate or if they have had similar problems with the Cambridge diet? I’m in my 30s and about 14 stone. I would appreciate any help/experiences as obviously I’m pretty worried. Am trying to go back to normal eating and hoping the follow up bloods will show improvement.

I don't really know much about the Cambridge diet, but is it basically putting you into starvation mode? Because that can mess your liver up - people who've had anorexia can be left with liver problems.

Too much sugar can also mess your liver function up, so you might want to consider how you've been making your calories.

On some stages of the diet it puts you into Ketosis which I’ve read can cause it. I’ve contacted my consultant and he claims that the stage I was on doesn’t do this so shouldn’t cause problems? But I’ve seen very brief things online saying it is a possible problem stemming from the diet but no further elaboration.

The other calories were made up of low carb fruits and veg and meat, no processed food aside from their products. I’m giving them all away.

You can we more about GGT and related liver function tests here: labtestsonline.org/tests/gamma-glutamyl-transferase-ggt

I wouldn't panic off the back of one test result. It could easily be a temporary blip, which is why you'll have the follow up tests to see if the change is sustained. Even then I still wouldn't be panicking yet.

Liver function tests are quite... vague. They can mean lots of different non-specific things. They give doctors pointers to try and engage in some educated guesswork most of the time. So if it seems like people are shrugging their shoulders, that's why.

If you're asymptomatic for liver problems, which I assume you are or you'd have mentioned it, then there's even less reason to worry right now. If it was really serious and they had significant concerns you would already have been referred to a specialist to investigate and treat.

When are you going back?

Does anyone know how quickly you can reverse GGT levels? I’m meant to be going on holiday next Wednesday to France and the doctor told me I shouldn’t leave the country unless the levels start to drop when I’m next tested. It isn’t very long for things to change!

Sorry, I forgot to say - they did two blood tests two weeks apart and both were high .

Some fruits and vegetables are very high in sugar, some lower, but they're basically all sugary. It's a different kind of sugar, but still sugar.

If you've been filling up on sugary fruit and veg (and fruit juice?) because they're low carb that might have upset your liver. In combination with the starving...

When you're planning your revised diet, make sure you check nutritional content across the board not just one aspect (eg calories or carbs) and be careful about your sugar intake.

I have a very poor opinion of this diet after a family friend suffered a stroke while doing it.

I'm glad you've stopped it and hope your liver tests soon go back to normal.

If it's the diet, I don't see how the impact from two months of it will reverse in two weeks (or the next 6 days).

Why did they say you shouldn't travel? Do you actually have symptoms of liver damage? Pain? Jaundice? Itching? Lethargy?

It’s none of me business so please ignore but a plant based diet with lots of whole grains, pulses, fruit and vegetables and a bit of what you fancy now and again (I am plant based with cake and the odd ice cream!) should sort you out. Look up ‘the plant based doctor’ on Instagram. She’s an NHS GP based in Surrey and has lots of excellent peer reviewed research and info on her website about how different diets can affect you.

Have you checked symptoms with your consultant?
I’ve done Cambridge on and off for a few years with no ill effects. A friend developed gallstones and apparently they and potential kidney issues can be a side-effect.

My sister is a nurse and she says gallstones could be the cause. Yes I do check sugar content of veg and am quite careful of what I eat. Absolutely symptomless - no tiredness, no yellowing of the skin, nothing at all. I don’t really know why my doctor is saying no travelling but obviously if he says that and I travel it makes my insurance void.

Haven’t checked with consultant because there isn’t really anything to say at this point - medical advice is to stop. Have texted them saying what’s going on and they’ve been v supported but at the end of the day they aren’t a doctor and there was a certain amount of just repeating the company line of “actually the diet helps liver problems..”

I only have a a day before the next blood test and then my appt following it up is the day before I leave. It’s all so close to the mark and the doctors left it ages after the blood results were in, giving me a phone appt that wouldn’t even be until next week, luckily I was worrying and booked an earlier one this morning. If I’d kept that one, there’s no way I would have been cleared for travel according to this doctor who seems adamant I can’t leave the country but hasn’t really said why..?

Hello - I have my follow up dr appointment in an hour and I’m absolutely terrified he won’t declare me fit to travel even if the results have lessened/the others come back clear. Does anyone know the risks of having a high GGT reading with no other symptoms? There is hardly any information available online and when I last saw my doctor he was completely unhelpful. Obviously if I can’t travel I can’t travel but if he can’t provide me with a real reason why, it just feels incredibly frustrating

Hope you get the results you need and you get off on holiday

Wooop woop, levels are starting to come down and I’ve been cleared to travel! Yay!

Well done op, it would be interesting to know why though. Enjoy holiday

It does seem to be down to the diet as it improved so quickly after stopping - either due to ingredients in the diet or due to the weight loss. I’ve contacted Cambridge to ask them if this happens sometimes.

Glad you can travel OP. For what it's worth, very low-calorie diets and rapid weight-loss are notorious triggers of gallbladder problems. This can involve gallstones or a 'sludge' of the material gallstones are made of, and subsequent inflammation.

A key marker of this developing is a high GGT reading where the other liver function test readings are normal.

There's no gallbladder diet but if you don't eat too much in one meal and don't eat fatty food (fried etc) or red meat there's less risk of provoking a moody gallbladder. Have a good holiday and take some Buscopan with you.