Sirtfood Diet: How Effective is it & What are the Side Effects of Sirtfood Diet?

Sirtfood diet is a new diet plan that works by turning on the skinny gene.

Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten are the health consultants and author of the book ‘The Sirtfood Diet’ that lay out a meal plan that included drinking three sirtfood juices in a day accompanied by balanced sirtfood-rich meals. Their main focus has always been on eating healthy rather than weight loss.

The diet is based on the group of seven protein or sirtuins (SIRTs) that are known to regulate numerous functions in the body including metabolism, inflammation, and life span⁽¹⁾

The foods included in sirtfood diet include:⁽²⁾

• Strawberries
• Red wine
• Kale
• Onions
• Soy
• Match green tea
• Buckwheat
• Turmeric
• Red wine
• Parsley
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Walnuts
• Coffee
• Blueberries
• Red chicory
• Medjoot dates
• Bird’s eye chili

There are certain compounds in these foods that may increase the level of sirtuins in the body. The diet including such foods is therefore called sirtfood diet.

Including these foods and restricting calories trigger the body to produce a higher level of sirtuins.

It is claimed by the diet creators that this diet can lead to weight loss by maintaining muscle mass and protecting the body from chronic diseases.

Sirtfood diet can accelerate weight loss by turning on the skinny gene and preventing disease.

There are not many proofs to back this claim.

A pilot study was conducted by the authors of the book that involved 39 participants from their fitness center. For the 1st week, the participants followed the diet and exercise and lost on an average of 7 pounds and maintained and even gained muscle mass.

But restricting calories and exercising at the same time can cause weight loss. Such quick weight loss is neither genuine nor long-lasting. In the first week of calorie restriction, 1/3 of the weight loss comes from the fat and 2/3 from the water muscle and glycogen.^(3,4) As the calorie intake increases the body replenishes its glycogen stores and the bodyweight comes back to normal.

Additionally, there was no follow up of the participants after the first week to check if they gained back the weight or not.

Sirtfood diet may help in losing weight due to low-calorie intake but you might return to the same weight or even more, once the diet ends.

The sirtfood diet has 2 phases and lasts for 3 weeks.

After that, you can keep including sirtfoods in your diet, as much as possible.

Most of the ingredients and sirtfoods can be found easily. No other ingredient, other than sirtfoods can be included when following the diet.

Green juice is the main part of the diet and needs to be made by you once or three times daily.

For the sirtfood green juice take the following ingredients:

• 75 grams kale
• 5 grams parsley
• 30 grams arugula
• 2 celery sticks
• Half green apple
• Half lemon
• Half teaspoon matcha green tea
• 1cm ginger

All the above ingredients are juiced up except the green tea powder and lemon. Put the lemon juice and the green tea powder afterward.

The first phase of sirtfood diet lasts for 7 days. It involves calorie restriction and lots of green juice. It can jumpstart weight loss and help you lose 7 pounds in 7 days.

In the first 3 days, calorie intake is restricted to1000 calories a day. This involves taking green juice 3 times a day plus one meal. The meals can be chosen from the recipe book that involves all the sirtfoods as the main meal.

On the 4-7 day of phase on the calorie intake is increased to 1500 calories. During these days, you can consume 2 meals per day and drink 2 green juices in a day.

This phase lasts for 2 weeks and is the maintenance phase in which you continue to lose weight.

There is no calorie limitation for this phase. You can eat 3 meals involving sirtfoods in a day and drink one green juice per day.

After the 2nd phase, you can repeat the 2 phases as often as desired to further lose weight. You can continue including sirtfoods regularly into the meals.

It is also encouraged to drink green juice daily every day.

Sirtfood diet is more of a change in the lifestyle than a one-time diet.

The first phase of calorie restriction is short timed i.e. one week only and does not seem to harm health in a healthy adult. But in those with diabetes, restricting calories, and drinking just juice can cause dangerous changes in blood sugar levels.⁽⁵⁾

During phase-one, the low-calorie consumption can make one feel fatigued, lethargic, and lightheaded.

Sirtfood diet involves healthy foods but the pattern of eating is not healthy. Adding the sirtfoods into the normal diet is not a bad idea though.