Health risks

Cotton can cause blockages in the digestive system.^[3] Blockage in the intestines could result in dehydration, bowel obstruction which may cause the death of the gastrointestinal tract and damage to internal organs.^[4] The diet will also result in a nutrition disorder.^[4]

The diet can also cause choking because the cotton balls cannot be broken down and must be eaten whole.^[4] Most cotton balls are made from bleached polyester rather than cotton,^[2] and toxins in the synthetic ingredients of cotton balls can build up over time and cause organ damage.^[4]

The diet is considered to be an indicator of an eating disorder; eating disorders also come with mood disorders such as depression.^[4]

References

^ Bijlefeld, Marjolijn; Sharon K. Zoumbaris (25 November 2014). Encyclopedia of Diet Fads: Understanding Science and Society, 2nd Edition: Understanding Science and Society. ABC-CLIO. pp. 195–. ISBN 978-1-61069-760-6.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Neporent, Liz (21 November 2013). "Dangerous Diet Trend: The Cotton Ball Diet". ABC News. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ "'Cotton-Ball Diet' Rotten, Say Nutritionists". CBS. 22 November 2013. Archived from the original on 25 November 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Savastio, Rebecca (22 November 2013). "Cotton Ball Diet Goes Viral and May Kill Dieters". Guardian Express. Retrieved 23 November 2013.

Human nutrition and healthy diets

Main articles: Diet; Dieting; Cuisine; Dietitian; Hunger; Leptin; Meal; Nutrition; Obesity; Staple food

Dieting

Basic types	Omnivore Plant-based
Regional diets	Western Mediterranean Atlantic
Sustainable diets	Low carbon Planetary health
Religious diets	Buddhist Christian Hindu Islamic Jain Jewish Rastafari Sikh
Vegetarianism and veganism	Fruitarianism Meat analogue Milk substitute Raw vegan Tofu
Semi-vegetarianism	Ovo-lacto vegetarianism Pescetarian Pollotarian
Supplement diets	Bodybuilding supplements Meal replacement Therapeutic food
Non-solid diets	Liquid diets Very-low-calorie diet
Specific restrictions	Calorie restriction Cardiac diet Diabetic diet Fluid restriction diet Gluten-free Gluten-free and casein-free Intermittent fasting Low-sodium Low-FODMAP Low-carbohydrate Low-fat Low-fiber/low-residue diet Monotrophic diet NPO Renal diet Soft diet Specific carbohydrate
Other diets	Entomophagy Cotton ball Pica DASH Inuit MIND Time Restricted Eating Ninja diet Raw foodism U.S. military
Fad diets	Cambridge Macrobiotic Master Cleanse Junk food Superfood Slow-Carb
List of diets	Diet food

Nutrition

Amino acids	Alanine Arginine Asparagine Aspartic acid Cysteine Glutamic acid Glutamine Glycine Histidine Isoleucine Leucine Lysine Methionine Phenylalanine Proline Selenocysteine Serine Threonine Tryptophan Tyrosine Valine
Vitamins	Vitamin A Vitamin B₁ Vitamin B₂ Vitamin B₃ Vitamin B₅ Vitamin B₆ Vitamin B₇ Vitamin B₉ Vitamin B₁₂ Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K
Minerals	Calcium Chlorine Chromium Cobalt Copper Iodine Iron Magnesium Manganese Molybdenum Nickel Phosphorus Potassium Selenium Sodium Vanadium Zinc

Nutritional
advice

v t e Fad diets
Food-specific diets	Alkaline diet Banana and skimmed milk diet Cabbage soup diet Carnivore diet Clean eating Cookie diet Egg and wine diet Food combining Beverly Hills Diet Hay diet Fit for Life Fruitarianism Gluten-free diet Grape diet Grapefruit diet High-protein diet Lamb chop and pineapple diet Lectin-free diet Macrobiotic diet Milk diet Monotrophic diet Morning banana diet Mucusless Diet Mushroom diet No-Aging Diet Paleolithic diet Pegan diet Potato diet Raw foodism Raw veganism Rhubarb diet Superfood Uric-acid free diet Whole30
Low-carbohydrate / high-fat diets	Atkins diet Banting diet Bulletproof diet Calories Don't Count Drinking Man's Diet Dukan Diet Eat and Grow Thin Hal Huggins diet Hamptons Diet Kimkins Kordel diet Montignac diet Salisbury diet Scarsdale diet Slimming for the Million South Beach Diet Pioppi Diet Protein Power Rosedale diet Stillman diet Strong Medicine Sugar Busters! The 4-Hour Body The Cruise Control Diet Wahls Protocol Diet Wheat Belly diet Zone diet
High-carbohydrate / low-fat diets	Engine 2 Diet F-plan McDougall diet Ornish diet Nutritarian diet Pritikin diet Rice diet The Good Carbohydrate Revolution The Thrive Diet
Detoxification / fasting	5:2 diet Activated charcoal cleanse Breatharianism Breuss diet Celery juice diet Chase Dietary Method Detox diet Dubrow Diet Eliminating Diet Enzyme-Catalyst Diet Fasting mimicking diet Fat Flush Plan Hippocrates Diet Intermittent fasting Time-restricted feeding Juice fasting KE diet Master Cleanse No Breakfast Plan Orthopathy Protein-sparing modified fast The Fast Way To Health The Last Chance Diet Wheatgrass diet Wigmore diet
Other	Blood type diet Budwig diet Cotton ball diet Fletcherism Hallelujah Diet Hip and Thigh Diet Immune Power Diet Maker's Diet Seed cycling Sensa diet Swank diet Tongue Patch Diet The Cambridge Diet Very-low-calorie diet Werewolf diet
Related	List of fad diets List of food faddists Pseudoscience Quackery
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