Diets that promise to reveal the secret of weight loss are not a recent fashion. From intestinal parasites to hormone injections a retrospective look at the history of weight loss methods reveals the strangest practices to achieve the perfect figure, presented in a material made by the  Mediafax agency.

1820: vinegar and water diet

Lord Byron, the famous British poet, had a tendency to gain weight, which is why he adopted an extraordinary diet, reports the Daily Mail. He used to drink only water, vinegar, eat biscuits and boiled eggs, a method by which he managed to lose about 30 kilos. His notoriety made his eating habits become fashionable, being taken by young girls all across the country.

1900 : Chewing and spitting

Also known as the mastication diet , it consists of chewing food for a long time,without actually swallowing it. This method was invented by Horace Fletcher, who suggested that people chew one hundred times , then spit out the food , feeding  without gaining weight. Although chewing is recommended the mastication diet is not exactly efficient and not healthy at all.

1925 : Smoking

Before the health risks posed to be known by smokers , cigarettes were even recommended as remedies for certain illnesses . At the beginning of last century , Lucky Strike company launched an advertising campaign urging the ladies to smoke when they were craving for sweets thus keeping the silhouette. ” Nicotine reduces indeed the appetite and sometimes people who quit smoking gain weight ,” said Sioned Quirke , spokesman for the British Dietetic Association. This method of keeping weight under control there is not , by any means,indicated.

1930: The grapefruit diet

It is recommended to consume large quantities of such fruits, at least one grapefruit each meal. Back then it was thought that these citrus fruits contain an enzyme that helps to burn fat. Quirke said that while fruits and vegetables are recommended in slimming diets, grapefruit has no miraculous qualities.

1940  The Cabbage Soup

This method of weight loss has only one rule: those who follow it can as much cabbage soup as they want, but are not
allowed to consume other calories. Quirke said that, although it may work for a while, this diet is not healthy. Held more than one week, it can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies. Even if you want to lose weight or not, you should follow a balanced diet, nutritionists said.

1950 :The tapeworm diet

One of the most controversial methods of weight loss in history , this diet consists of intentional infection with intestinal parasites , either by swallowing tapeworm eggs , either by swallowing a live worm .

Once in the body , the parasite feeds on the nutrients in the body , reaching to grow to several meters in length. It is said that the singer Maria Callas has lost almost 30 kilos using this method. This solution to lose weight is extremely dangerous due to complications that may arise. Tapeworms can “chew” the walls of the intestines and cause cysts, including in the eyes and brain, or death.

1970: Sleeping Beauty

This method of weight loss is recommended for people who want to lose weight and sleep much . Elvis had used this practice in an attempt to maintain his figure. Although sleep is healthy and even recommended in slimming diets , this method is completely ineffective because the body consumes very little calories while sleeping. A single session in the gym is better than sleeping non- stop for several days.

2000 The cotton wool diet

Another controversial and highly fashionable diet is the one that involves eating some cotton balls instead of food. They can be soaked in juice or coffee to have taste and give the feeling of satiety . The method is very dangerous , primarily because cotton can not be digested and can cause intestinal blockage and because cotton is not always commercially made out of cotton , but bleached polyester fibers .

2000 HCG Diet

Dangerous and controversial , it is the consumption of no more than 800 calories a day , plus HCG , human chorionic gonadotropin , a fertility medicine . The method has not been approved by the authorities and is not the apple of the specialists’ eyes, who argue that weight loss is due only to dangerously low callory consumption and not HCG , which would have also side effects.

2006: Master Cleanse

Made famous by Beyonce , who says that she lost nine kilograms , the Master Cleanse diet is a diet that proposes a survival scheme based only on lemons , hot water, hot pepper cayenne and maple syrup.In addition to a drastic reduction of calories, those who advocate this diet say that the chilli and lemon accelerate metabolism. Experts say that this method is neither healthy nor effective , and the weight is gained back once you  finish the diet .