A 31-year-old woman in China developed a serious brain disorder after following an extreme water-only diet for 15 days.
The woman, from Henan province, stopped eating food as part of a fasting regimen known as “bigu”. She lost around 20kg within a few weeks.
However, the rapid weight loss came with severe health consequences. She developed memory problems and struggled to walk normally. Doctors warned that some of the damage could remain permanent.
The woman stood 160cm tall and weighed around 70kg before starting the diet.
She reportedly consumed only water for 15 consecutive days. Her weight later dropped by about 20kg.
Doctors at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University diagnosed her with Wernicke’s encephalopathy.
Extreme Diet Leads to Brain Disorder
Neurologist Sun Guifang said the woman’s walking pattern had become similar to that of a “penguin”.
He warned that her walking difficulties might never fully disappear.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy is a serious neurological condition linked mainly to severe thiamine, or vitamin B1, deficiency.
The condition can cause confusion, poor balance and coordination, abnormal eye movements and memory problems.
The MSD Manual says Wernicke encephalopathy can develop when the body does not receive or absorb enough thiamine. It requires urgent treatment with thiamine and supportive care.
The US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also lists confusion, impaired coordination and vision problems among its main symptoms.
Some problems can improve with prompt treatment. However, delayed treatment can lead to lasting neurological and memory damage.
Sun linked the woman’s illness to her extreme fasting routine. He stressed that the body needs regular nutrition to obtain essential vitamins and other nutrients.
He also warned against prolonged fasting and extreme dieting for rapid weight loss.
What Is the ‘Bigu’ Fasting Trend?
The woman told doctors that she had practised “bigu”, a traditional Taoist fasting practice.
The term literally means “grain avoidance”.
The practice has roots in traditional beliefs that people can survive through “qi”, or vital energy, instead of ordinary food.
Some people now promote bigu online as a weight-loss or “detox” method.
The trend has attracted widespread attention on Chinese social media. Reports say bigu-related hashtags have drawn hundreds of millions of views.
Some users claim they lost more than 10kg while surviving on water and vitamin supplements for long periods. Others encourage meditation as a way to absorb “qi”.
Medical experts, however, warn that extended fasting can deprive the body of nutrients needed for the brain, heart and other organs.
Thiamine is particularly important because the human body stores only limited amounts of it.
Without adequate intake, those stores can decline quickly during prolonged starvation or severe dietary restriction.
Previous Extreme Fasting Cases Raise Concerns
The latest case is not the first serious illness linked to extreme fasting in China.
According to reports cited by the South China Morning Post, a 26-year-old man from Heilongjiang died in 2020 after consuming only water for 52 days.
He reportedly developed dementia-like symptoms shortly before his death.
Another woman in Zhejiang followed a water-only regimen for around a week last year. She also consumed an “energy pill”.
She lost about 5kg but later suffered severe intestinal damage and a bloodstream infection. Doctors also found dangerously low potassium levels.
The Henan woman’s case has again highlighted the potential dangers of crash diets promoted as quick routes to dramatic weight loss.
Losing 20kg in a matter of weeks may appear attractive to people seeking rapid results. However, severe food restriction can disrupt essential biological functions.
Health experts generally advise people seeking substantial weight loss to use balanced nutrition and medically appropriate plans instead of prolonged starvation.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy can become a medical emergency. Early diagnosis and thiamine treatment can improve outcomes, but some neurological damage may persist.
For the 31-year-old woman, the effects of her 15-day water-only diet could now last far longer than the weight loss itself.
