A weight loss journey is about a lot more than sticking to just one type of food — or juice, in this case. While there is no harm in embracing the nutritious benefits of red cabbage and pears as a supplement to an already balanced diet, choosing it as your main meal plan might be a weight loss myth you should stop believing.

“This is a typical example of a fad diet,” explained Russo. “Does anyone remember the cabbage soup, lemonade and maple syrup, or grapefruit diet? Did any of these stand the test of time? No. The reason is because they are purely starvation diets that cannot be maintained.” Starvation diets aren’t sustainable because they slow down your metabolism. The key to sustaining a low-calorie diet is to find one that’s balanced and therefore sustainable — something that offers you all the nutrients your body needs.

According to Russo, the TikTok-famous red cabbage juice trend doesn’t contain “all of the macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals that our bodies require to function in a healthy manner.” Per the National Health Service, the recommended daily calorie intake for men and women is 2,500 and 2,000 respectively. If you want to lose weight, a healthy calorie deficit to go for, as recommended by WebMD, would be about 500 calories a day. With the red cabbage and pears juice trend, your daily intake would drop to less than 600 calories, according to Russo. “The amount of calories and macros you get in is far too low overall.”