Editing Macrobiotic diet (section)

==Safety==

===Regulation===
Macrobiotic practitioners are not regulated, and need not have any qualification or training in the United Kingdom.<ref name=cruk/>

===Complications===
One of the earlier versions of the macrobiotic diet that involved eating only brown rice and water has been linked to severe nutritional deficiencies and even death.<ref name="CA 1993"/> Strict macrobiotic diets that include no animal products may result in nutritional deficiencies unless they are carefully planned. The danger may be worse for people with cancer, who may have to contend with unwanted weight loss and often have increased nutritional and caloric requirements. Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences.<ref name=ACS/>

Cases of vitamin B12 and [[iron-deficiency anemia]]s have been reported as a result of the diet.<ref name="Barrett 1993"/><ref>{{cite journal|author=Brigden, Malcolm L.|year=1995|title=Unproven (Questionable) Cancer Therapies|journal=Western Journal of Medicine |volume=163|issue=5|pages=463–469|pmid=8533410 |pmc=1303171 }}</ref>

===Children===

Children may also be particularly prone to nutritional deficiencies resulting from a macrobiotic diet.<ref name=ACS /> A macrobiotic diet does not contain the nutrients needed by growing children.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Shaw |first1=Vanessa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NaooylD9pVUC&dq=%22nutritionally+inadequate+for+a+child+of+any+age%22&pg=PT949 |title=Clinical Paediatric Dietetics |last2=Lawson |first2=Margaret |date=2013-05-20 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-69953-9 |language=en |quote=This type of diet is nutritionally inadequate for a child of any age.}}</ref>

===Pregnancy===
Macrobiotic diets have not been tested in women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, and the most extreme versions may not include enough of certain nutrients for normal fetal growth.<ref name=ACS/>