Does detox diets and cleanses actually work? Detox cleanses may not necessarily remove toxins from your body, but it can help with removing unhealthy foods from your diet. The biggest problem with detox diets and cleanses is the calories are extremely low. And you don’t get enough nutrients from a cleanse or detox diet. So being on a detox diet or cleanse can put you in an extreme nutrient deficiency.
A detox diet is like fasting because all you are consuming is fruits, vegetables, fruit juice and water. Some of the claims it says it can do is improve circulation, eliminate toxins, and stimulate your liver. Most of the human research on detox diets and its claims is lacking big time. The research studies just don’t validate all the claims it makes.
Does detox diets and cleanses actually work? Photo Credit: iStock- NelliSyr
What does a detox diet consist of:
- Fasting for 1 to 3 days
- Drinking fresh fruit and vegetables juices, smoothies, water, and tea.
- During a detox you are eliminating alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, and refined sugar.
Why you don’t need a detox diet to remove toxins from your body?
Your body is designed to detox and cleanse itself as it is its own detox machine. Your body can cleanse itself through its urine, feces, liver and sweat. Your liver helps to release harmful toxins from your body.
It is important to understand not everybody can do a detox because of its lack of vitamins and minerals. And when you are doing a detox cleanse you will have the least amount of energy because you are not eating that much food or calories.
Can you lose weight on a detox diet?
You can lose weight on a detox diet but most of the weight you will lose will be water loss. And once you start eating solid foods that weight you lost that was water will be gained back immediately. Essentially you didn’t drop any bodyfat from a 3-day detox diet cleanse.
Some of the health benefits of a detox diet are:
- Introducing fruits and vegetables into your diet.
- Drinking more water daily.
- Eliminating processed foods, alcohol, and junk food from your diet.
The demographic that should never do a detox diet are children, adolescents, pregnant women, lactating women, and the elderly. And also, people that have diabetes or blood sugar issues. They need all the important nutrients in their diet because of their age and the overall development of their present health.
“Detox cleanses may not necessarily remove toxins from your body, but it can help with removing unhealthy foods from your diet.” Celebrity Fitness & Nutrition Expert Obi Obadike
The Bottom Line is you don’t need a detox diet or cleanse to remove toxins from your body. Your body naturally does it by itself through urine, feces, sweat and through your liver.
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References
- Cline JC. Nutritional aspects of detoxification in clinical practice. Altern Ther Health Med. 2015 May-Jun;21(3):54-62. PMID: 26026145.
- Klein AV, Kiat H. Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2015 Dec;28(6):675-86. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12286. Epub 2014 Dec 18. PMID: 25522674.
- Margaret E. Sears, Stephen J. Genuis, “Environmental Determinants of Chronic Disease and Medical Approaches: Recognition, Avoidance, Supportive Therapy, and Detoxification”, Journal of Environmental and Public Health, vol. 2012, Article ID 356798, 15 pages, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/356798
- Anzenbacher P, Anzenbacherová E. Cytochromes P450 and metabolism of xenobiotics. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2001 May;58(5-6):737-47. doi: 10.1007/pl00000897. PMID: 11437235.
- Genuis SJ, Birkholz D, Rodushkin I, Beesoon S. Blood, urine, and sweat (BUS) study: monitoring and elimination of bioaccumulated toxic elements. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2011 Aug;61(2):344-57. doi: 10.1007/s00244-010-9611-5. Epub 2010 Nov 6. PMID: 21057782.
- Allen J, Montalto M, Lovejoy J, Weber W. Detoxification in naturopathic medicine: a survey. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Dec;17(12):1175-80. doi: 10.1089/acm.2010.0572. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22103982; PMCID: PMC3239317.
- Klein AV, Kiat H. Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2015 Dec;28(6):675-86. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12286. Epub 2014 Dec 18. PMID: 25522674.
- Allen J, Montalto M, Lovejoy J, Weber W. Detoxification in naturopathic medicine: a survey. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Dec;17(12):1175-80. doi: 10.1089/acm.2010.0572. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22103982; PMCID: PMC3239317.
