Coming clean about detox diets

In a world where environmental pollutants and food additives are an everyday threat to our health, the idea of body detoxification seems extremely enticing. Like scouring the nooks and crannies in our homes, wouldn’t flushing out harmful substances from our bodies restore some sense of internal order? 


Proponents of detox diets and cleanses think so. For centuries, they’ve practiced the art of detoxification in an attempt to achieve optimal health. Expelling “poisons” from the body can cure maladies ranging from chronic fatigue to cancer.


The process of de-poisoning ourselves is neither pretty nor fun. Serious toxin removal usually involves fasting or at least following a strict diet void of items like sugar, processed foods, caffeine and alcohol. 


To clean out our dirty digestive tracts detoxers may also be asked to use herbal laxatives or colonic cleanses - a procedure that involves a long rubber tube, a lot of warm water and someone’s rectum. Think: high-powered douche for the bum.  


But no matter what a regime advocates, the  premise of all detox diets and cleanses is deeply flawed; it flies in the face of what we know about human biochemistry and physiology. Extensive study of both fields has taught us that we’re well equipped with a sophisticated and versatile detoxification system. Our liver and kidneys do just fine removing most ingested toxins. We don’t need to mess with nature.


Internal cleansing is not only physiologically unwarranted, it’s scientifically unfounded. No research data support the claim that detoxification successfully expels toxins and that includes more harmful chemicals like heavy metals and pesticide residues.


For most detox and cleanse marketers, this isn’t damning news. It’s not research that sells their wares, positive personal testimonies and anecdotal evidence do the trick.  


Many of us report feeling invigorated after following a regime. We’re more alert and less grumpy. I won’t argue about how a cleanse makes us feel but my hunch is it’s not the regime, per se, that creates these health effects. 


I’d bet money we feel better because we expect to; we believe we’re doing something good for our bodies - a phenomenon known as the placebo effect. 
It’s also possible that a regime triggers a healthy shakeup in our lifestyle. If we eat more vegetables, drink less alcohol or smoke fewer cigarettes we’re bound to feel a heightened sense of well-being. 


Some regimes can be a springboard for healthier eating behaviors but others can yield disastrous consequences. Detoxes or cleanses that advocate fasting make us vulnerable to developing nutrient deficiencies, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.


Fasting or strict dieting also  means our daily caloric needs go unmet and when that happens our bodies break down muscle tissue along with other vital proteins to give us energy. The process creates two toxic byproducts: ammonia and urea. Ironically, under-eating may cause an accumulation, not an exodus, of harmful substances.

However, the biggest drawback to these regimes is that we often perceive them as a form of dietary redemption; we can eat and drink our way into oblivion as long as we occasionally purify our bodies.


This attitude gets us into trouble because instead of practicing healthy eating on a daily basis, we believe we have a quick-fix remedy for almost any health problem that comes along.