Is “Detoxing” Healthy?

(Image source: Hive Health Media)

Cleansing diets, also known as detox diets involve the removal of ‘toxins’ from the body. Many believe that detoxes and cleanses are the only way to maintain or improve bowel health, prevent colon cancer or achieve lasting weight loss.

Cleansing diets operate through the use of laxatives (herbal teas/medicines), fasting, a strict diet (that eliminates a number of foods) and or the consumption of large amounts of water or fruit/vegetable juice. 

The truth is your intestines, lungs, liver and kidneys effectively remove waste from your body all day, every day.  Consuming a balanced diet filled with a variety of whole and minimally processed plant foods provides the body with ample amounts of dietary fibre and fluid needed to maintain a healthy bowel, gut flora, and energy levels.  

When it comes to science, there is a lack of scientific evidence validating or supporting the promoted benefits of detoxes. Nonetheless, detox diets if followed for a long time, can be harmful and alter an individual’s relationship with food. Whereby, one begins “equating food with sin, guilt and contamination.” 

Bottom-line: 

Focus on improving your overall eating pattern and skip the quick fix potions, pills, and supplements.

 "If we want to detoxify our bodies, the best thing we can do is to boost our liver’s own detoxifying enzymes." Michael Greger M.D

Thank you for reading! 

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References:

PEN ‘Information on Cleansing Diets’ pdf Available at:http://www.pennutrition.com/viewhandout.aspx?Portal=UbY=&id=J8fmWgE=&PreviewHandout=bA==

Berglund, Casey (2015). A detox diet of only juice is not the answer to a healthier, slimmer body. The Globe and Mail. Available at:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health-advisor/a-detox-diet-of-only-juice-is-not-the-answer-to-a-healthier-slimmer-body/article22462433/

Hall, Kristyn.(2015). 11 Resources to help you communicate around cleanses and detoxes. PEN eNews. vol4;(5). Available at: http://www.pennutrition.com/enews.aspx?id=36#323