Detox debunked!
Detox diets claim to ‘cleanse’ your body, but experts say this does you no good and may actually do you harm (as well as taking all the fun out of liquid lunches!)
The fact that detox diets appear to work, say critics, is misleading. Cut booze, coffee, cigarettes and junk food from your diet, and you’ll feel healthier – without also going to the extremes these diets advocate.
Replacing solid foods with liquid concoctions for weeks, sweating out toxins by wrapping yourself in clingfilm or flushing out your system with enemas have no health benefits, they say, and any weight lost will soon creep back on. Worse, detoxing can lead to health problems. Nutritionists and doctors also say that the notion of a diet to get rid of toxins wrongly assumes your body can’t get rid of them without help.
A job well done
“Our bodies don’t retain high amounts of toxins, as the liver and kidneys have a natural ability to get rid of them,” says Cape Town dietitian Sunita Bam. Registered UK toxicologist Dr Paul Illing says, “Your natural bodily functions are effective at clearing out harmful substances and there is little you can do to enhance these.”
Proof and lies
Dr Ben Goldacre, author of Bad Science, says, “There’s nothing on the subject of detox programmes in any medical textbook.” Bam agrees, saying detox diets aren’t supported by registered dietitians anywhere in the world.
“They are just a fad. There is no scientific evidence supporting the claims that they are good for your body, hair and nails, lead to weight loss, minimise cellulite, enhance function or increase energy levels,” she says.
Good with the bad
The substances normally banned by detox diets are alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, refined sugars, processed food and saturated fat. “If you think about it,” says Bam, “these are guidelines to good health anyway – and you shouldn’t also have to drink only fluids or eat raw food.”
Detox damage
Detox programs range from the unappetising to the absurd. The more extreme they are, the more likely they are to make you lethargic, sickly or just plain miserable. On a liquid-only diet, you’ll probably tend to feel faint because of low blood sugar levels, says Bam. And excluding certain food groups from your diet can lead to inadequate nutrient intake – and health problems later in life. “For example, excluding all dairy products from your diet reduces the intake of calcium, which can lead to diseases such as osteoporosis,” she says.
The fact that detox diets appear to work, say critics, is misleading. Cut booze, coffee, cigarettes and junk food from your diet, and you’ll feel healthier – without also going to the extremes these diets advocate.
Replacing solid foods with liquid concoctions for weeks, sweating out toxins by wrapping yourself in clingfilm or flushing out your system with enemas have no health benefits, they say, and any weight lost will soon creep back on. Worse, detoxing can lead to health problems. Nutritionists and doctors also say that the notion of a diet to get rid of toxins wrongly assumes your body can’t get rid of them without help.
A job well done
“Our bodies don’t retain high amounts of toxins, as the liver and kidneys have a natural ability to get rid of them,” says Cape Town dietitian Sunita Bam. Registered UK toxicologist Dr Paul Illing says, “Your natural bodily functions are effective at clearing out harmful substances and there is little you can do to enhance these.”
Proof and lies
Dr Ben Goldacre, author of Bad Science, says, “There’s nothing on the subject of detox programmes in any medical textbook.” Bam agrees, saying detox diets aren’t supported by registered dietitians anywhere in the world.
“They are just a fad. There is no scientific evidence supporting the claims that they are good for your body, hair and nails, lead to weight loss, minimise cellulite, enhance function or increase energy levels,” she says.
Good with the bad
The substances normally banned by detox diets are alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, refined sugars, processed food and saturated fat. “If you think about it,” says Bam, “these are guidelines to good health anyway – and you shouldn’t also have to drink only fluids or eat raw food.”
Detox damage
Detox programs range from the unappetising to the absurd. The more extreme they are, the more likely they are to make you lethargic, sickly or just plain miserable. On a liquid-only diet, you’ll probably tend to feel faint because of low blood sugar levels, says Bam. And excluding certain food groups from your diet can lead to inadequate nutrient intake – and health problems later in life. “For example, excluding all dairy products from your diet reduces the intake of calcium, which can lead to diseases such as osteoporosis,” she says.
Posted 12/08/2009
