Especially coming up to the New Year, you may see the word “ detox ” creeping into your newspapers and newsfeeds.  Alongside the promises of “cleansing the body” and “ridding you of toxins”, a rapid and large amount of weight loss is advertised.

Detox diets range from food modification methods to total starvation approaches. They often include the use of advertised detox tablets, laxatives and/or specific cleansing foods.

So what is the down-low when it comes to this ongoing hype of detoxing? Where do the promises stand in terms of scientific evidence?

Promises

A 2011 survey in the USA found that over 90% of naturopathic “doctors” used “detox therapies” with their clients. A total of 75% used diet-based detox methods.

So what promises are made by these practitioners  when they recommend these diets? Reasons for prescribing these diets, as reported by the naturopaths in this study, include:

• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Autoimmune disease
• Environmental exposure to toxins
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• General cleansing
• Preventative medicine
• Weight loss

Detox diets revolve around the idea that a build-up of bad “toxins” is to blame for many of your symptoms of ill-health. But what are these toxins that people talk about?

Toxins

To be honest, the word “toxin” is not clearly defined in the media or in research.

In evidence-based medicine, toxins often refer to addictive drugs and alcohol, and the term “detox” describes the weaning off these chemicals.

In the world of commercial detox diets, toxins can have a wide variety (and often vague) meaning, including; processed foods, environmental pollutants, synthetic substances, heavy metals and potentially harmful  by-products of human digestion. One thing stands out in many advertisements for detox diets: the toxin you are trying to “cleanse” yourself off often remains un-named.

Therefore it is not surprising that a 2014 review of detox diets found that very few diets have any good scientific evidence to show their benefit.

 While the commercial industry often divides chemicals into “good” and “bad”, in reality it is often the “dose” that makes a chemical poisonous.

It is the dose that makes the toxin

 Almost any chemical, natural or synthetic, can lead to poor health if given at a certain dose. For example;

Our bodies require around 1500-2000mls of water per day for good health. However, a rare but well-documented condition  named “water intoxication” can occur in athletes who drink too much water.

Studies have shown that for the majority of people, there is minimal risk to our health from the toxins highlighted by commercial detox plans. The doses of “toxins” such as mercury (metal), aluminium (metal)  and BPA (chemical found in plastic) at which the average person is exposed to are not likely to lead to ill-health.

Luckily, humans have a many very efficient means of cleansing us from toxins, built into our bodies for free!  

Did you know you detox every-day, all-day – for Free!

Many of our organs play a huge role in getting rid of unwanted substances from our bodies. These organs include our;

• Kidneys
• Gut
• Skin
• Liver
• Lungs

Research is ongoing into the role that our diet plays in helping these organs to get rid of unwanted chemicals. However, to date there is no “ONE” food that has shown to be the “ultimate cleansing food”.

General healthy eating guidelines continue to give us the best evidence-based approach to keeping our bodies healthy. And this counts for keeping our bodies at a healthy weight also!

Detox diets for weight loss

No good studies have shown the effectiveness of commercial detox diets for long-term weight loss.

Any weight loss seen when following these diets is likely due to a reduction in Calories eaten during these detox diet plans.

It is worrying that many important food groups (such as protein and fat) are often also restricted. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies, imbalances in electrolytes in the body and even death.

Also, it is important to know also that many non-“detox” weight loss methods exist where Calories are restricted but all vital food groups are included in the diet. Again, general healthy eating guidelines are designed to help with weight loss for those of us who carry excess weight.

Are there any positives to “detox” diets then?

“Detox” diets vary greatly. While some promote the use of laxatives and expensive detox pills, others may recommend for you to eat more fruits and vegetables and drink more water.

The latter type of diet may bring about some positives. These diets, if started alongside a healthy and balanced diet, may be a useful way to kick-start your goals of eating more healthily!

They can encourage you to pick up healthy habits in the long-term. They can help you down the path of eating more according the general healthy eating guidelines!

Also, the feeling of taking control of our diets in order to improve our health can be a great motivator to take on healthy habits.

What is the verdict?

At this time, there is no evidence to recommend starting a detox diet.

General healthy eating guidelines help you to achieve many of the promised health effects of a “detox” diet, including weight loss!

So how do I start eating more healthily?

Check out the INDI diet sheets for healthy eating and see my recent post on weight loss motivation!

Keep a food diary, set goals and get support!

And this New Year, rather than calling your healthy new-year’s resolution diet a “detox”, call it by its real name – “healthy eating”.

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