Cleansing and “Detox” diets have been around since ancient times and ebb and flow in their popularity. Today, more and more celebrities are touting the benefits of cleansing the body and often times forget to mention the risks. Recently, I have been receiving more questions regarding the pros and cons of cleansing from my clientele, so…I thought I’d blog about it!
Cleansing has its roots in alternative medicine, and claims to remove “toxins” from the body. Avid cleansers cleanse for a variety of reasons. Some desire a jump-start on their new diet or lose weight, to eliminate their cravings, others desire more energy, and still more want to simply detox their body. Many who practice cleansing believe that it is similar to pressing the body’s “reset button.” They believe that the build-up of toxins can promote a wide variety of symptoms.
There are different types of cleansing diets, which vary in their degree of restriction. The most common type of cleanse includes fasting, or avoiding, specific foods and/or food groups. Often times, people will choose to only consume liquids, in the form of fruit and vegetable juices, for several days. Others may only choose to limit their sources of refined carbohydrate (white flour, white sugar), or unhealthy fats (fried foods, butter, meat). Other cleanses encourage a home-made, or commercial, herbal elixir to assist in the detoxification process.
The well-known Master Cleanse promotes a mixture of maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Other herbs may be recommended, such as cilantro which has been shown to help the body excrete heavy metals, such as lead or mercury.
Often times, detox diets are accompanied by a colon cleanse, or colonic, which have been adopted from the ancient Egyptian and Greek practices. Many believe that food and feces accumulate in the colon and rot, which produces undesirable side-effects. Colon cleansing is accomplished by ingesting herbs or herbal teas from dandelions, fennel seeds, and/or licorice root. Other times, people use an enema, laxatives or colonic hydrotherapy, which irrigates the colon.
Currently, detox fasts and colon cleansing are not supported by research and have yet to demonstrate any medical benefits. These products, books and programs are often quite expensive and leave many customers disappointed. The good news, however, is that our bodies natural detoxify themselves- free of charge!
The body is equipped with healthy lungs, kidneys and a liver which help to detox the body daily. In fact, the liver’s main function is to process toxins that we ingest purposefully (alcohol, cigarette smoke, etc) and unintentionally (pollution, heavy metals, etc).
Additionally, restrictive detox diets, such as liquid fasts, put the body into starvation mode and often slow down an individual’s metabolism. They also can promote nutritional deficiencies in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Chronic use of enemas and laxatives have been associated with electrolyte imbalances, fluctuations in blood pressure, damage to the bowel, and can even result in dependence.
I’m not one to provide the bad news without the good, or to shoot down an option without providing a viable alternative. So, I plan to conjure up a safe and effective fast guaranteed to improve energy levels, reduce unhealthy cravings, promote a healthier weight and a better quality of life. Stay tuned!
Written by: Cassie Vanderwall, MS RD LDN CPT
