Cleanses and detox diets tend to involve consuming only liquids, like water, juices, or herbal tea, for a short period of time.
This type of diet is extremely low in calories and can result in rapid weight loss, and so people attribute it to the removal of toxins when in fact.
You lose weight because of the reduction in total calories consumed.
This type of weight loss typically isn’t sustainable, and once normal eating patterns resume, the weight tends to be quickly put back on.
Many people believe that cleanses and detox diets can help remove toxins from their body, but this isn't really true.
Our bodies have natural detoxification systems, including the liver, kidneys, and your gut, and they all work together to remove harmful things.
Think of the liver as your body’s factory.
Just as a factory processes raw materials into finished products, the liver processes nutrients from the food we eat into substances that the body can use, such as glucose and amino acids.
It’s responsible for over 500 chemical functions.
Some of these include things like producing bile, which helps with fat digestion, it stores vitamins and minerals, and it filters toxins from the bloodstream.
The kidneys, on the other hand can be compared to a filtration system.
Just like a water filtration system removes impurities from the water, the kidneys remove waste products from the blood and excretes them from the body in the form of urine.
They also help regulate the balance of fluids in your body, as well as the levels of electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium.
The kidneys also help control blood pressure and produce hormones that regulate red blood cell production and promote bone health.
Cleanses and detox diets don't magically enhance these natural systems, they can actually do more harm than good by disrupting the balance of electrolytes, which can lead to dehydration and other negative health consequences.
They can also be low in essential nutrients, including protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins B12 and D, which can result in fatigue, weakness.
Ironically, they can put you at an increased risk of suffering from nutrient deficiencies.
These diets can also disrupt the balance of good bacteria in the gut, leading to digestive problems like bloating, constipation & diarrhoea.
Plus, they can also lead to a reduction in muscle mass... Far from ideal.
So to summarise, cleanses and detox diets don’t really live up to the hype.
There’s no evidence to support the claims made by proponents of these cleanses.
Instead of relying on these diets, it might be better to focus on making long-term lifestyle changes, like eating a balanced diet, regular exercise, getting proper sleep and managing stress.
