Is detox diet merely a myth?
Are detox diets as beneficial as they’re hyped up to be or are they cause for concern?
Detox diets have proved to be wildly popular upon hitting the market, with many celebrities like Anne Hathaway and Gwyneth Paltrow jumping on the bandwagon and swearing by it. While the specifics may vary, most diets recommend a few days of liquid fasting followed by strict intake of raw fruit and vegetables, promising that it’ll flush out toxins from our bodies and leave us refreshed and energized.
However, do they really work? Despite the hype, health experts have stepped out to comment that there is really little evidence of their effectiveness. According to Professor Edzard Ernst of Exeter University: ‘the healthy body has kidneys, a liver, skin, even lungs that are detoxifying as we speak. There is no known way – certainly not through detox treatments – to make something that works perfectly well in a healthy body work better’.
Additionally, what exactly are the much-spoken-about ‘toxins’ that detox experts claim to eliminate? Fuzzy definitions and lack of scientific accuracy means that scientists are ultimately unable to quantify the so-called harmful substances before and after the treatment, making it impossible to ascertain its effectiveness.
So why do people claim to feel better after undergoing detox treatments? This is mostly due to the reduction in intake of processed and high-sugar foods and increase in dietary fibre in our systems. But long-term detoxing can lead to more insidious consequences. For example, the lack of protein can lead to fatigue and hair-loss, while colon cleansing – an item in many treatments – causes abdominal cramping, vomiting, and nausea. For lasting results, a far better option would be a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, lean meat, and whole grains, which has been scientifically proven to boost immunity and leave a healthier, fresher look!
Yijie Zhang
