Detoxing – Desirable or Dangerous?

Ever seen these types of claims before?

• Detox and lose weight!
• Rid your body of parasites/toxins/gunk!
• The detox diet helps you cleanse your system!

The premise of detox dieting is that our bodies develop a "build-up" of toxins which make us feel unhealthy and lack energy, and that these need to be removed. By drastically restricting what you eat and drink to a few special foods, detox diets are supposed to successfully remove the toxins. The diets take different forms - some restrict you to fruit or vegetable juices, others to just one type of food, others are supplemented with detox pills - but the idea behind them all is the same. Namely, that you can clean your body from the inside, lose weight, feel fabulous and full of energy, and have glowing skin in the space of just a few days or weeks.

While there's nothing wrong with an eating plan that encourages you to limit alcohol, avoid processed foods, and stick to fresh foods and whole grains (and some detox diets are that simple and healthy) there are some serious risks involved with the more radical detox diets.

That's not to say that cutting down on processed foods, alcohol, and added sugars won't help you to feel better and be healthier, but there is no scientific proof that detox diets or fasting can rid your body of toxins any more effectively than the usual processes. In fact, ironically, very strict detox diets can have the opposite effect. If you are not eating enough each day, your metabolic rate can slow down, which actually reduces the rate at which your body can flush out toxins.

Detox diets almost always lead to weight loss. (When you only eat celery for two weeks, such an outcome is inevitable). But what happens after you finish the diet?

Temporary measures rarely provide effective solutions to weight or health problems. Once you switch back to regular eating, the weight you lost during the diet usually comes straight back on and you are no better off. In fact, you haven't learned anything to help you change the behaviors and habits that caused weight gain in the first place.

If you're considering detoxing as a method of weight loss, also keep in mind that shed pounds are sometimes the result of one of the following:

• Supplements. Many detoxes require you to take supplements. Often these are really laxatives in disguise, designed to make you go to the bathroom more often. Laxatives reduce your body's ability to absorb the nutrients from the food and fluids you consume and can cause unhealthy weight loss if taken regularly. Taking laxatives is never a good idea, as it can lead to dehydration and problems with your digestive system.
  
  
• Fluid loss. If you're fasting or severely restricting your food intake, your body will naturally struggle to maintain its weight - however a lot of the weight you lose will be fluid, soon to be replaced when you return to normal eating. 
  

It's also important to remember that your body needs a balanced range of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to function correctly. While cutting down on junk food and alcohol is a good idea, eliminating major food groups (such as carbohydrates or dairy) almost always has negative consequences for health. A lack of dairy products in your diet could cause problems with osteoporosis later in life, for example.

Some commonly reported symptoms of detox diets include headaches, dizziness, lack of concentration, bad breath, and tiredness. This might be said to be a sign that you're ridding your body of toxins, but in reality these symptoms are usually caused by a lack of food.

Fasting or eating only minimal calories is a bad idea at any time, but especially so when you are exercising. When you are involved in physical activity your body uses the food you eat as fuel. If you're not eating enough, your body cannot cope with doing much at all - let alone running or pumping weights.

Like most weight-loss trends, detox diets have made it onto television shows - particularly health and weight-loss oriented shows. On one such show, the "health professional" described the detox diet that participants were on as "drawing out the poisons and toxins from their bodies."

Commenting on this particular show, CalorieKing.com dietitian Allan Borushek reminds us that just because you see something on television doesn't make it true! "These claims are inaccurate and irresponsible," he says. "It's not the sort of regimen that we at CalorieKing.com would recommend - nor indeed would any other respectable health professional. For the high-intensity exercise the participants were cajoled into doing, it would have been far healthier to have a moderate diet of 1200-1500 calories with normal protein and proportionate carbohydrates. The participants' energy levels would have been maintained as well as their morale. There would have been little difference in their weight losses, and their exercise performance would have been much improved."

Borushek is not alone in his criticism of detox diets. Health professionals everywhere are warning about the dangers of detoxing. Dr Rosemary Stanton, well-known international nutritionist, agrees. "A prolonged detox that involves very little food and lots of water can disturb the body's balance of potassium or sodium, leading to serious changes in blood pressure and heart rhythms" she says.

If you're striving for a healthier lifestyle, better weight control, and more energy, it's easy to think that a detox can provide a quick fix.

But while giving up smoking, excessive alcohol, and junk food and eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will certainly help you to feel and be healthier, you're best to skip the expensive detox supplements and the extreme fasting.

Though it's not half as radical as a detox diet, calorie-controlled eating, regular exercise, and a well-balanced eating plan are far more likely to help your health and waistline, and make you feel more energized physically and mentally, than 100 glasses of carrot juice ever will!