“Cleanse your system with so and so herbal medicine”. “Detoxify your liver with our so and so drink”. You must have heard a tagline along these lines at some point in your life. Pharmaceutical companies spring up from nowhere and establish chains of distribution for detoxes which are basically product-based Ponzi schemes. But that’s not the point today.
Detoxes are products that make claims of purging the body of harmful chemicals and toxins. Detoxes usually come in three formats. There are those that replace foods with liquids. There are also those that claim to support your body’s natural detoxification process. Lastly, there are those that claim to “cleanse” your digestive tract via the colon.
The goal of a detox is to flush out the toxins that our bodies come in contact with every day. It may be the toxins in the air, the food we eat, or the products we use. This is typically done by fasting, drastically restricting food intake, replacing solid foods with liquids, or drinking a ton of water. But all these things could have negative side effects on your health.
And while a lot of people use these products and see “results”, detoxes are actually bad for you. Here’s why.
1. Liquid cleanse
The liquid or juice or smoothie cleanse is one of the most popular methods of detoxing. A lot of teas and smoothies are constantly advertised on social media, making bogus claims of secret magic recipes. But what these actually do is deprive your body of actual food. This is where liquid detoxes move into unhealthy territory.
Liquid detoxes remove the majority of protein and fat from the diet. Not only does the lack of protein and fat mean you’ll spend your entire detox feeling hungry, but it can also lead to a host of other negative side effects like low blood sugar, brain fog, decreased productivity and fatigue.
2. Liver detoxes
Another hot trend in the world of cleansing is “liver detoxes.” The aim of a liver detox is to deliver a boost to the body’s detoxifying system by improving liver function. But the liver’s natural function is to detoxify the body, so getting a product to detoxify the detoxifier is completely unnecessary.
Instead, try eating a diet that’s rich in both raw and cooked fruits and vegetables; includes soluble fibre like beans, nuts and grains; and also limits alcohol intake. These are the essential building blocks that’ll allow your liver to operate at peak function.
3. Digestive cleanses
Colon cleanses attempt to cleanse the digestive tract and rid the body of toxins by promoting bowel movements via supplements or laxatives. These work to eliminate built-up waste. But these colon cleanses are unpleasant and very dangerous.
They may cause stomach cramping, diarrhoea and vomiting. More serious outcomes can include bacterial infection, perforated bowels, and electrolyte imbalance that can cause kidney and heart problems. Instead, try consuming a diet high in soluble and insoluble fibre to help clear out waste.
Summary
So in theory, detoxes sound pretty great. But the truth is, they’re completely unnecessary. Detoxes aren’t the best way to improve your health. The body actually has a built-in detoxifier — the liver. Its main function is to process ‘toxins’ and convert them into non-harmful compounds that the body can either utilise or remove.
So why do people use detoxes? There has to be a reason why they keep selling. They wouldn’t be in the market for so long if they didn’t actually deliver in some way, right? Yes, you may see some positive results, particularly when it comes to weight loss when you do a detox — at least at first.
People will likely lose some weight on detoxes because they aren’t eating foods. But the weight that’s lost is due to the body using stored energy and, in the process, releasing water. Once a regular diet is resumed, the ‘weight’ will come back as water is again retained.
Holistic health comes from happiness, confidence and understanding of yourself, your body, and what you need to live your best life. Other options to support your health include:
- drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
- eating a diet high in soluble and insoluble fibre.
- keeping added sugar intake to a minimum.
- incorporating more raw fruits and vegetables into your diet, which can help aid digestion.
- avoiding highly processed foods.
- making time for rest, recovery and relaxation.
- practice deep breathing or meditation.
