Detox Diet: Does It Work?

A detox diet is a dietary regimen to clean the body, by removing toxins and other contaminants. We hear stories of former addicts and celebrities who vouch for the effectiveness of this diet. It is claimed to improve health, energy, resistance to disease, mental state, digestion, as well as aiding in weight loss. However, scientific research has found that detox diet can cause side effects to the body, especially in young adults.

The argument surrounding the detox diet is that the toxins do not get removed completely by excretion. They tend to remain in the digestive, lymphatic, and gastrointestinal systems of the body. These toxins are noxious chemicals which can prove to be very harmful for your health, causing tiredness, headaches and nausea. So, the claims made by people and celebrities about the effectiveness of this detox diet remain cloudy. These supporters suggest that one should stop taking certain foods which bring the harmful toxins to the body, thus cleaning the body of toxins.

The detox diet mainly stresses to follow some kind of fasting, in which you have to stop taking certain foods for some time. After a few days you can reintroduce them in your diet. To cleanse the toxins, this detox diet encourages the use enemas and herbal supplements.

In a detox diet, the person is put on liquid diets for a few days. After about a week he is given a diet of fruits, brown rice and boiled vegetables. Other foods are also introduced gradually, but some foods like eggs, red meat, sugar and other junk foods have to be avoided.

People supporting this detox diet say that it helps to detoxify all the harmful toxins from the body. But there is still no evidence that supports this claim and moreover, there is also no proof that shows that the elimination of toxins from the body can keep you healthy and strong.

A detox diet should not be followed for the long term but only for a short period for beginners. Teenagers and young adults should not go for it because these people need a lot of proteins and carbohydrates for proper growth. By fasting and going on this diet may affect their health adversely.

Another disturbing factor about a detox diet is that it can be addictive. Those going for it may suffer from eating disorders, as they tend to keep away from food. Also, laxatives are frequently used in these diet plans which can cause frequent passing of urine, dehydration, mineral imbalances in the body, and other digestive disorders. Metabolic processes also slow down when you fast, leading to weight issues.

Although the detox diet does have certain advantages, avoiding foods which are essential for growth and for your health is not a very wise decision.