Detox diets often claim to help you to lose weight and cleanse your body of toxins. They’re popular because of their bold claims, and they might seem like a promising option if you’re looking to lose weight quickly for a special event. But the evidence doesn’t live up to the promises that many detox diets make.
This deep dive into detox and toxin elimination diets sheds light on their potential benefits and risks.
What Are Detox Diets?
A detox diet usually involves restricting your diet for a few days, weeks or months. This may include:
— Eating only specific foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
— Fasting.
— Drinking specific drinks like fresh juices or water with lemon.
— Using dietary supplements or herbs.
Detox diets also may be referred to as “cleanses,” although a cleanse sometimes refers to a specific way of eating that focuses on “cleansing” the digestive system.
“Both approaches emphasize quick-fix solutions and often involve crash-dieting behaviors,” says Natalie Gillett, a registered dietitian and owner of Natalie Gillett Nutrition in the New York City metro area.
The idea behind most detox diets is that they will rid your body of toxins, such as heavy metals and chemicals from food and the environment, so you can improve your health and lose weight. They claim to do these things because they focus on only healthy food and drinks while avoiding less healthy choices like fat, salt and sugar that are more prevalent in processed foods.
Popular detox diets
Some popular detox diets or cleanses you may have heard of include:
— Bone broth cleanse.
— Colon cleanse.
— Herbal detox.
— Juice cleanse.
— Liver detox diet.
— Master cleanse/lemonade diet.
— Raw food detox.
[Read: A Patient’s Guide to Digestive Diseases.]
The Science Behind Detoxification
To be sure, your body is able to detox itself without a detox diet, says Dr. Evelyn Darius, a primary care physician with the telehealth platform PlushCare. Here are some of the specific ways your body naturally detoxifies itself:
— Liver. The liver is the main organ for body detoxification. Blood from the digestive organs is carried to the liver along with nutrients, medications and toxic substances. The liver then alters any toxins to be less harmful.
— Kidneys. The kidneys filter out waste and toxins from the blood. The waste and toxins are then excreted from the body when you urinate as a part of the daily digestive process.
— Digestive system. Your intestines and colon get rid of waste and toxins through excretion.
The body also rids itself of waste and toxins through other methods, like sweating.
“These processes work efficiently under normal circumstances,” Gillett says. “Eating nutritious foods like lean proteins and high fiber and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables can aid these processes.”
[SEE: 6 Worst Foods for Gut Health.]
Effectiveness of Detox Diets: Claims vs. Reality
Many detox diet plans claim to:
— Improve digestion.
— Improve mental function.
— Increase energy levels.
— Rid the body of toxic substances.
— Help manage weight.
However, there’s not much scientific evidence to back up these claims.
Although a handful of clinical studies have shown that some detox diets help with liver detoxification and rid the body of certain pollutants, the studies had small sample sizes and flawed methodologies, according to a 2015 review in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. The authors of the review are unaware of any randomized controlled trials that accurately assess how effective commercial detox diets are.
In addition, a 2022 article from Frontiers in Nutrition concluded that there is no clinical evidence to confirm or negate the effectiveness of commercially available detox diets to lose weight. Although detox diets with calorie restrictions may assist with short-term weight loss, authors note that they may be harmful because they don’t provide adequate nutrition. They say that health care providers should discourage detox diets.
[READ: The Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods]
Benefits of a Detox Cleanse
Detox cleanses often claim to provide many benefits, mostly weight loss. But these weight loss benefits aren’t magical. Weight loss may occur due to calorie restriction or loss of water weight during short-term weight loss. Most people will regain that weight once the detox diet stops.
“If you consume only bone broth for a few days, you will lose weight because of the calorie restriction, not because of the detoxifying claims made for the bone broth,” says Kaylee Jacks, a sports dietitian with Texas Health Sports Medicine in Dallas. “This weight will be regained once you resume normal eating behaviors.”
A detox diet also may work temporarily because you probably aren’t consuming excess sugar and salt. However, even this would depend on the diet or cleanse you choose. For instance, some juice cleanses can be high in sugar.
Examining Weight Loss and Digestion
Although someone may follow a detox diet for two or three days to lose weight, there are risks associated with following this type of diet for a longer time period.
Weight loss also may occur because of frequent bowel movements or diarrhea produced from using laxatives while following the diet, Darius says.
Additionally, digestion may improve from increased fluid consumption for a juice or broth cleanse or if you’re eating more fruits and vegetables during a specific detox diet.
Your digestion also may get better if you’re changing your way of eating from processed, less nutrient-dense foods to the foods or drinks included in most detox diets, says Grace Derocha, a registered dietitian and Detroit-based national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The decrease in calorie consumption leads to weight loss and boosts digestion.
However, a detox diet isn’t sustainable or safe in the long term.
The Risks of Detox Diets
Detox diets have several risks associated with them, including:
— Constipation.
— Cramps.
— Diarrhea.
— Feeling less productive.
— Headaches.
— Malnourishment, or not getting enough nutrients.
— Having a lower or higher blood sugar, depending on the detox diet. This can be particularly dangerous if you have diabetes.
— Health effects from taking certain supplements.
— Not having enough energy.
— Feeling dehydrated.
— Acute kidney failure for someone with underlying kidney problems, Darius says.
It’s important to note that supplements aren’t reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration, so some may not contain exactly what the packaging says.
“Always look for products that have been third-party tested, and consult with a health professional before ever taking any supplement,” Jacks advises.
Before starting any type of diet, talk with a health care provider, such as a doctor or registered dietitian, to make sure the diet is safe for you and your individual health needs.
Bottom Line
Although detox diets may offer short-term benefits such as weight loss, evidence for their long-term effectiveness and safety isn’t clear. They also have many potential risks, including digestive issues, malnourishment and dehydration. Weight loss during detox diets usually comes back.
If you want to lose weight and improve your health for the long term, focus on sustainable choices, such as:
— Eating whole foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins.
— Limiting or avoiding processed foods, saturated fats and alcohol.
— Drinking enough water. “Water helps flush the system and keep the body hydrated,” Derocha says.
— Getting regular physical activity.
— Aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
— Managing stress.
“By doing these on a daily basis, rather than for a short-term detox, you’ll keep your body ‘cleansed’ and energized all the time,” Gillett says.
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Do Detox Diets Work? A Deep Dive Into Detox Diets and Cleanses originally appeared on usnews.com
