Detox cleanse: does it really work? Facts vs. myths
Summary
A detox cleanse – sounds good, but isn't it just a sales pitch? Does detoxing really work, and is it necessary to detoxify your body from time to time? Discover what science has to say about it.
What is a detox cleanse?
Detoxing or detoxification means "cleansing" your body from within by removing toxins and waste products. The idea is that our modern diet and lifestyle "pollute" our bodies and that we therefore need a thorough cleanse now and then. A detox cleanse is intended to help your body excrete toxins or harmful substances such as heavy metals, pesticides, or waste products from food. Such a detox cleanse usually lasts from a few days to a week. Weight loss is often an additional motivation. But many myths and discussions still surround the concept of detoxing.
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What detox methods are there?Juice cleanses, fasting periods, intermittent fasting, oil pulling, fiber powders, clay, ... the promise of detox cleanses is always the same: a cleaner, healthier, more energetic body. Detox cleanses are hugely popular, especially after the holiday season, at the start of the new year, when we feel our bodies could use a reset. A juice cleanse is probably the most well-known way to detox. You drink only fruit or vegetable juices for days to "rest" your digestive system. Some choose entirely different methods such as detoxing by fasting, by ingesting clay products, or even with enemas (colon irrigation) to cleanse the intestines. |
Most detox methods are harmless in themselves, but certain methods or products do warrant a warning. For example, cleansing clay can contain heavy metals, and with acidic fruit juices and vinegar, you risk dental erosion. Prolonged fasting or eliminating certain foods can also lead to severe caloric deficiencies or deficiencies of essential nutrients. Some detox cleanses can even be downright dangerous. For example, a Dutch yoga instructor fell into a coma when she drank liters of lukewarm salt water in a short time in Mexico for a detox cleanse.
Your liver as an engine for detoxification
Normally, your body should be able to detoxify itself. The liver plays the main role in your natural detox system. It converts toxic substances through biotransformation in three phases. In phase 1, toxins are chemically modified, after which waste products in phase 2 are converted into water-soluble substances that your body can excrete through urine or stool. Finally, in phase 3, free radicals and toxic residues in the liver are also rendered harmless. This mainly happens through glutathione, our most important, endogenous antioxidant.
