Detox Diets:
A Healthy Habit
or Phony Promises?

Natalie Digate Muth, M.P.H., R.D. exposes detox diets in a recent article in a journal published by the American Council on Exercise. Detoxification, or "detox" diets, aim to purge the body of harmful 21st Century toxins such as pollutants, pesticides, food allergies and other synthetic compounds to achieve a state of bodily purification.

Most eliminate nicotine and alcohol, and many restrict meat and solid foods altogether. They also tend to involve consumption of large amounts of liquid, fiber and raw vegetables—ingredients that are thought to purge the gastrointestinal system of accumulated harmful substances. A variety of cleansing boosters may be incorporated into a detox regimen such as herbal laxatives, colonics (aka enema—a flushing out of the rectum and colon with water), probiotics to repopulate the natural intestinal flora, and antioxidants.

Are They Dangerous?
Many components of detoxification programs are potentially dangerous. While consuming a lot of fiber and staying well-hydrated are healthy when done in moderation, colonics and laxatives intended to "purify" the digestive tract are dangerous. Their use can lead to metabolic disturbances, fainting episodes, dehydration, and muscle cramps, among other complications. Colonics are also potentially dangerous due to increased risk of infection or perforation of the bowel from the introduction of a foreign object into the rectum. Further, detoxification diets are especially problematic for individuals with underlying medical conditions such as heart disease or arrhythmias, diabetes or eating disorders, and those who are frail, elderly, pregnant or nursing. The more extreme programs also leave individuals protein and nutrient depleted.

Do They Work?
While experts agree that the body's natural mechanism for removing waste is more than adequate to rid the body of toxins, suppose that toxins could accumulate. Even then, detox diets may not be all that effective. Toxicologist A. Jay Gandolfi, an associate dean for research in the college of pharmacy at the University of Arizona, along with other researchers, made the following points to the Los Angeles Times last fall:

1. high volumes of liquid consumption could theoretically help remove water soluble chemicals like arsenic, but not fat-soluble solubles which make up most pollutants;

2. fiber consumption may help to eliminate toxic chemicals that accumulate in the liver, but not chemicals that are located in other parts of the gastrointestinal system;

3. raw vegetables have no special detoxifying properties other than that their high-fiber content can further help to build up stools;

4. most chemicals of concern are fat soluble, which means that they are stored in fat. The best way to get rid of these potential toxins is not through a detox diet, but through weight loss, as more slender people get rid of toxins more quickly than overweight and obese individuals.

Bottom line, benefits may exist, but they likely are not due to detoxification. "Decreased bloating is from eating less food; clearer skin results from increased hydration; and decreased headaches are elimination of caffeine and alcohol", says Dr. Peter Pressman, an endocrinologist at the private medical firm Geller, Rudnick, Bush and Bemberger, in an editorial in the journal Food Technology. "Our lungs, kidneys, liver gastrointestinal tract and immune system are effective in removing or neutralizing toxic substances within hours of consumption."

Abdominal Crunch-Up

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