Every now and then we all have that one friend who is going through or just did a detox. It can really throw a wrench in your dinner plans when someone in the group has specific eating needs but do you ever find yourself wondering "what is a detoxing all about?" Is it important to your health or are your friends just trying to go with the trend? Before it was reinvented in the recent craze, the word "detox" referred primarily to a medical procedure that rids the body of dangerous, often life-threatening, levels of alcohol, drugs, or poisons says Harvard health.
Here are different ways to detoxify your body:
- Fasting
- Drinking only juices or similar beverages
- Eating only certain foods
- Using dietary supplements or other commercial products
- Using herbs
- Cleansing the colon (lower intestinal tract) with enemas, laxatives, or colon hydrotherapy (also called “colonic irrigation” or “colonics”)
- Reducing environmental exposures
- Using a sauna (nccih.nih.gov)
NIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) said a 2015 review showed that there was no concrete evidence to support the use of “detox” diets for weight management or eliminating toxins from the body. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have filed against several companies selling detox/cleansing products because they (1) contained illegal, potentially harmful ingredients; (2) were marketed using false claims that they could treat serious diseases; or (3) in the case of medical devices used for colon cleansing, were marketed for unapproved uses (nih).
So, in short, the answer is NO. Don’t fall into these new detox trends. Try and concentrate on giving your body what it needs to maintain a tough self-cleaning system that we all already have. Take charge of your own health and instead of doing a do-it-yourself cleansing, speak with your doctor first and tell them what you're feeling and your goals. Or speak with our Nutritionist to see what meal plans can help get you feeling the healthiest you can be.
Sources:
The dubious practice of detox - Harvard Health
Are You Planning a Cleanse or Detox? Read This First – Cleveland Clinic
“Detoxes” and “Cleanses”: What You Need To Know | NCCIH (nih.gov)