By Eva Briggs, MD
My daughter suggested this article after noting that several of her co-workers mentioned their recent cleanses and detox experiences.
This is not about legitimate detoxification to help people stop using alcohol or drugs. And it’s not about chelation therapy to treat lead poisoning. It’s about the multi-billion-dollar business of selling people juices and other herbal concoctions that claim to remove toxins from the body.
Yes, in the course of daily life we are all exposed to environmental toxins from air pollution, cigarette smoke, household cleaning products and ultra-processed foods.
Fortunately, our bodies are designed with various organs to deal with these assaults. Most toxins are excreted naturally in sweat, breath, urine and feces. The liver breaks down many toxins from food, alcohol and medications. The kidneys filter out these broken-down toxins which are then urinated out.
You can help your body’s natural mechanisms with a healthy lifestyle starting with a balanced diet. This includes drinking plenty of water, eating protein-rich foods, vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts. Limit alcohol and ultra-processed food.
Juice and herbal cleanses don’t add anything to your body’s innate abilities.
The term “toxins” is very vague. A few years ago, dietitian and journalist Cara Rosenbloom contacted a dozen companies and practitioners. She asked what toxins their products claimed to remove. Pesticides, bisphenol A, phthalates? As she points out, it isn’t possible to design a study to determine whether any actual toxins are being removed effectively without knowing the target. Not a single one provided any evidence or studies to support their claims.
This entire vague concept becomes fertile ground for deceptive marketing. People naturally want a quick fix.
Many Americans eat a lot of ultra-processed foods that are low in fiber. This leads to gastrointestinal discomfort and perhaps constipation. So, drinking a lot of juice while avoiding solids has a laxative effect, leading people to believe that toxins were removed. Sometimes weight loss is touted as a benefit. There is no more weight loss than would occur with any other very low-calorie diet. And much of the weight loss from a cleanse derives from fleeting temporary water loss.
You may wonder whether cleanses have any harmful effects, other than to the patient’s wallet. With food products or juices the risk of harm is low. Supplements are poorly regulated, so there is potential harm because it’s impossible to know what ingredients and how much is in there. Short term — less than seven days — cleanses are generally safe. Longer term cleanses could cause nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, electrolyte imbalance, low blood sugar and mood disturbances.
There is also the potential for mental harm. Cleanses can play into the restriction-binge cycle that leads to eating disorders.
On a final note are detoxifying foot pads and foot soaks. They don’t work. If you leave the foot pads on overnight they will change color. That does not signify any sort of toxins leaving the body. It’s simply a chemical reaction between the substances in the pad itself and your normal foot sweat. The same for foot soaks with special ionizing devices. The change in water color comes from the device itself, not from toxins leaving your body.
The bottom line — spend your money on something you need or enjoy. Don’t waste it on fancy cleanses or devices which do nothing.
Eva Briggs is a retired medical doctor who practiced in Central New York for several decades. She lives in Marcellus.