Are 'Detox Diets' Really A Lot Of Nonsense?

What Is A Detox Diet?

With literally hundreds of diets out there in the wonderful world of the internet, it can be difficult to work out what are healthy diets and what is purely just craziness. In recent times, people have been told that they need to do a detox to rid their bodies of supposedly harmful toxins. While it is true that some toxins in your body should be removed, is a detox diet really necessary?

There are a variety of detox diets, but they generally involve eating raw fruit and veggies and drinking lots of water. Some also promote the use of supplements and herbs, and there are even those that suggest you undergo cleansing of the colon with enemas! If you have even experienced laxatives, enemas, or colon irrigation, you will know that this is seriously not a pleasant experience, involving pain, nausea, vomiting and possible dehydration.

'Detoxing' For Weight Loss

The majority of people that look for diets and detox diets are those who want to lose weight. Often they believe that a short term detox diet will make those pounds dramatically disappear. However, nine times out of 10 you will regain that weight once the diet is finished. Any diet that is short term is going to have no long-lasting effect on your weight, and the healthy way to manage this is with exercise and eating a healthier diet all the time.

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Do You Need To Detox?

The short answer is no. Your body is an amazing machine, and it is fully capable of removing most harmful toxins all by itself. What you eat has no effect on this, and undertaking a detox diet is not going to make any difference at all. Rely on your kidneys and your liver to do the job without any supplements or harmful dieting practices.

How Detox Diets Can Put Your Health In Danger

Despite what you might see being promoted, detox diets are not suitable for people that have existing medical problems. There may be some advantage if you choose to follow the detox diet that is based on fresh, raw produce, but other forms of detox diet have been shown to have no benefit whatsoever for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol and high blood pressure. In fact, they can absolutely cause more harm than good.

The Hidden Dangers They Don’t Tell You About

Vitamin Deficiency

A detox diet, even if only done for a short period of time, can lead to a deficiency in many important vitamins. This is because you need to get vitamins from solid food, not just from some flavored water. You end up burning the body’s energy without any source of replenishment.

Palpitations

Any diet that has a sudden impact on your intake of calories can cause heart palpitations because of the resultant imbalance of electrolytes.

Deterioration Of Muscle Tone

Although this is not likely to occur if you are only dieting for a few days, any longer periods of dieting can lead to deterioration in muscle. Without proper nourishment, your body will start to steal the energy from your muscle tissue instead of the fat cells.

Digestive System Problems

By following a liquid diet, such as many of the detox diets, you end up with a deficiency of protein, zing, and vitamins B and A. This results in a loss of the coating of your intestines, which leads to painful and altered bowel motions. Explosive diarrhea is common, as well as swelling of the abdomen and dehydration.

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Anemia

Detox diets often lead to a deficiency in iron, due to the nature of the foods or liquids taken in this type of diet. When your iron gets too low, it leads to anemia, which in severe cases will require medicines or blood transfusions.

Gallbladder – Stones

Gallstones are a very unpleasant and painful result of a severe diet change. You are more likely to develop gallstones when your body is lacking in essential nutrients and vitamins. Detoxing can cause you to excrete more cholesterol, a major factor in developing gallstones.

Skin Disorders

Again, the deficiency of nutrients that occurs with a detox diet can have a poor effect on the health of your skin. You may develop acne, dryness of the skin, flakiness, and poor color.

Thinning Hair

Loss of your hair can occur when the body is missing those vital nutrients. It can also slow down the growth of your hair, and prevent new replacement hairs from sprouting.

Depression And Mood

When you deprive your body of nutrients and sugars, it can have a bad effect on your mood, especially if the deprivation occurs over a period of time. We all know what it’s like when you crave a food and can’t have it – you become frustrated, angry, and irritable. Imagine having that experience over a period of time! Also a lack of vitamin B12 and folic acid can lower your mood and lead to depression.

Conclusion

So, have we answered the question - does going on a "detox" diet ever make any sense? The overall conclusion is that it makes no sense whatsoever. It won’t help you with your weight loss, you will simply return to bad habits afterwards. It doesn’t have any good effect on medical problems, it instead causes more issues. If you want to achieve a better state of health and fitness, follow a healthy diet and an exercise program.