Detox Diets: How Effective They Are

Especially at the beginning of the year, detox diets are in every magazine. They should purify and revitalize. But what is it?

Detox diets are intended to detoxify the body or, alternatively, only purify certain organs, for example the liver. In addition, a lot of fruit and vegetables are usually served. Detox diets are often recommended as a preparation for weight loss. But how effective are such diets?

What detox diets are there?

The market is full of detox diets and the means to be used for them. Even in organic retail there are powders that are supposed to support detox diets. In most cases, however, certain types of fruit or vegetables are recommended to detoxify certain organs. This results in various forms of detox diets:

• Liver purification
• Kidney detox
• Blood purification
• Airway tracing
• Urinary tract cleansing
• Intestinal treatment
• …

In principle, there is nothing in the field of detox diets that does not exist. Sometimes a powder should be consumed, sometimes this or that food should be avoided or other foods should be preferred (or exclusively) consumed. But how big is the effect?

Positive effects of detox cures

Detox diets have several beneficial effects on the body. Since the consumption of a particularly large amount of fruit and vegetables is usually part of the diet, the body is optimally supplied with vitamins, minerals and secondary plant substances for the duration of the diet . This is particularly useful for people who eat a lot of industrial foods.

Another advantage of detox diets is the fact that you deal intensively with the diet during this diet and maybe recognize one or the other nutritional error. Perhaps such a diet will lead to a healthier lifestyle or a slightly improved diet.

Since detox diets are usually low in fat, there is a good chance that your blood lipid levels will improve and even some weight may drop while you diet. Unfortunately, this effect only lasts as long as the diet lasts, as the old eating habits then do the opposite again.

Negative sides of such cures

As with everything in life, detox diets have their downsides. To have a “detox day”, on which only fruits and vegetables are consumed, is neither unhealthy nor dangerous. But from the second day it can become critical and the beginning of malnutrition.

We humans are omnivores and need a balanced mixed diet in order to optimally supply our body with everything it needs to stay healthy and vital. There is more to this than just fruit and vegetables, although plant-based foods are always preferable.

Detox diets usually do not contain complex carbohydrates (grain products) or proteins (dairy products, legumes, eggs, meat, fish, …), so that muscle mass and brain in particular are undersupplied during such a diet.

So if you want to go on a detox diet, please limit it to an occasional day.

Scientific view of detox

The main argument of detox diets usually consists of a “purifying” or “detoxifying” effect. But scientists agree that this effect does not occur – and is also not really necessary.

Slag is generally formed during incineration, the smelting of ores or volcanic eruptions. Combustion processes also take place in our body, but they are of a biological nature. So there is no slag here either.

Our body is well equipped with liver, kidneys and intestines to excrete harmful substances even without a purification cure. There are scientific medical explanations for all alleged proofs of effectiveness by proponents of detoxification, but they have nothing to do with detoxification itself.

Although there are no slags in the body and the body is able to detoxify itself and break down pollutants, it should not be overdone: pollutants such as heavy metals, hormone residues from cattle feed and residues from the petroleum industry in cosmetics can and will accumulate in the body especially stored in adipose tissue. And it is precisely these that cannot be removed from the body with detox diets.

So it is important to make sure not to let them get into our body in the first place!

recommendation

Since there are no waste products and the body is able to get rid of its “toxins”, one might think that such detox diets are pointless. However, they are not that pointless! If they contain fresh fruit and vegetables (without exposure to pesticides!) And no sugar or other (including natural) sweeteners such as honey, they can be valuable for the body.

They also increase the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables – and that’s a good thing!

Statistically speaking, we Germans do not manage to consume the recommended daily amount of 250g of fruit and 400g of vegetables. Since half of it should be raw, such detox cures are a real plus! Just no more than a day, please. And maybe you are adopting the “more fruit and vegetables, less fat and sugar” approach in your everyday life?