I have a confession to make. I am a scientist and I don’t know what a toxin is. No, really. Okay, okay. I know what a toxin is. If you lick a poison dart frog you have got a toxin. Same as if you kiss a black widow. I know that lots of times synthetic chemicals get labeled as toxins even though toxins are specifically organically produced. Sometimes heavy metals buildup is lumped in with toxins. That seems pretty clear to me. But when someone thrusts me a kale smoothie (which I love, by the way) and tells me I need to detox, I don’t have any idea what they are talking about. Very rarely does the detoxing person know what they are detoxifying from, either. Many people that I have asked point to pesticides, pollution, sugar, and even GMOs as things we need to rid our body of on a daily basis. They claim buildup of harmful chemicals in your body need to be flushed out every once in a while. Apparently they believe that their livers don’t do well enough on their own, which is not the case[1]. The methods of this vary from juice cleanses (the veggie smoothie way to go) to the Master Cleanse (a cyan pepper, ample syrup, lemon juice and laxatives diet for as long as you can) to the colon cleanse (flushing you out in the most literal way possible) but the idea is the same: getting rid of stuff your body doesn’t need. The problem is, not only does the idea of flushing your body have no scientific basis[2] but these diets also can result in some real health issues including severe lack of vitamins, loss of lean muscle mass, (in the case of colon cleansing) bowel rupture, and a slowing of the metabolism. None of those things are ideal, and the dangers become more pronounced with the addition of preexisting health issues. With little benefit and potential risks, it is perhaps a bit surprising to see these diets continuing to sweep the nation. On some level, it is easy to see why. In a world of fast food, city skylines, and processed nutrition, it is calming to think that there is a single thing that we can do to flush out all the bad things we have done to our bodies in one fowl swoop. We just suffer for a couple of days taking laxatives without eating anything (no one said the Master Cleanse was supposed to be fun) and we can go back to our normal lives. Like any fad diet, it is a quick fix. However, just like those diets, it plays of fears and insecurities to promote something less than healthy. This is why we cannot allow these type of diets to continue. They promote harmful eating practices and do nothing to promote long-term health. What about you? Do you have any stories about detoxing? Have you ever tried a detox diet and what did you think? [1] Klein, A, Kiat H. (2014). “Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence” Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. PDF. [2] Zeratsky, K. (2014). “Do detox diets offer any health benefits?” Mayo Clinic Online. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/detox-diets/faq-20058040
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AuthorI am a student at the University of New Mexico working on a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Professional Writing. I am fascinated by why people believe weird things and how that impacts broader society. ArchivesCategories
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