Veggie Blog

The old version of this post said that a low-cholesterol diet can lower cholesterol “by as much as 29 percent in one month,” that this is as effective as statins, and that eating low-cholesterol, high-fiber foods can cut it by seven percent. It is true that lifestyle can lower cholesterol, but those figures need context, and I could not verify the seven percent at all, so I have rewritten the post.

Can diet really match a statin?

In one study, yes, but under tight conditions. In a 2003 trial in JAMA, 46 adults with high cholesterol followed one of three plans for four weeks. A diet rich in plant sterols, soy protein, viscous fiber and almonds lowered LDL by 28.6 percent, compared with 30.9 percent for the statin lovastatin (20 mg a day) and 8.0 percent for a control diet. The old post’s “29 percent in one month” comes from this kind of trial. But that diet is demanding, and later studies in everyday life found smaller drops, around 13 to 14 percent after six months in one randomized trial. See the abstract of the 2003 trial. The lesson is that lifestyle can make a real difference, but results vary and depend on how strictly you follow the plan.

What do lifestyle changes include?

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, helpful steps include heart-healthy eating, regular physical activity (which can lower LDL and triglycerides and raise HDL), losing 3 to 5 percent of your weight, managing stress, quitting smoking, sleeping 7 to 9 hours and limiting alcohol. The old post recommended being more active, which also helps with blood pressure, excess weight and diabetes risk. It also suggested unprocessed fats, soy protein, nuts, oats and fiber-rich foods, and omega-3 fats from fish and plant sources, plus fruit and vegetables. MedlinePlus agrees with oats, fruit, legumes and fish twice a week, and says plant omega-3s (walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds) have smaller amounts than fish. Our posts on exercise and cholesterol and eating to lower cholesterol with oats, fruit, beans and healthy fats give practical ideas.

What do statins do?

Statins are the most common medicine for high cholesterol. They reduce the amount of cholesterol the liver makes, and, according to the NHLBI, studies show they lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with high LDL cholesterol. The 2013 U.S. guideline classification calls a statin “moderate intensity” if it lowers LDL by about 30 percent to less than 50 percent, and “high intensity” if it lowers it by 50 percent or more. The NHLBI says that statins usually do not cause side effects, but they may raise the risk of diabetes in people already at high risk, may cause abnormal liver enzyme tests (although actual liver damage is extremely rare) and, rarely, can cause muscle damage.

When are drugs still the right choice?

The old post is right that there are other ways to lower cholesterol, but it makes lifestyle sound like a complete substitute. For some people it is not. The NHLBI says that your provider will weigh your cholesterol levels, your risk of heart disease, other conditions and your lifestyle, and genes also play a part: familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited condition that lifestyle alone may not fix. Do not stop or skip a prescribed medicine without talking to your provider. Our post on when lifestyle is enough and when medicine helps and the guide to cholesterol, vitamins and drugs explain how doctors decide.

How do you start?

Ask for a cholesterol test, set one or two changes you can keep, such as an oatmeal breakfast and a daily walk, and recheck after the time your doctor suggests. Lifestyle and medicine are often used together, not as rivals.

Do you feel sluggish, bloated or tired all the time? Have you been eating a lot of fast food and sweets and wonder if your body needs a reset? Many people reach for a detox diet at that point. Here is what a detox diet usually involves, what to expect, and how to get the same good habits in a safer way.

What is a detox diet?

“Detox” is short for detoxification, the idea of getting rid of harmful substances from the body. Detox plans come in many forms, from spa treatments and massage to yoga and meditation, but the most common is the detox diet. It usually asks you to cut out processed food, caffeine, alcohol, added sugar and sometimes wheat, dairy and eggs, and to eat a lot of fresh vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts and seeds and to drink plenty of fluid. Some versions include juices, fasting or supplements.

Why do people feel better on one?

If you normally eat a lot of burgers, fries and soft drinks, a week of vegetables, fruit and water will probably make you feel different. You are eating more fiber and fewer calories, and you are drinking less sugar and alcohol. Some people report more energy, clearer skin and more regular bowel movements. Those benefits come from healthier eating, not from the removal of toxins. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health found no compelling research that detox diets eliminate toxins from the body, and the weight lost on them is often regained when normal eating returns. You can read more in the NCCIH guide to detoxes and cleanses.

What can you expect in the first days?

Many people feel worse before they feel better. Headaches, tiredness, hunger and irritability are common in the first few days, especially if you have cut back sharply on caffeine or sugar. Changes to your diet can also upset your digestion, and some people have loose stools, so it is important to drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration. If you try a plan, it helps to start gradually, and to begin when you do not have a hard week at work or a heavy training schedule. Stop if you feel dizzy, faint or unwell.

Who should not do a detox diet?

Detox diets are not for everyone. Pregnant and nursing women need extra nutrients, so they should not follow restrictive plans. People who have diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, low blood pressure, anemia, ulcers, cancer, an eating disorder or a weak immune system, and anyone who takes medicine regularly, should talk to their doctor first. The same goes for people who are underweight or recovering from alcohol or drug dependency. Our post are detox diets safe? explains the safety questions in more detail.

What is a safer way to eat cleaner?

You do not need a special program to get the benefits. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage a pattern that is rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and healthy oils, and limits added sugars, saturated fat and sodium. In practice, that means:

Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit. Swap white bread, rice and pasta for whole-grain versions. Choose water, unsweetened tea or sparkling water instead of soda. Cook at home more often and keep deep-fried food for special occasions. Limit alcohol. Get regular exercise and 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

Keep these habits going for weeks and months. That is far more useful than a one-week program that you cannot sustain. A doctor or a registered dietitian can help you set up a plan that suits your health, and it is always better to ask them than to rely on a magazine or an online ad.

If you want to read more, see our posts on body detox the easy way, a 5-day body detox plan and body detox products.

The old version of this post was hard to read, and it made claims that are not supported. It said that antioxidant supplements are “ideal” for getting the right amount, that they prevent diseases, keep blood clotting under control and restore libido, and that natural supplements work almost immediately and have no side effects, while synthetic ones take a long time. This rewrite checks those claims against current research.

What are antioxidant supplements?

Antioxidants are substances that help protect cells from damage caused by reactive oxygen-containing molecules. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says our bodies make some, and that others come from foods such as fruits, vegetables and grains. Supplements include vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and others such as selenium and coenzyme Q10. The old post was right that you can also eat antioxidant-rich foods, but wrong that supplements are the “ideal” way to get them.

Do they prevent disease?

Mostly no. The NCCIH reports that, apart from age-related macular degeneration, there is currently no evidence that antioxidant supplements have a positive effect on diseases such as cancer, heart disease and cataracts. People who eat more fruits and vegetables do have lower risks, but the benefit may come from other substances in the food or from their lifestyle. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended in 2022 against beta-carotene and vitamin E supplements for preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer, and found the evidence insufficient for other single or paired nutrients, including vitamin C and selenium. The old claim about preventing diseases and restoring libido should be dropped.

Are “natural” antioxidant supplements safer or faster?

No evidence supports the old post’s statement that natural supplements give “almost immediate results” and have no side effects, while synthetic ones are poorly absorbed. For vitamin E, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says that natural vitamin E (RRR-alpha-tocopherol) is kept in the body better than the synthetic form, but this is about the form of one vitamin and not about speed or safety. Any supplement can cause side effects, and “natural” does not mean harmless.

Can antioxidants be harmful?

Yes, at high doses. According to the NCCIH, large studies of beta-carotene involving more than 90,000 people showed an increased risk of lung cancer, especially in smokers and people with asbestos exposure, and more deaths from cardiovascular disease. High doses of vitamin E may increase bleeding risk and interact with blood-thinning medicines. High doses of vitamin C can cause diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps, and may worsen iron overload in people with hemochromatosis. Antioxidants may also interfere with cancer treatment, so ask your oncology team before taking any. Nor does the evidence support the old claim that antioxidant supplements keep blood clotting under control; high-dose vitamin E, in fact, may raise bleeding risk.

Who might benefit?

People who already have intermediate age-related macular degeneration may slow the progression of the disease with the specific AREDS or AREDS2 formulas, which combine vitamins C and E, zinc and copper, with lutein and zeaxanthin in AREDS2. In the first AREDS study the supplement reduced the risk of advanced AMD by about 25 percent. That is a decision to make with an eye doctor, not a reason to take antioxidants in general.

What should you do instead?

Put food first: fruit, vegetables and whole grains. If you are thinking about a supplement, talk to a health care provider, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. Our posts on bee pollen and other antioxidant supplements, vitamin E and your body, vitamin C and choosing vitamin supplements explain more.

Walk into any health store and you will find shelves of products that promise to “purify” your body. The idea behind them is simple and appealing: modern life fills us with toxins, and a cleanse will flush them out. The truth is less dramatic and more reassuring. Your body already has a cleaning system that works around the clock, and most of what helps it is ordinary, everyday habits.

What do people mean by “detox”?

The word is used in two very different ways. In medicine, detoxification is a supervised treatment for people who are dependent on alcohol or drugs. In the wellness world, it means a diet, supplement, herbal product or program that is supposed to remove “toxins” from a healthy body, and those toxins are rarely named. Stress and unhappy thoughts are sometimes counted as toxins too. They can certainly affect how you feel and sleep, but they are not toxins in the medical sense. We look at that side of the question in our post on a mind and spirit detox.

How does your body clear waste?

Your liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs and skin do this job all day. According to MedlinePlus, the liver is the largest organ inside the body, and it helps digest food, store energy and remove poisons. The kidneys filter about 150 quarts of blood a day, and only one to two quarts of that leave the body as urine, carrying waste and extra water with them, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The lungs breathe out carbon dioxide, and the gut moves undigested food and fiber out of the body. You do not have to switch any of this on, and no juice, tea or powder has been shown to make healthy organs work better.

Can harmful substances still build up?

Some substances really can harm you, and the dose matters. Alcohol, tobacco smoke, certain medicines, some pesticides and industrial chemicals are examples. When you take in more than the body can handle, you get symptoms: this is why a heavy night of drinking is still felt the next morning, and why workers who handle chemicals follow safety rules. The sensible answer is to reduce what goes in. Drink less alcohol, do not smoke, wash fresh produce, and follow the safety instructions on cleaning products and garden sprays. If you think you have been exposed to a poison or a harmful chemical, call your doctor or a poison control center. A smoothie will not fix it.

Do cleanses and fasts help?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that a 2015 review found no compelling research to support detox diets for weight management or for removing toxins from the body. Studies that report benefits have been small and of low quality. A short cleanse may leave you feeling lighter, mostly because you are eating fewer processed foods, but the more extreme versions carry risks. Long fasts, enemas, laxatives and colon cleanses can cause dehydration and upset the balance of minerals in the blood, and people with digestive, kidney or heart problems are more likely to be harmed. Ask your doctor before you change how you eat, especially if you are pregnant, have diabetes or take regular medicine. For more on diets that are sold as cleanses, see are detox diets safe.

What actually helps your body do its job?

The best support is not exciting. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, beans and whole grains for fiber and vitamins. Drink water and other fluids when you are thirsty; the National Academies concluded in 2004 that most healthy people meet their needs by letting thirst guide them, and that about a fifth of our water comes from food. Move every day, sleep well and keep alcohol low. Finding ways to unwind, such as a walk, music, a hobby or time with friends, is good for your mood, even if it is not a detox. For a practical way to put this together, read body detox the easy way.

If you want a short rule to remember, here it is: the liver and kidneys are the detox plan, and your job is to give them a healthy diet, enough fluid and as little alcohol and smoke as you can.

Clearing the mind and the spirit

Why does my mind feel so cluttered?

Most of us carry a constant stream of messages, deadlines, news and worries. When your mind never gets a pause, you may notice poor sleep, irritability, forgetfulness or a flat mood. That is not a toxin in your brain. It is overload, and calling the cure a “mind detox” is simply a way of saying that you need to clear some space.

What are some simple ways to clear your mind?

Short, repeatable habits work better than big dramatic ones. Try writing down everything on your mind for five minutes before bed, so you do not have to keep it all in your head overnight. Try slow breathing: breathe in for a count of four and out for a count of six, for two or three minutes. Switch off screens for the last hour before sleep. Go for a walk outside without your phone.

Meditation and mindfulness are popular choices. Studies suggest they may help with stress, anxiety and low mood, but the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health points out that much of the research so far has been preliminary or not rigorous. They are usually considered low-risk, yet a small share of people report unpleasant effects such as more anxiety. If a practice makes you feel worse, stop and talk to a professional.

What is guided imagery, and does it help?

Guided imagery, sometimes called visualization, means picturing a calm, safe place or imagining yourself relaxed and well. Many people use it to settle their nerves before a stressful event. Think of it as a relaxation tool. It can be learned from a trained teacher or therapist, and recordings can help you practice at home. Like any relaxation method, it supports your wellbeing but is not a treatment for disease.

How can prayer or quiet time help your spirit?

Prayer is the best-known spiritual practice and is found in nearly every religion. There is no single right way to do it. You can pray sitting, kneeling or walking, silently or aloud, at home or outdoors, as long as it comes from the heart and suits you. If you are not religious, you might spend time in nature, listen to music, volunteer, or keep a short gratitude journal. All of these give the mind a moment of stillness and a sense of connection.

Gentle movement can help too. Yoga joins breathing, posture and attention in one practice, and our post on what yoga is explains the basics. If stress is your main problem, you may also like our simple tips on how to get rid of stress.

How long does it take, and when should I get help?

Do not expect a change overnight. Give a new habit a few minutes a day for two or three weeks and notice how you feel. If you have low mood or anxiety that lasts for weeks, panic attacks, trouble functioning at work or at home, or any thoughts of harming yourself, please see a doctor or mental health professional, or contact a local crisis line or emergency service. Those are not problems to solve with a detox.

This post covers the mind and spirit. For the bigger picture, including the body, see our overview of what a whole-person detox really means.