Veggie Blog

A detox diet sounds like a safe choice. After all, you are mainly eating vegetables and drinking water, and you hear about celebrities and people in recovery programs doing detoxes. So is it safe? The honest answer is that it depends on the diet and on who is following it. This guide explains what these diets involve, what the evidence says and who should be especially careful.

What do detox diets claim?

The idea is that toxins from food, water, chemicals and polluted air build up in the body and cause headaches, tiredness, acne and nausea, and that a short diet will clear them out. In fact, toxins are processed by the liver and kidneys, and they leave the body in urine, stool and sweat. Detox diets differ, but a typical one starts with a day or two of juice or a very light diet, followed by four or five days of brown rice, steamed vegetables and fruit, before foods such as wheat, red meat, eggs, sugar and junk food are brought back one at a time. Some also recommend colon cleansing with enemas, herbal supplements or a glass of lemon juice with every meal.

What does the evidence say?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that there have been only a small number of studies of detox programs in people, and that they were of low quality. A 2015 review found no compelling research that detox diets help with weight control or eliminate toxins. A 2017 review noted that juicing and detox diets can cause initial weight loss because of low calorie intake, but that people tend to regain weight once they eat normally again. If you feel better after a week of eating this way, the likely reasons are simple: you are eating more vegetables and fiber, and less sugar, alcohol and processed food.

Where are the risks?

Diets that severely restrict calories or whole groups of food usually do not lead to lasting weight loss, and they may not give you all the nutrients you need. Other risks depend on the method. Laxatives can cause diarrhea, which leads to dehydration. Colon cleansing can have serious side effects, especially in people with bowel disease, severe hemorrhoids, kidney disease, heart disease or a history of colon surgery. Unpasteurized juice can make you ill. Fasting can cause headaches, fainting and weakness. The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission have taken action against companies whose detox and cleansing products contained hidden ingredients or were marketed with false claims about treating serious diseases.

Who should not try a detox diet?

Talk to a doctor first if any of these apply to you, and in many cases avoid strict detox plans altogether: you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you have diabetes, kidney or heart disease or digestive problems, you have or have had an eating disorder, you take regular medicine, you are under 18, or you are older and frail. Teenagers and children need enough food to grow, and a restrictive diet is not suitable for them. Read the NCCIH fact sheet for a full list of cautions.

What is a safer alternative?

If what you want is to feel lighter and more energetic, you can get most of the benefits without the risks. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes, which are high in fiber and low in fat. Drink water. Take a break from alcohol, sweets and fast food. Chew your food slowly and sit down to eat. Get moving, sleep well and see your doctor if a symptom such as constant tiredness does not go away.

Whatever you decide, the choice is yours, but you should make it with accurate information. Our posts on detox diets 101, body detox the easy way, what the evidence says about cleansing the body and how to judge body detox products before you buy can help you decide.