Veggie Blog

Body detox products: how to judge them before you buy

Are you clean inside?

Are you 100 percent sure about it?

All of us are exposed to a number of chemicals and other potentially harmful substances on a daily basis. Even if you lead a healthy lifestyle, you still meet substances that are found everywhere, even in your own home: in the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe. We cannot avoid these completely, because they are the essentials we need to live.

Thanks to modern medicine, we have ways to treat many diseases and relieve painful symptoms. Medicines, like all substances, are broken down by the liver and removed by the kidneys; they do not build up as ‘toxins’ in a healthy body. We also eat more processed food and sugar than ever before, which is a real concern for health, though not because it fills the body with toxins.

Why all the fuss about toxins?

Detox product sellers claim that toxins that are not removed cause indigestion and create more toxins, and that as they build up, they eventually turn into parasites that cause disease. This is not true. Toxins do not turn into parasites; parasites are infections that come from outside the body and need proper medical treatment.

Your liver and kidneys are very good at clearing waste from your body. In healthy people there is no evidence that they fall behind and need outside help.

That is why the best support is a healthy lifestyle: a good diet, exercise, enough water, not smoking and limiting alcohol. Some people still choose to try a body detox product.

Many of these body detox products are herbal and are sold as gentler than chemical medicines. They come in different forms, such as teas, capsules, softgels, chewables and drinks. Herbal does not automatically mean safe: some detox teas contain laxatives, and some herbs interact with medicines.

Each product claims to target a particular part of the body. That is why it is important to talk to a doctor before choosing a body detox product.

Many of these products are sold on the internet. While most claim to be fully effective and free of side effects, scientists who have tested such claims have found little or no evidence to support them.

Many sellers go to great lengths to persuade you to buy their products. It is wise to get a second or even a third opinion. A little research does a lot of good. You do not want to waste your money on drinks that only quench your thirst, or on something that might harm you.

So if you feel tired and seem to have lost your energy, do not assume it is a build-up of toxins. Tiredness has many possible causes, such as poor sleep, stress, anaemia or thyroid problems. See a doctor to find out what is really going on.