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Home detox programs promise to flush out toxins, help you lose weight, boost your energy and even slow aging. They are popular because they sound simple. The old version of this post repeated those promises, including that detox can ease asthma and diabetes and slow aging. Those claims are not supported by research. Here is a clearer look at what detox programs involve, what the evidence says and what you can do instead.

What is a detox program?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says that “detoxification” diets, regimens and therapies, often called “detoxes” or “cleanses,” are promoted to remove toxins, lose weight or promote health. They may involve fasting, drinking only juices or similar drinks, eating only certain foods, taking supplements or herbs, cleansing the colon with enemas or laxatives, or using a sauna. The old post described home programs that run for two weeks or more.

Does detox work for weight loss?

The evidence is weak. NCCIH says that there have been only a small number of studies of detox programs in people, and that although some had positive results on weight and fat loss, insulin resistance and blood pressure, the studies were of low quality, with design problems and few participants. A 2015 review found no compelling research to support detox diets for weight management or for eliminating toxins. A 2017 review said juicing and detox diets can cause initial weight loss because of low calorie intake, but people tend to gain weight once they return to a normal diet. There have been no studies on long-term effects.

Do you need to detox at all?

Your body already has a system for this. MedlinePlus describes the liver as the organ that helps your body digest food, store energy and remove poisons, and the NIDDK explains that healthy kidneys filter wastes and extra water from the blood to make urine. These organs do not need a special diet to work. They need protection from things that harm them, such as too much alcohol and tobacco smoke. The old post said that the liver is the main organ for detoxification, which is true, but that does not mean a cleanse improves its work. See our posts on what your body already does to clean itself and natural body detox.

Can detox programs be unsafe?

Yes. NCCIH says the FDA and FTC have taken action against several companies selling detox or cleansing products because they contained hidden ingredients and posed a health risk, were marketed with false claims that they could treat serious diseases, or, for colon-cleansing devices, were marketed for unapproved uses. Colon cleansing can have serious side effects, especially for people with a history of gastrointestinal disease, colon surgery, severe hemorrhoids, kidney disease or heart disease. Unpasteurized juices can make people sick, and some juices are high in oxalate. Read the NCCIH page on detoxes and cleanses.

What can you do instead?

The old post was right that vegetables, fruit and water are good for you, and that you will not get lasting results if you go back to an unhealthy lifestyle. Aim for a pattern you can keep: plenty of vegetables, fruit and whole grains, enough water, regular physical activity, sleep, no smoking and limited alcohol. NIDDK says experts recommend an initial weight-loss goal of 5 to 10 percent of your starting weight within six months. Our posts on gentle detox habits versus harsh cleanses, are detox diets safe and detox diets 101 explain the choices in detail. If you have a health condition, check with your doctor before changing how you eat.

Many detox programs begin by promising a long list of tests and a plan built just for you. It sounds scientific, but the reality is simpler. Your liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs and skin already remove waste around the clock. What you can do is support them with good habits and avoid anything that could harm you. Here is what a sensible “natural detox” looks like, and what to leave out.

Should you start with a checkup?

Yes, but with your own doctor rather than a detox clinic. If you feel tired, bloated or run down, there are many possible reasons, including too little sleep, low iron, thyroid problems or stress, and a doctor can check them. Ordinary blood tests can show real problems such as a vitamin deficiency or an anemia. Be careful about commercial “toxin” or “mineral” panels sold with a detox package, because they are not a proven way to guide a detox. Also check with your doctor before you change your diet if you take medicine, have diabetes, or have heart or kidney disease.

What should you eat?

The part of detox that works is the food. Build your meals around vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, whole grains and nuts, drink enough water, and cut back on alcohol, sugary drinks and heavily processed snacks. Fiber helps keep your digestion regular, and psyllium husk is one fiber supplement that some people use. Most healthy people do not need to eat only juice or a few foods for days. A few lighter days with simple vegetable meals will do you no harm, but they do not remove toxins either.

What about exercise, sweating and baths?

Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do. Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, and it improves your mood, sleep and circulation. You will sweat, but sweating is not how the body gets rid of most waste. The kidneys and the liver do that. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists saunas among common detox methods, and notes that studies of detox programs have been few and of low quality. If you enjoy a sauna, keep sessions short, drink water, and ask your doctor first if you have heart or blood pressure problems. Dry brushing is another popular step. It can feel invigorating, but there is no proof that it draws toxins out of the skin.

Are colon cleanses and enemas a good idea?

We suggest that you skip them. The same agency says there is limited evidence for colon irrigation and that cleansing procedures can have side effects, some serious, especially in people with bowel disease, kidney disease, heart disease or past colon surgery. Strong laxatives can cause diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration. Read the NCCIH fact sheet on detoxes and cleanses before you buy any cleansing product.

How do rest and relaxation help?

Sleep, massage and quiet time will not clear toxins, but they do help you cope with stress, and stress can affect how you eat and sleep. Adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, according to the National Institute on Aging. Gentle yoga and breathing exercises can help you wind down. Choose a pace and a practice that fit your life, and think of them as habits to keep rather than a one-off cleanse.

The bottom line

A natural detox that makes sense is really just a healthy lifestyle: a plant-rich diet, plenty of water, less alcohol, regular exercise, enough sleep and a way to relax. Anything that asks you to stop eating, spend a lot of money on powders or capsules, or undergo a procedure to “flush” your body deserves a close look first. For more, see our posts on body detox the easy way, how to judge body detox products before you buy, what the evidence says about cleansing the body and a 5-day body detox plan.

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.

A rejuvenating 5-day body detox plan

In today’s world, you can hardly spend a day without meeting some pollution. At work, you may not be completely sure about the cleanliness of the water you drink or the food you eat. Around other people, you can hardly avoid air pollution, be it from smokers, sprays or vehicle exhaust. This can affect health in one way or another, even when your body shows no obvious reaction.

For these reasons, many people turn to a detox plan as a way to support a healthy body, a clear mind and good relationships with others.

How the body cleans itself

Our body has its own system of healing and detoxifying: the liver, kidneys, lungs, gut and skin remove waste every day. There is no evidence that this system becomes ‘overloaded’ in healthy people, but it does work best when you eat well, drink enough water, sleep and avoid smoking and too much alcohol.

Short detox plans are not a medical treatment and cannot remove toxins faster than your organs already do. What a plan like the 5-day detox can do is give you a break from processed food and help you start healthier habits, which many people find refreshing.

What to eat on the 5-day plan

Detox food is the core of the 5-day detox plan. During the plan, certain foods are avoided. Your meals consist mainly of fresh fruit and green, young vegetables. Fried food, processed food and food additives are left out. Meat is also dropped for a day or two; this is a matter of choice, as meat is digested normally by a healthy body.

Good foods to include are garlic, broccoli, beets, and seeds or nuts. Fresh fruit juices can be taken as drinks; if you take medicines, ask your doctor about grapefruit juice, which interacts with many drugs. Drink plenty of water as well, around six to eight glasses a day. Water helps your kidneys do their work, and waste leaves the body mainly in urine and stool.

Although you eat less while on the plan, you should not go hungry. Because your intake is limited to healthy foods, many people find it gives them a lift, but eat enough to keep your energy up.

Safety tips

There is no need to repeat the plan on a fixed schedule; a healthy everyday diet matters more. To make sure a plan is safe for you, consult a dietitian or doctor first, especially if you are pregnant, have diabetes or another health condition, or take regular medication.

After a few days of eating mostly fruit and vegetables, many people say they feel lighter and more alert. These are personal reports; the plan does not flush toxins out or change how much oxygen reaches your body.

Taking care of yourself on the inside matters as much as how you look on the outside.

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Body cleansing and detox for body and mind

What people mean by toxins

When we hear the word toxin, we often think of poison in a labeled bottle. Toxins can indeed be poisonous, but the substances we meet in everyday life, such as air pollution, tobacco smoke, alcohol and chemicals in food and household products, are not labeled that way, and we are exposed to many of them without noticing. This is the starting point of most detox plans.

So what happens when the body is loaded with pollutants? Many detox plans say that toxins block the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the body and brain, and that this makes your mind sluggish. There is no good evidence for that. If you feel exhausted after hard mental work, that is normal brain fatigue: the brain uses a lot of energy even when you are just sitting. Poor sleep, stress, dehydration and a poor diet are far more likely reasons for feeling sluggish than invisible toxins.

It is true that we do not always take good care of ourselves, and it makes sense to look after the body’s natural defenses. Your body already has its own system for getting rid of waste, which includes the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin and digestive system. You do not need a special detox to switch it on. The best thing you can do is to help these organs work well by living healthily.

A healthy diet is the safest cleanse

The safest way to “detox” is a normal healthy diet. Cut back on junk, which means alcohol, too much caffeine, fatty processed food and foods with a lot of additives, and replace it with easy-to-digest fruit and vegetables. They are rich in vitamins and give you energy, and the fiber in them supports your digestion. Fresh, cleanly prepared food is best.

Some detox plans include a short fast, with only fruit juice and herbal teas, usually under the supervision of a nutritionist or doctor. There is no good evidence that fasting removes toxins, and it can cause tiredness, headaches and low blood sugar. It is not suitable for everyone, for example during pregnancy or with diabetes, so speak to your doctor first. If you do not feel the need to fast, there is no reason to do it.

Some plans recommend supplements as well, for example fermented soy and algae powder. Fermented soy foods such as tempeh and miso can be part of a healthy diet, and algae powder may make you feel full, but there is no proof that either of them cleans the body of toxins. Supplements can also interact with medicines, so ask your doctor or pharmacist before you try them.

In the end, a healthy lifestyle is the real way to look after your body and mind: enough sleep, plenty of water, whole foods, regular exercise and little alcohol. If you feel tired or unwell for a long time, see a doctor rather than starting a detox.