Detoxification - Do they really work
                     DETOXIFICATION: DO 
THEY REALLY WORK?
What Are Detoxes?
■ Detox diets are generally short-term dietary 
interventions designed to eliminate toxins 
from your body.
Source: www.healthline.com
About Detoxes
■ Detoxes claim to help your body get rid of bad 
chemicals, or toxins, that you absorb from 
both the food you eat and the environment. 
■ The health claim: Getting rid of these toxins 
can help to ease health issues such as 
arthritis, diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune 
diseases. Detoxes also claim to reset your 
metabolism, so they’re popular for weight 
loss.
Source: share.upmc.com
What Are Cleanses?
■ Cleanses come in different forms that can be 
used alone or in combination. Most involve 
short-term diets, often with fasting first. Some 
involve juice cleanses, specific nutritional 
shakes, or certain supplements or herbs. 
Others focus on cleansing your colon, through 
the use of laxatives, rectal enemas, or colon 
hydrotherapy, known as “colonic irrigation.”
Source: share.upmc.com
What the Science Says?
■ Despite the bold claims and popularity, 
there’s little evidence that detoxes do 
anything to eliminate toxins from the body, 
according to the NCCIH. They aren’t 
recommended for eliminating toxins or for 
weight loss.
Source: share.upmc.com
Most Common Ways to Detox
■ Fasting for 1–3 days.
■ Drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, 
smoothies, water, and tea.
■ Drinking only specific liquids, such as salted 
water or lemon juice.
■ Eliminating foods high in heavy metals, 
contaminants, and allergens.
■ Taking supplements or herbs.
Source: www.healthline.com
Who should avoid detoxes and 
cleanses?
■ Have a weakened immune system
■ Are taking multiple medications
■ Have an underlying health condition.
■ Have diabetes (If you have diabetes, follow 
you doctor’s nutritional advice.)
■ Have an eating disorder
Source: share.upmc.com
Potential harms of detoxes 
■ Overdosing on vitamins and minerals
■ An electrolyte imbalance caused by fasting or 
drinking too much water, juice, or tea
■ Kidney problems caused by juice cleanses 
that contain high oxalate foods, such as 
spinach and beets
■ Bacterial illnesses, such as salmonella, 
caused by drinking unpasteurized products
■ Injury to the colon or bowel from enemas or 
colonic irrigation
Source: share.upmc.com
Why Detoxes and Cleanses Are 
Unnecessary
■ They’re produced by our bodies during 
regular metabolism. These toxins include 
lactic acid, urea, and other waste.
■ They enter our bodies from the outside. This 
could be from the foods we eat and drink, 
from the air we breathe, and by absorption 
through our skin.
Source: share.upmc.com
Which Toxins Are Eliminated?
■ Detox diets rarely identify the specific toxins 
they’re claimed to remove, and evidence that 
they remove toxins at all is lacking. Your body 
can clear itself of most toxins through the 
liver, feces, urine, and sweat.
Source: www.healthline.com
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