Is detox safe?
Celebrities such as Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow hail their dramatic short-term effects, but what are detox diets and are they good for you?
With our busy lifestyles, we are almost constantly looking for a quick-fix to losing weight and staying healthy. In doing so, many people turn to detox diets, which promise quick weight loss and the expulsion of nasty toxins.
“Detox diets play into the popular myth that harmful substances in our food build up in our body and cause negative health effects like obesity, fatigue, headaches and more,” says Jennifer House, registered dietitian and owner of First Step Nutrition in Calgary.
“The truth is that the primary organs in our body are well equipped to remove wastes. The liver, kidney and large intestine are the best detoxification systems. The claims for detox diets are baseless, and no scientific studies support them.
“They are expensive, and the companies promoting them as health remedies do so purely for financial gain.”
There have even been some frightening results from people who took it too far. According to Britain’s Times newspaper, Dawn Page, 52, received the equivalent of about $1.5 million after suffering permanent brain damage while on a detox diet that ordered she drink a lot of water while reducing salt intake.
House notes that prolonged fasting or the removal of certain food groups can lead to nutritional deficiencies such as anemia and cause low blood sugar and headaches.
The lack of grain, dairy and meat products quickly leads to a lack of micro- and macronutrients, both of which are essential.
“Sticking to a whole-food diet of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, meat and alternatives, and whole grains would be a balanced and healthy diet,” House says
