I came across this question in one of the Facebook groups and I also post my answer to it here, so that you, my followers, also get valuable insight.
“Hello, Ladies!
I’ve decided to take charge of my health, and the first step is to cleanse my body.
What do you recommend? Teas, pills, etc."
I am not sure which organ or system this lady is trying to cleanse, but from reading her question I understand that she wants to improve her health, which is always a great idea! Let me tell you a bit more about detox, OTC different detox aids and if they help us achieve any health goals.
First of all, you need to know that the human body is already working tirelessly non-stop throughout the day (even when you sleep) to cleanse itself from metabolic waste, heavy metals, harmful chemicals, drugs, substances like alcohol and nicotine, harmful bacteria, toxins, hormones, antibiotics (in non-organic commercial meats), artificial colourings (that bright macaroon from patisserie!), caffeine and other stimulants, trans fats, and others. It does it through a number of processes and with the help of several organs working together:
Liver
Kidneys
Skin
Intestines
Lungs
Lymphatic System
Spleen
The body has complex mechanisms involving multiple organs to eliminate toxins which work together.
Do you really need a detox?
If we overload our bodies with unhealthy substances and chemicals, what we truly need is not a detox aid in the form of teas, pills, or juice cleanses. Rather, we need to start with eliminating the consumption of those substances and chemicals from our diet and lifestyle. Our bodies are truly miraculous and are capable of self-cleansing when provided with a healthy diet, proper hydration, and regular physical activity, without relying on widely marketed detox aids. These aids often come with persuasive marketing but aren't necessarily required for the body's natural detoxification process.
In addition, detox aid products can be very dangerous and will almost always come with at least a couple of side effects that are not worth sacrificing your health for and wasting money on. Also, please bear in mind that detox supplements are largely untested. So you can easily get something that can be harmful to your health.
Let’s look at the most common detox methods, what are the active ingredients and side effects.
Detox teas
Based on: laxatives (senna), diuretics and stimulants.
Why these are not healthy:
1. Laxative effect
Regular bowel movement can and needs to be maintained through a healthy diet, not through laxatives unless you have an exceptional case where your GP prescribes a laxative for a short period of time as a temporary measure such as post-surgery or after a complicated birth. Laxatives interfere with nutrient absorption and this can lead to nutrient deficiencies and worsening of those deficiencies that you already have and in both cases your health can be at risk.
2. Diuretics
Diuretics can lead to the loss of essential electrolytes and vitamin and mineral reserves necessary for maintaining good health. These deficiencies can give rise to a range of health issues. For instance, kidney or gallbladder stones, as well as low blood pressure, are often linked to the body's dehydration state. Dizziness and fainting frequently occur when individuals take diuretics without medical necessity. Dehydration can pose serious risks to your health, leading to various complications. To stay on the safe side, remember the importance of maintaining proper hydration, which not only helps with regular bowel movements but also supports natural bodily detoxification processes. It's worth noting that diuretics have been associated with triggering gout attacks and raising blood glucose levels, both of which are anything but beneficial for your health.
3. Stimulants
No one needs extra stimulants in their life! Those additional stimulants can make you have a low tolerance for stress, leave you anxious, agitated, and irritable, and give you sleeping problems, heart palpitations, and elevated blood pressure. Your body loses essential vitamins and nutrients and you increase the risk of developing insulin resistance. Not healthy either.
Finally, over time, high consumption of stimulants can affect mental health, cause dizziness or fainting.
4. Weight loss claims
While detox teas may be associated with some weight loss, the majority of the weight reduction is due to fluid loss after ingesting diuretics rather than actual fat loss.
5. How effective are they?
The scientific evidence supporting the detoxifying claims of these teas is generally lacking. Many of the claims are based on anecdotal reports or testimonials rather than rigorous high-quality scientific studies.
Herbal Detox Teas
Based on: herbs or roots.
Why these are not healthy: each herb or root comes with a side effect. Try disregarding the magical ‘golden pill’ claims marketed with it and instead, focus on researching the 'side effects' and 'precautions.' Personally, I find resources like WebMD and the National Library of Medicine helpful for this purpose.
It's worth noting that certain detox teas may disrupt the balance of hormones, a fact I am particularly aware of due to my experience with PCOS during my 20s. I didn't realise back then how various foods, herbs, teas, and supplements could negatively impact hormone balance.
A good example is milk thistle (which can come in the form of tea or pill) which can cause, according to NIH:
Increased production of the hormone prolactin (you don’t need this shift unless you are breastfeeding)
Digestive problems such as nausea, diarrhea, dyspepsia, bloating, abdominal pain, flatulence.
Headaches
Skin reactions
Neuropsychological problems such as asthenia, malaise, insomnia
Joint pain
Stuffed nose
Impotence
Allergy and anaphylaxis
Why no one talks about it? Because it affects the business of herbal supplements and they invest in marketing a lot.
How effective are they?
Even if detox teas have certain compounds that may support liver or kidney function, the elimination of toxins is a complex process. It involves multiple steps, including the breakdown of toxins, their conversion into water-soluble forms, and eventual elimination through urine or feces. Detox teas may not address all of these steps adequately. You still need to resolve the dietary problems, change eating habits and drop harmful lifestyle habits. If you don’t remove the chemicals from your diet or continue smoking the effectiveness of such teas is close to zero.
Detox pills
Just like detox teas, these are based on diuretics, laxatives, stimulants, herbs and roots, all explained above. Some may also contain charcoal, bentonite clay, and clinoptilolite all of which interfere with the absorption of essential nutrients from food.
Charcoal: binds to medications, nutrients, and beneficial substances along with toxins. This can potentially reduce the effectiveness of medications or interfere with nutrient absorption, which your body needs. If you have any nutrient deficiencies, then by the end of your detox course, they will be aggravated and it adversely affects your health. Charcoal may also cause constipation and, in rare cases, gastrointestinal blockages.
Bentonite Clay: long-term use may interfere with nutrient absorption, cause constipation and stomach discomfort, dehydration and allergic reactions.
Clinoptilolite: gastrointestinal discomfort, including bloating, diarrhea or constipation. It can interact with certain medications. Long-term safety and potential interactions with medications are yet not extensively studied, so caution is advised. The standard dosing is not yet established either.
Also, in an ideal world clinoptilolite used in supplements should undergo a thorough purification process to remove impurities and heavy metals which are dangerous for our health. However, the level of purification and quality control measures can differ between manufacturers so there is a high chance that the clinoptilolite you get may contain harmful heavy metals and other compounds problematic for our health.
Juice Cleanses
Another trendy way to “detox” is juice cleanses that promise to work wonders for your body. They are based on drinking juices only for a few days or 1 to 3 weeks. While some people believe they'll detoxify your system and help you lose weight, there are actually several reasons why these cleanses might not be the healthiest choice.
High sugar content: Fruit juices, in particular, can be high in natural sugars. Consuming large amounts of fruit juice without the fibre (since it comes from pith, skin and pulp of fruit and vegetables) that is removed in the process of juicing can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, leading to energy fluctuations and potential disruptions in insulin levels.
Lack of scientific evidence: The concept of "detoxing" through juice cleanses is not supported by scientific evidence. The human body already has effective detoxification systems in place (e.g., liver and kidneys), and juice cleanses are not necessary for this process. By the way, fibre which is removed from juice during the juicing process plays a crucial role in the body's elimination processes by aiding in the removal of toxins and waste. As one of the essential nutrients, it supports proper digestion and helps ensure the effective removal of waste products from the system. It even can bind to toxins and waste substances in the digestive tract and reduce transit time to minimize contact with harmful substances.
Loss of muscle mass: With the low protein content in juice cleanses, there is a risk of losing muscle mass, which can be harmful to overall health and metabolism.
Weight loss results are short-lived: these are usually due to very severe calorie restriction, but people in peri-menopause, after pregnancy or with insulin resistance (which is very common) may not lose any weight at all due to high carbohydrate intake from juices. The same applies to people with thyroid problems, sluggish liver and hormonal imbalances like PCOS and others.
Side effects: hunger, irritability, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, drowsiness, constipation, diarrhea, gastritis, IBS, kidney problems, gout attacks or as some people also report - pooping when passing gas which is quite uncomfortable and restrictive, to say the least.
And no, these symptoms ARE NOT due to your body cleansing itself, they are not symptoms of detoxification or purging toxins!
Lemon juice is capable of irritating even the healthiest stomach if it is consumed on an empty stomach.
The capsaicin in the cayenne pepper, which is an abundant ingredient in the Master Cleanse is very irritating to the intestines which may result in IBS. Many people report having the need to go to the toilet several times a day, which is restricting if you work in the office, or want to visit the gym, classes, shops or see friends, or just anything outside your house! Doesn’t sound like fun to me, if you ask!
As you are not getting enough protein, healthy fats, and fibre, which are crucial for maintaining overall health, you may experience deficiencies and nutrient imbalances or worsen the ones you already had before starting the juice cleanse.
Additionally, the lack of solid food can impact digestion and gut health negatively.
If you have any issues with digestion or blood sugar levels, please avoid such juice-cleanse diets completely as these issues will get worse.
There is widely available feedback on the internet about these juice cleanses. For example, Rachel Hollis in her book“Didn’t See That Coming” shared how her digestion was affected by the juice cleanse diet and Denise Duffield-Thomas shared how she quit her juice cleanse business for Brides in her book “Chillpreneur”, as well as celebrities like Megan Fox and Julianne Moore shared their negative experiences as well.
And I have encountered it as well when my clients shared their experiences about juice cleanse diets they have done in the past (which was not my advice nor under my supervision as you can tell). In addition to the above-mentioned side effects, my clients have reported stomach issues (not full-blown gastritis, but the symptoms of a stomach being irritated), disrupted sleep, gallstones, dental sensitivity or cavities, irregular menstrual cycles, hair loss, difficulty concentrating and memory problems, bone fractures, muscle cramps, susceptibility to viruses and infections, and weight gain after the detox period.
Why do some people feel good?
Some people do report feeling amazing during the detox period and sometime after, but I always look at the bigger picture to pinpoint the true causation of this improved feeling of wellness. It could be due to a person dropping alcohol (big factor!), too much coffee, soda drinks, energy drinks, candies/pastries, processed foods, etc.
There may be some foods that are not good for you personally that were also given up during the detox period.
These can even be considered healthy ones but may act as an allergy or intolerance trigger for you, which is very common.
Final Thoughts
Supplements and detox aids as well as juice cleanse diets are a big industry where people are making money from sales and investing a lot of money in marketing. But what they put into their marketing is just their made-up claims which are not scientifically proven.
Just because the manufacturer claims certain positive effects of certain products, it does not mean that that product has them and that there are no side effects that come with it.
I also am an advocate of a sustainable way of eating which you can do long term. If I had this woman who wrote this post on the Facebook group come to me for a consultation we would start with first of all, going through her symptoms and complaints, understanding her health and weight goals and I would give her a nutrition plan to achieve that.
The sad truth is that nowadays people are usually overfed but malnourished.
That is why the best approach is to:
Adjust the amounts of certain foods you are eating - some need to be increased, some limited and some ideally avoided completely
Limit or remove the foods, drinks and substances that are causing illness, symptoms or reactions in your body
Switch to higher quality products, which are without chemicals, artificial colourings, preservatives and hidden sugar and sweeteners
Support your weakened organs and systems through nourishing diet and lifestyle adjustments
Improve hydration and make sure you meet your protein and healthy fats requirements that are coming from healthy sources without causing inflammation or weight gain in your body.
Another problem that I also see, is that after this detox period, you still need to return to a normal way of eating and to your old eating and lifestyle habits. So why not skip to a long-term solution right now and learn how to change your diet and lifestyle to support your health and weight in a healthy and sustainable way without?
I would absolutely invest my money in high-quality healthy products and book a relaxing massage in what is left rather than spend money on detox products that will also take away my health. I saw that some of the cleansing products are quite expensive and on that money, you can buy some really healthy, delicious and nourishing stuff at a local farmer’s market instead.
If you ever thought of a detox, think instead about what is it that you’d like to change in your body, and what areas of your health you’d like to improve. If you need help of a professional to help you start doing the right thing from the outset, I am here for you!
Contact me today to schedule your consultation!
Now let's hear your thoughts. What do you think about detox aids and juice cleanse diets?
Have you tried any? Any success? Let me know in the comments below!
