Detox diets
Detox diets are structured elimination diets aimed at removing perceived toxins from the body, often through restrictive eating practices. Typically employed as short-term weight-loss strategies, these diets may involve fasting, the consumption of specific juices, or other limited food options, sometimes with the addition of supplements or cleansing methods like enemas. Proponents believe detox diets can enhance bodily functions and alleviate symptoms attributed to toxin buildup, such as fatigue or bloating.
While detox diets often eliminate processed foods, they can also restrict a wide range of other items, leading to significant calorie deficits. Commonly cited detox plans include juice cleanses, monotropic diets, and more elaborate systems promising rapid weight loss. However, scientific support for the health claims of detox diets is limited, and some experts warn they may pose risks, particularly for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women or individuals with existing health conditions. Side effects can include fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Overall, while detox diets are popular for their purported benefits, they are also met with skepticism regarding their safety and efficacy.
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Detox diets
Detox diets are a type of elimination diet to remove toxins from the body. These diets usually restrict certain foods to cleanse the body. People generally use detox diets as temporary means to purge the body of harmful substances and lose weight. However, most times, this weight loss is associated with the limiting of particular foods. Some people tout the benefits of detox diets and claim that they help the body clear itself of harmful substances and function at optimal levels, while others call detox diets nothing more than fads. Some detox diets call for special drinks, supplements, or juices and are often endorsed by celebrities.
Background
The word detox is a shortened form of the word detoxification, which is the removal of a harmful substance from the body. Toxins include substances people breathe in or ingest, such as cigarette smoke, alcohol, pesticides, synthetic chemicals, and pollutants. Although the medical and food industries deem sugar, caffeine, food additives, and preservatives safe for human consumption, some people consider them toxic as well. These can be found in foods, food packaging, cleaners, detergents, and medications. Waste released by cell activity is also considered a toxin.
Several organs and systems in the body, such as the liver, intestines, kidneys, lungs, skin, blood, and lymphatic system, are responsible for excreting toxic substances. Detox diets are believed to aid this removal. Supporters of detox diets claim that toxins can cause negative health effects, including bloating, fatigue, headache, skin conditions, weight gain, and other ailments. Detox diets promise to purify the body of excess toxins and return it to a healthy state.
One of the oldest and most common detox diets includes drinking lemon juice mixed with water each morning. Lemon juice is thought to stimulate enzymes in the digestive tract to aid with digestion and eliminate toxins. Lemon juice also contains ascorbic acid, which can help neutralize damage to cells.
In addition to diets, people have been using various other methods to purge toxins from the body for many centuries. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used enemas and colonic irrigations, which use water to flush out matter and waste from the intestines and colon. They believed the buildup in these organs caused fever.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), special pads are stuck to the bottom of the feet overnight to draw out the toxins while a person sleeps. According to TCM thinking, the body releases toxins to the feet because they are the farthest parts of the body away from the heart. These detox foot pads supposedly stimulate acupressure points in the feet to purge the body of toxins.
The Chinese also use the method of cupping to draw out toxins. Glass cups are placed at pressure points on the skin, and then a pump is used to create suction in the cups. Cupping stimulates blood circulation and coaxes pressure points to release blockages and toxins.
Coffee enemas became popular in the 1920s in Germany, where scientists found that coffee helped to detoxify the liver. The caffeine in coffee stimulated the liver and opened the bile ducts to release toxins.
Europeans used a method called dry skin brushing. A dry brush was rubbed over the skin to unclog blocked pores caused by toxins from the air, cosmetics, and food. This method was used to improve the skin, enhance the immune system, and stimulate circulation. While these methods were believed to help rid the body of toxins, the most common method for the removal of harmful substances in the body today is detox diets.
Overview
While detox diets are mainly for ridding the body of toxins, people most commonly use detox diets to lose weight. Detox diets are usually very restrictive but are typically only followed for a short period. The restrictive nature of these diets is responsible for weight loss. However, once a person returns to eating normally, he or she usually gains back the weight lost from these diets.
Detox diets generally include periods of fasting, drinking only fluids, and eating certain foods. They may be used in conjunction with supplements and other detox methods such as enemas and colonic irrigation. Some detox diets do not allow a person to eat any whole foods or cooked foods. Some prohibit processed foods, grains, and animal products and allow a person only to consume certain fruits and vegetables in either solid or juice form; most times, these diets also call for a person to minimize ingesting manmade chemicals and only eat or drink organic produce. In addition, many detox diets call for foods high in fiber and water content to increase toxin excretion through defecation and urination.
A sample thirteen-day detox diet may involve three days of fasting and consuming nothing other than water and then ten days of following a monotrophic diet. A monotrophic diet allows a person to consume only one type of food, such as a fruit or vegetable, per meal. This diet might allow a person to drink fruit and vegetable juices between meals. A sample menu might include watermelon for breakfast, apples for lunch, and bananas for dinner with carrot juice in between meals as a snack. After the thirteen days, a person gradually adds more foods back into the diet.
Several popular detox diets exist. The Jump Start Juicer System involves a person consuming nothing other than fruit and vegetable juices for seven days. The Master Cleanse includes consuming no food and only drinking a "lemonade" concoction made of spring water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper for several days. The Fast Track Detox Diet is an eleven-day diet in which a person fasts, next eats organic produce, then moves to fruit juices and foods such as psyllium husks or ground flaxseed to get the colon moving. The Martha's Vineyard Diet lasts twenty-one days and promises followers they will lose twenty-one pounds in those days. It consists of consuming only liquids, taking supplements, and performing enemas.
Supporters claim popular detox diets can aid in liver and kidney function, increase energy levels, promote weight loss, clear the mind, and improve the body's ability to fight off infection and disease. While research does show that intermittent fasting, increased fiber intake, and proper hydration help with weight loss, digestion, and mental clarity, no solid scientific research supports the claims of detox diets. Detox diets can even be harmful, particularly to people with medical conditions such as diabetes. Pregnant women and teenagers should avoid detox diets because they do not provide enough calories and nutrients. Detox diets can cause side effects such as headache, dizziness, light-headedness, lethargy and fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, muscle aches, nutrient deficiencies, and even bacterial infection. They can also cause blood sugar and energy levels to plummet and interfere with certain medications.
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