Detox Drinks and All the Hype
The basic concept of a detox and cleanse is the same: to rid the body of accumulated toxins and chemicals for better health overall. That seems safe enough, so why are people as suspicious of it as nosy neighbours are of your love life?
Our body is very complex and adept in understanding what's happening within. Marketed detox and cleansing products often may raise an alarm. Our organs and immune system are naturally capable of ridding our body of unwanted toxins. The barrier may be that our current lifestyle and food habits can cause certain bodily processes to slow down, or make these vital organs work harder than they need to.
The Facts
There is little scientific evidence to support claims that detox drinks can help remove toxins from the body. However, a detox drink may be a healthful snack if it contains plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthful proteins, fats, and fibrous carbohydrates promotes the natural detoxification system in the body and creates overall balance.
Detox drinks may boost health, aid in weight loss, and support the body's natural detoxification processes, but this is different from medical detoxification.
Detoxification has significance in medical science and doctors will often recommend it to people who are coping with substance abuse. It refers to the medically supported management of a person experiencing acute intoxication.
An article in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics notes that some studies show that commercially available detox diets may improve the way a person's liver removes toxins from their body. However, the article also highlights that these studies had flawed methodologies and small sample sizes. It also says that a detox diet may help a person lose weight, but only because the diet is low in calories.
The How-To
With all the festivals throughout the year, our appetite makes us indulge in guilty pleasures and eat plates full of unhealthy food. The aftermath is usually indigestion, acidity and what not.
The butter cookies, roast chicken, pudding, and extra helpings of your grandma's banana flambé are all threatening to make you gain a few pounds. A balanced detox diet is the answer to all these problems. If our binge lasts for seven days, so should our detox. We cannot expect to flush all the toxins out in a day. Another thing to keep in mind is that food alone can't do the trick. Adequate sleep and working out are as important as eating healthy.
An efficient detox is one that focuses on ailments to protect and supercharge organ health. This can involve cutting out or down on "toxins" like refined sugar, packaged foods, and copious amounts of caffeine that can derail our natural detoxing. Replacing those guilty pleasures with some temporary diet restrictions, a spoonful of herbal concoctions and green juices is the key!
References
1. Huzar, T. (2019, May 20). What to know about detox drinks. Medical News Today.
2. West, H. (2016, June 19). Detox Water Health Benefits and Myths. Healthline.
3. Arora, N. (2019, October 29). A detox diet to wash away all your holiday season sins. Tweak India.
4. Hussain, S. (2021, January 24). The truth about detox drinks. Tweak India.