Thinking of Doing a Detox Diet or Cleanse?

Here's what science says your body really needs to detox

Detox diets and cleanses have been buzzwords for a while now. There are so many variations of them and each one is advertised with many health claims and compelling testimonials. Search the internet and you’ll find thousands of website pages and posts on these topics. There are so many different types of detox diets and cleanses being advertised. Many make bold promises of weight loss and improved health.

The question is: Do they really improve skin and digestion, boost the immune system, increase energy, reduce inflammation, or cure diseases? A lot of the time—even when they don’t explicitly say so—they’re codewords for a calorie-restricted, weight-loss diet where you will be expected to drink your food, take handfuls of supplements and pretty much be miserable.

There are many that claim to feel better and more energized when they’re on these diets. This may be because they’re eating more nutritious foods and fewer junk foods that are high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats.

So, what if I told you that you could use simple nutrition to support your body’s own detoxification system every day, without ever having to do a “detox diet”? First, let define what detoxification is and does.

Detoxification is your body’s own process for breaking down and eliminating toxins. We are all exposed to toxins every day through food, water, and the air we breathe. Toxins include those naturally found in tiny quantities in foods, as well as synthetic toxins found in medicines, pesticides, and preservatives.

In fact, the body makes its own toxins through normal everyday processes like digestion, metabolism, and physical activity (e.g.,urea which is excreted in the urine).

Because the world is full of toxins that can affect us, we’ve evolved some pretty sophisticated detoxification systems. These systems are mainly in the liver, but are also located in the kidneys, gut, etc. They help to make toxins less dangerous and allow them to be excreted mostly throughthe urine and stool, but also through breathing and sweating.

How to use nutrition to support your body’s natural detoxification

These detoxification systems are made from many biochemicals in our bodies, such as enzymes. Part of what makes enzymes work are key essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals. So, getting enough of your daily nutrients through quality nutrition helps your body maintain all aspectsof your health—including its ability to detox … and you don’t need to follow an overly restrictive or extreme detox diet or cleanse to support them.

Here are a few simple things you can do every day to “detox” yourself:

• Stay hydrated by drinking enough water (this promotes excretion via urine).

• Don’t unnecessarily expose yourself to toxins in the first  place. Help lower your 'toxic burden' by avoiding harmful micro-plastics  (water bottles and food containers), non-organic personal care and cleaning  products, pesticides, heavy metals, tobacco, alcohol, and smoke.

• Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables. These  are great sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber.  Foods that specifically support liver enzymes include onion, garlic, green  tea, pomegranate, and raw cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, broccoli  sprouts, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

• Include foods that help to neutralize toxins such as apples,  asparagus, cilantro, garlic, ginger, onions, peppermint, radishes, rosemary, and  sesame.

• Take in enough dietary fiber (25-40g/day) by eating  vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds. By promoting bowel  regularity, these help to eliminate toxins from the body via the stool.

• Enjoy some naturally fermented foods like yogurt, kefir,  kimchi, and sauerkraut. These promote digestive health and support your gut  microbiome.

• Consume lean protein, especially, wild-caught, cold-water  fish. Protein is needed for many things including maintaining optimal levels  of a “master” detoxification enzyme called glutathione.

• Do your best to avoid GMO goods, farmed fish, non-organic  meats and poultry and “dirty dozen” produce.

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Nutrition is a key aspect of detoxification. By getting enough of your essential vitamins and minerals, you’re supplying your detox enzymes what they need to work.

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Detox diets or cleanses that you see advertised online are usually different. They often oversell their abilities to improve health. There are almost no quality human studies showing benefits and there are no long-term studies. I recommend speaking with your healthcare professional before embarking on a detox diet or cleanse. If you are looking to lose weight, consider a nutritious and varied diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, reduced portion sizes, and be active every day.