^the Strong Body Studio 

Slim, perfectly sculpted, impossibly perfect bodies bask and glow in magazines, advertisements, television shows, and Hollywood films. The average woman appears drab and ungainly in comparison; to attain the degree of perfection she finds everywhere she goes, this average woman turns to dieting. But which one to choose? Her favorite actress has lately been featured in tabloids promoting a new diet that not only promotes weight-loss, but rids her body of toxins too! So the average woman tries this “detox diet” only to find that it is painful, difficult, and even dangerous.

Detox dieting has become popular for it’s dual claims of weight-loss and health restoration; instead of vainly focusing on appearances, now women can scorn all solid food for the sake of “cleansing” and “natural health”. These diets are experiencing a renaissance fueled by recent trends towards holistic health achieved in a way harmonious with the body. The notorious Master Cleanse detoxification diet was invented by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s and experienced a surge of popularity in the 1960s (Allday 2). Young women and girls across America have become acquainted with the diet through its celebrity users, which includes such well-regarded women as Beyoncé and Anne Hathaway (Brown 1).

Ads for detox dieting products spout a lot of scientific jargon at the audience in the hopes of persuading them to buy their product; big words are intimidating and imply intelligence, and often contain a definition far beyond the one presented. Examples of such diets include the Master Cleanse, Fruit Flush, 21 Pounds in 21 Days, Juice Fasts, and Raw Diets.Relying only on information gleaned from advertisements and book jackets, the common consumer might perceive detox dieting as being the “be-all-end-all” way for them to become healthy. Americans are notoriously out of shape, and these detox diets cater to the same desire as fast food drive-through, elevators, and flashy ads: instant gratification. Users want to be healthy fast, without too much effort and without changing their normal diet save for a few days out of the year. What could be the harm? Much more than the purveyors of such programs would lead consumers to believe. 

Detoxification diets make grand promises, but they fail to fulfill them and cause many health conditions of their own. No scientific studies have found any merit to their claims of long-term weight-loss and toxin removal. The severe caloric restriction employed by detox dieting programs does not lead to loss of body fat, but instead causes water loss and the cannibalization of muscle tissue for fuel. Coupled with the lack of calories, lack of adequate nutrient levels can cause or exacerbate illnesses, sometimes to the point of death or severe brain damage. Healthy, long-term, and maintainable weight-loss can be achieved through a diet providing adequate macro- and micronutrients through a variety of foods eaten in moderation, with an emphasis on vegetables. The healthiest people, those who live in so-called “blue zones”, do not practice detox dieting but instead engage in moderate physical activity daily and eat a balanced diet.

As of now there are no scientific studies done to investigate the possible benefits of detox dieting; any “studies” done were inconclusive, not published in a peer-reviewed journal, or funded by the promoters of the diets themselves. Nutritional science is an ever-evolving field that seems to take foods off of pedestals as soon as they are put on. Surprisingly, these extreme shifts in the pendulum have made dietary decisions all the more simple: moderation in everything, consume more whole, natural foods, and a dash of moderate physical activity most days of the week.

The majority of diets set their sites on the minds and wallets of women, particularly the young; girls as young as 6 show preoccupation with their bodies and fear of gaining weight, but teenage girls are among those most affected. Creators of dieting programs exploit these fears through misinformation, manipulative ads, and celebrity endorsements. Many times I have walked around campus and heard friends exchanging false health and nutritional information, and the words “calorie” and “diet” are almost as common in the vernacular as “like” and “whatever”. Though many healthy and worthwhile dieting programs exist, this project has uncovered the little-known dangers of detox dieting while failing to come up with any valid scientific studies endorsing such programs. Hopefully this information will become more widely known and people will view these detox dieting regimens as they truly are: thinly veiled obsessions that ultimately harm the body and mind.

Many users incorrectly believe that depriving the body of essential nutrients for only a short period of time can be harmless. But what is a “short period of time”? A day? A week? A month? The human body is an intricate and complex system, called upon by the brain to do so many things every day that it must be in peak shape. According to research and personal testimonies, detox dieting is both damaging in the short term and an example of medical fraud.

Users of detox diets have reported experiencing various uncomfortable side-effects. Celebrities and vendors do not mention their frequent liquid bowel movements while espousing detox dieting programs (Moores). This and other side-effects range from the mild and personal to the serious and dangerous, both to the user and those around them. Low-calorie liquid diets, which follow a plan identical to detox diets, “may result in fatigue, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, or hair-loss” (Duyff 1710-15). At first, these don’t appear too serious. But while on the Master Cleanse, Rylee Page found out something different: “I was so light-headed that I was driving the car and had to pull over, I was walking around like I was in a daze. I would strongly advise anyone who has kids or drives not to use it” (“Detox Diets”). And as time on the program grows, so do the risks. One week into an all-liquid diet a London woman experienced a massive epileptic fit, resulting in permanent brain damage (“Detox Diets”). On many popular detox diets, daily caloric intake remains below 1,000 calories, maybe even sub-900. However, liquid diets providing 400-800 calories per day, without additional foods, caused death due to inadequate vitamin, mineral, and protein intake (Duyff 1708-12). So many harmful side effects obviously make detox dieting a dangerous regimen.

Not only do users feel uncomfortable on the diets, but detox diets fail to aid in their goal of weight-loss. This is because detox dieting puts the body into a state of starvation; even moderate fasting can slow the metabolism, making meaningful weight-loss even more difficult (Brown 1). Yet even the first few pounds lost don’t amount to much at all. Michelle May, MD, attests that on detox diets: “You will lose weight, but it is not the unhealthy fat you want to lose but precious body protein and fluids” (Zelman 1). And weight is swiftly regained after normal eating patterns are resumed, partly due to psychology instead of physiology. May states that: “Drastic, restrictive [diets] or forbidden foods have a very powerful effect, triggering cravings and giving food power over you” (Zelman 2). As users go off and on these diets, and their weight fluctuates as well, they are actually less healthy than if they were overweight. “Yo-yo” dieting has been found to increase risks of hypertension, high cholesterol, and gallbladder disease (Duyff 1152-61). Even if someone plans to stick with their dieting regimen, they have a high probability of failure, say researchers from Indiana University and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. They found that: “For people on a more complex diet that involves keeping track of quantities and items eaten, their subjective impression of the difficulty of the diet can lead them to give up on it” (“Sticking to Diets...”). Therefore detox dieting is completely useless in the quest for healthy, lasting weight-loss.

Although the makers of these programs try their best to hide it, their practices are not endorsed either by the FDA or by medical data. Many herbal supplements that accompany detox diets and make fantastical health claims have yet to go through clinical trials, meaning their correct dosage and side-effects are unknown. As stated by Arthur Frank, MD: “These supplements probably have no value - the best you can hope for is that they won’t harm you” (Brown 5). But according to the FDA, they truly can harm you: “Pro-Slim Plus, Perfect Slim, and 66 others [over-the-counter weight-loss supplements] were found to contain sibutramine, the appetite-suppressing ingredient in the Rx diet drug Meridia”, and Meridia has such severe side-effects as seizures, heart palpitations, and an increase in blood pressure (Brown 5). Such errors are being made because the manufacturers and creators of detox dieting products are not doctors. For instance, the owner and founder of the Neera Super Cleanse company, which distributes a “cleansing” solution meant to be consumed alone for 5 days, has no medical background but claims his product can decrease blood pressure and remove toxins (Goudeau). These claims are completely fraudulent. Further investigation into detox dieting has not yielded results consistent with such claims. According to Roger Clemens, Dr. PH and USC professor: “the detox movement does not have any clinical evidence or scientific merit at this point in time” (Goudeau). When users begin detox diets, they are therefore putting their lives into untrained hands.

Immediate results of detox diets range from the embarrassing to the lethal, and the goals of such diets fail to be achieved. They fail to live up to their promises because they are the latest swindle of modern snake-oil salesmen, unskilled and unsupported tricksters looking to turn a quick profit at the expense of the people whose money made them rich. Detox diets fail to live up to their promises for a quick rejuvenation of health.

Besides effecting health in the short term, detox dieting can wreck long-term damage on the health of a user. Most of these are due to the severe lack of macro- and micronutrients caused by the implementation of such programs. Anyone considering using a detox dieting program should consider not only short-sighted vanity, but also their lifelong health.

A severe effect of extended detox dieting is the cannibalization of the body for adequate nutrition. Detox diets behave similarly to fasts, and “long-term fasts lead to muscle breakdown and a shortage of needed nutrients” says Lona Sandon, RD (Moores). The body cannibalizes muscle and fat tissue because it is not getting enough from food, but this fat-loss can cause other health complications. When carbohydrates are unavailable for energy the body burns fat, producing ketones which build-up in the kidneys and lead to ketosis. During ketosis, “muscle...breaks down due to a lack of carbohydrates for energy. In addition, ketosis can cause weakness, nausea, dehydration, light-headedness, and irritability. It can be fatal to people with diabetes, and during pregnancy may cause birth defects or fetal death” (Duyff 1692-96). Also, a lack of nutrients hinders the ability of the immune system to function properly. Detox diets, as said by Sandon, “actually weaken the body’s ability to fight infections and inflammation” (Moores). How much of certain vital nutrients do humans need every day? For everyone over 1 year of age, only 130 grams or 520 calories of carbohydrates are required per day for normal brain operation; many detox programs call for much less (Duyff 3568-73). Finally, the weight lost initially, according to the American Psychological Association, comes back eventually: “While people can lose 5 to 10 percent of their weight in the first few months of a diet, up to two-thirds of people regain even more weight than they lost within four or five years” (Moores). Going on a detox diet can therefore make you sick, fat, and malnourished.

Besides the harm that detox diets incur on the body, deeper scars can be left on the psyche in the forms of eating disorders. Sudden weight loss, refusal to eat, obsession with weight loss, complaints of discomfort after a normal meal, denying that there is a problem, and refusing to seek professional medical health are connected with detox diet...and are warning signs of anorexia nervosa (Duyff 1553-1643). Detoxing and fasting for “health reasons” is used as a socially acceptable façade for anorexia and bulimia. Many women think like Carly Milne, a former Master Cleanse user: “If I were to tell my girlfriends I was going on a diet to lose weight, they'd all say, 'Love yourself for who you are; you look fabulous!' But if I say I'm on a quest to get healthy, everyone is really supportive. It's like you're taking care of yourself, instead of beating up on yourself for not being perfect” (Brown 5). Frequent users of detox diets often believe that they are the only way for them to become healthy, no matter how uncomfortable or joyless they may be (Brown 2). And this is not dedication, but obsession. According to Dr. Reed Berger: “You do get a euphoria from detoxing or not eating as much. There’s also cases where there is an addiction to detox diets” (Moores). Becoming addicted to these programs is detrimental to overall health because they do not teach healthy, long-term behaviors; instead, they rely on untested mixtures and dangerous nutrient deprivation to achieve a quick-fix to a highly complex problem.

Due to the severe lack of nutrients found on detox diet plans, illnesses of varying severity can be caused or exacerbated. The emphasis on massive amounts of liquids damages the body’s water-electrolyte balance. After following an all-raw detox program for over a month, Aimee Popovich experienced three seizures and went into a coma. Doctors describe her state upon admission to the hospital as follows: “......undernourished, devoid of vital minerals and suffering from kidney failure and brain swelling due to a severe electrolyte imbalance and hyponatremia, a condition caused by excess water in the blood, which can result in dangerously low blood levels of sodium” (Brown 4). What is missing from the program can cause even more health problems. Especially for women, bone strength is important to maintain and strengthen. But not consuming enough calcium, even by a small amount per day, over a lifetime will effect bone density and increase the risk of osteoporosis (Duyff 2953-3260). Women also menstruate and require iron; detox diets deprive the body of the iron most effectively absorbed (heme, or animal-derived, iron), and because iron is inefficiently absorbed it requires that more be ingested than is needed to allow for poor absorption. “Iron deficiency often leads to anemia and its symptoms: fatigue, weakness, and poor health, all interfering with a person’s physical ability to perform at full potential” (Duyff 3325-69). Another nutrient found only in animal sources or fortified foods, things both banned or highly limited by detox dieting, is Vitamin B₁₂. Lack of this important vitamin can lead to severe anemia and irreversible nerve damage (Duyff 2712-34). And beyond causing illnesses, detox dieting is dangerous to anyone with preexisting conditions. Low-calorie liquid diets, like detox diets, can be harmful to anyone with kidney disease or diabetics who are insulin-dependent (Duyff 1710-15). Detox diets are medical nightmares, ill-planned programs that damage the body and worsen any existing diseases.

Use of detoxification diets can cause problems that will remain long after the program has been completed. Diseases both physiological and psychological can be worsened or caused by these diets, and has been proved previously, the diets yield no positive results. There is are diverse and all-encompassing programs that can grant many more benefits in a safe and medically sound practice.

Given all the horrible costs of detox dieting, it is surprising that so many people still swear by them as their pathway to ultimate health. These people will follow their chosen gurus through Hell and beyond because they feel it is their only hope and chance at salvation. However, this blind loyalty is unfounded. Neither detox diets, nor anything like them, are necessary for optimum health. 

One of the first misconceptions people hold about detox diets is that they have some amazing powers to remove toxins from the body, not knowing that within them lies one of the greatest detoxification systems in the world. Whenever pathogens invade the body, whether through food, air, or fluid exchange, the lymphatic system works to prevent or minimize illness. If a detox diet is adopted due to fears of microbial invasion through food, these fears need to be put in perspective. The acid present in the human stomach is so acidic that it kills almost all living things it comes in contact with, but stomach pain and indigestion medications can weaken the stomach’s acid and make it prone to bacterial infections (Wootan 1232-). Assuming that some pathogen or toxin was able to survive the stomach and be absorbed into the blood, it would come across further opposition in the liver. One of this organs many functions is to remove toxins from blood flowing through the hepatic portal vein, which are then detoxified and excreted from the body (Mader 663). Finally, if some toxins were to move past the liver, they would have to pass through the glomerular filtration system of the kidneys, which will only absorb molecules identified by carrier proteins in plasma membranes; any other substances are then excreted as urine (Mader 693). Clearly the body is fully capable of detoxifying itself, and any toxins tenacious enough to remain in the body after all these different processes could not be removed by following an “all-juice cleanse” for two weeks.

Another reason people follow detox diet regimens is the promise of overall health both immediately and far into the future. On the contrary, the healthiest people on Earth do not use anything remotely like a detox diet. Instead, residents of Blue Zones (places in the world with higher than average life-expectancy and lower than average incidence of heart disease and other diseases) have been found to engage in moderate physical activity every day for a minimum of 30 minutes; as said by Dr. Robert Kane.  Further good habits used by Blue Zone residents include what they eat and when. Concerning the “what”, Okinawans, who live an average of seven years longer than Americans and have 1/5 the rate of heart disease, consume an average of 1,900 calories per day. This is far below the average daily intake of Americans, which was over 2,700 in 2000 according to the government surveys (Larsen). The extremely healthy Okinawans, however, aren’t eating fewer calories or macronutrients than their less-healthy counterparts; but the healthiest ones consume more vegetables and dairy products, which provide large amounts of calcium, iron, and vitamins (Buettner 1462-72). Anyone who wants to be as healthy as Blue Zone residents doesn’t have to move there; rather, they should eat a healthy diet, of which there are many types.  Besides what to eat, the when is just as important. The Seventh-Day Adventists of Loma Linda, California (a Blue Zone community) consume the majority of their calories early in the day instead of just before bed; they, and others who eat this way, have better sleep and lower BMIs (Buettner 2093-2100). Instead of fraudulent and unskilled “gurus”, health should be sought in the practices of societies that produce the healthiest and longest-lived peoples.

If a persons goal is weight-loss, they will find better results from a wide variety simpler guidelines that can work no matter their budget. Before any program is adopted, however, the psychological aspects of overeating or other unhealthy behaviors should be addressed. According to Michelle May, MD, dieters should ask themselves: “What is causing you to overeat? Is it a lack of awareness, making poor decisions, mindlessly eating, reaching for food to meet other needs?” (Zelma 2). This issues should be explored personally or with a medically licensed professional. Once on a diet, individuals should follow the American Dietetic Association’s MyPyramid food guidelines, which states: “For health, consume a variety among and within these groups to get the array of nutrients you need. No one food or food group supplies all the nutrients, fiber, and other substances your body needs” (Duyff 6749-55). In a sensible diet, there are no foods deemed off-limits; in the words of Robert Kane, MD: “One of the goals to a healthy lifestyle is moderation in all things. What one is looking for is moderation, taking in a level of calories that is necessary and balancing those calories across carbohydrates, fats, and proteins” (Buettner 378-83). This type of diet is sustainable in the long term because it teaches new behaviors and guarantees that the macro- and micronutrient needs of an individual are met; there is no food category that will instantly promote weight-loss once eliminated, and conversely there is no “super food” that can reverse weight-gain without further lifestyle changes (Duyff 1656-67). To rid the body of retained water and promote bowel regularity without the harmful side-effects of detox diets, Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, recommends: “... consuming cranberries, celery, asparagus, and herbal teas, and limiting salt” (Zelma 2).

All of the purported benefits of detox diet programs can be attained naturally and without the harmful side-effects that come with these regimens. These methods are tried and true by both leading medical experts in the United States and by the healthiest populations across the world. 

-- © 2011, Elizabeth Belanger and the Strong Body Studio, LLC