To detox or not to detox? For those seeking more energy, easier digestion, and improved health, this is undoubtedly the question. Actively triggering a detoxifying reaction in the body through fasting, dramatic dietary changes, or supplements, is a revered method of rejuvenation to some and a clumsy interference with nature to others. Below we look at both sides of the debate.
The Pros
Embarking on one of the many detoxification regimens available today — which can be as simple as eating more vegetables and less meat or as bold as consuming nothing but water and lemon juice — is considered by certain segments of the population to be an effective method of relieving the body from the daily strain of normal eating and drinking.
Detox advocates believe that cleansing in this way not only gives the digestive system a necessary tune-up, but also increases energy and treats many ailments from headaches and bad breath to skin problems and allergies.
The Cons
The primary stance of the anti-detox community is that the body is designed to detoxify naturally. "Healthy adults, even overweight adults, have been endowed with extraordinary systems for the elimination of waste and regulation of body chemistry.
Our lungs, kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and immune system are effective in removing or neutralizing toxic substances within hours of consumption,” explained Roger Clemens [1], professor of molecular pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Southern California and Dr. Peter Pressman, an endocrinologist at private medical firm, in a BBC report [2]. The positive results experienced by many detoxers may be due to nothing more than having made a healthy shift in their diets.
"There are thousands of testimonials that describe experience of less bloating (actually the result of eating less food), clearer skin (improved hydration) and decreased headaches (reduced alcohol and caffeine),” Clemens and Pressman said.
The Truth
Adding to the detox debate is the issue of weight. Many people use detoxing as a quick slimming solution. People like my mother. She just completed six days of The Master Cleanser [3]. The pro-detox camp connects weight loss to the natural process of detoxification, while those who are anti-detox — primarily the allopathic medical community — express concerns about losing weight in such a dramatic and quick manner. There is one thing both sides can agree on: detoxing is tough. Elanor Taylor summarizes this concept in “Sin, Salvation and Celery Juice [4]," an article written for the Social Issues Research Center [5]. “There is a kind of puritanical zeal about the detoxing process, reminiscent of monks fasting or flagellating themselves for their sins. Which of course is not to be condemned, but is hardly the basis of balanced, empirically tested nutritional advice,” she writes. Which argument makes the most sense to you? Have you personally tried any detoxification methods? If so, how did it feel? Did it work? Let us know in our Comments section below.
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