Usually, detox programs consist of extremely restrictive diets and/or a wide range of dietary supplements. Of course and as mentioned, they do not describe the substances they detoxify you from and the majority do not even share the same definition of what detoxification truly is.
First things first
What is toxin?
It is defined as any substance whose concentration increases dramatically in our body while harmful for our health. As Paracelsus, the famous alchemist, said: “ Poison is in everything, and nothing is without poison. Dosage makes it either poison or medicine.’’
• Towards this direction, it is not surprising that these detox programs, not only are they ineffective, but almost none of them has been tested for its safety (2).
• There are many guidelines and scientific reports that highlight the fact that there is no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of these detoxification programs and warn about their potentially detrimental effect on health (3, 4)
Nevertheless, as in any animal, so in humans, toxins are accumulated through a process that in biology is called "bioaccumulation". For example, we know that mercury accumulates in large fish, and in turn accumulates in people who eat these large fish.
"So, does the human body need detoxification or not?"
Our body may need detoxification, but not as companies sell it. In the scientific community, the term “detoxification” is described as "the process of excreting a poison or a toxin or its effect from a specific area or individual.”
So, medically, you may need detoxification in case you are poisoned with drugs or alcohol (5).
-Yes, but I want to detoxify from the various substances that may be in excess in my body and negatively impact my health
-Great! Keep reading!
How to properly detox?
Your body has its own “factorial” detoxification system. Your lungs and other organs work non-stop to eliminate the majority of harmful substances from your body. The liver, for example, converts harmful chemicals into less toxic and are excreted in the urine or feces.
"How can you help your body detoxify?"
- #1: Reduce your exposure to toxins, such as pesticide residues, or air pollutants (6).
- #2: Improve your liver's ability to metabolize toxins (7). ). There is evidence that some plants can help our liver in the detoxification process and antioxidant capacity, such as broccoli -through a substance called "sulforaphane"(8).
- #3: Enhance your body's ability to eliminate toxins. For example, water-soluble dietary fiber helps excrete toxins directly and indirectly by feeding the “good bacteria” in our gut - some of which produce short-chain fatty acids and other metabolites that act on the liver and kidneys, increasing their ability to excrete toxins
But for me, the detox diet works!
Yeap, it’s ok. Let me tell you a hypothetical scenario. When are you looking for a detox diet? We seek detox diets after a period in which we have consumed a large amount of food, for example, after the holidays, and odds are you have gained a few kilograms.
-What do these detox supplements promise?
-Among others-, rapid fat loss.
-Do they succeed?
-Yes
-Do you keep the weight off?
-No.
-But why?
-These diets make you lose what we say “water”.
-How exactly is this possible?
-Briefly, your body stores carbohydrates. The name suggests that they “contain” water, in a ration of 1 to 3. Therefore, for every gram of carbohydrate stored, you also store 3 grams of water. Well, taking into account that an average individual stores approximately 400-500g of carbohydrates, imagine how easy it is to lose about two kilograms in just a few days. How? By eating too few calories.
-And where is the trap?
-The trap is that once you start eating normally, again, your carbohydrate stores are replenished, and since the only thing you lost is water and not fat, you will return back to exactly the same weight you started with (or higher).
To conclude, if you want to detox, the right way is to take care of the already existing detoxification system in your body, by providing it with all the necessary nutrients daily and not occasionally, such as the periods when we are looking for detox diets!
