Why You Should Nix the "Detox"

Now that we are settled into the New Year, everyone is working on their resolutions. It seems like the number one resolution is doing something to lose weight or get healthy. I am not knocking people who have this as their goals for the year; I always admire anyone who chooses to take the first step to being healthy!

That being said, I cringe every time I see someone on a new "detox". You know what I am talking about; they come many forms of detox diets, pills, shakes, juices, herbal cleanses, and more! They come with claims to clean your kidneys, liver, colon, skin, stomach, etc. I can understand why these things fly off the shelves and people flock to them; celebrity and trainers endorsements, quick 10 day programs or even 1 day cleanses!

These cleanses and detoxes claim to offer a quick fix for years of unhealthy eating habits, smoking, drinking and to aid in healthy weight loss. They use tag lines like "natural, cleansing, fast, lose 10 lbs guaranteed!" I hate to even admit it, but I used to be a believer in detoxes and have done one before. Once I started looking into them and how much of a scam they were, I quickly changed my mind.

It has been proven by factual, studied, peer reviewed SCIENCE that these detoxes are not what they are cracked up to be. Yes, I am a big believer in SCIENCE, because no matter what you may say or believe, it does not change the FACTS!

But yet they still flourish and make millions upon millions of dollars! Why? Well, the companies that market these detoxes brain wash us with the ideas that modern living fills us with all sorts of "toxins" that "plug" up our kidneys, liver and systems. They tell us things that our bodies are too acidic/alkaline and we need do this detox to make our bodies more alkaline/acidic. They tell us that we can lose weight and just doing a quick 7 day detox can rid of 10-20 years of fast food, drinking and smoking "toxins".

So keep reading about how science proves to debunk the detox!

I need to detox to be healthy!

First and most importantly, to think that you need to do a detox to cleanse your body of toxins is silly. If you have two functioning kidneys and a liver, you are detoxing! Your liver and kidneys are your body's natural filtration system. It is literally their job! Lets review their functions!

Liver- the liver is the body's largest glandular organ. It is considered "glandular" because it secretes a substance called bile. The liver has many functions. One of the functions being filtering blood coming from the digestive tract before it goes to the rest of your body. Therefore, anything you ingest, including food, drugs and alcohol, goes through your liver. As mentioned before, the liver also secretes bile back to the digestive tract, and stores vitamins, iron and glucose.
The liver can also repair itself very well if it becomes damaged- amazing right? As amazing as it is, the liver can become very damaged by chronic drug use, alcoholism and Hepatitis. If the liver becomes >70% damaged, it becomes irreparable and will go into liver failure. In such cases, severe medical intervention is needed and you would have to undergo liver dialysis and detox to clean your blood. This will only last a short amount of time because in the end you will need a new liver.

Kidneys- these cute little buggers are our body's filtration system. These organs serve so many functions, I could write a blog on the kidneys alone, but I will shorten it. Kidneys work on the body's waste excretion system. They filter toxins, salt, water and urea. Urea is a synthesized in the liver and then brought through the blood to the kidneys and then leave the body through urine. Inside the kidneys is about a million little filters called Nephrons. These microscopic units take blood through a complex chemical exchange within their cell membranes. Blood comes through the Nephron and leaves toxins, waste and water which are expelled in urine.
Kidneys also work on ph regulation by working out excessive acids to keep our body's ph level slightly alkaline at approximately 7.4. Just like with the liver, kidneys can go into kidney failure, in which case people must under go severe medical intervention by receiving dialysis, which again is a short term fix.

In conclusion, if you have a functioning liver and kidneys, you are detoxing already with out doing a damn thing other than being alive. Cool hey?

What about these detox diets?

I've seen many different forms of these detox diets. There are shakes, juices and actual food diets where you restrict certain food groups like grains, dairy, meat, starchy veggies and specific meats or even all meat. They claim to be a great form of weight loss, which can make sense. If you are restricting your calories and nutrients this much, of course you are bound to lose weight because your body is starving! However, the fall back is when you are done with the diet cleanse, and go back to your regular habits, you are bound to gain it all back!
Commonly these diets are so restrictive, they lack protein, essential fatty acids and nutrients. They are also usually extremely low in carbohydrates which is your body's primary fuel source, leading to lower energy levels.

What about Colon Cleanses?

These just seem like a terrible thing to do. A colon cleanse is usually taking some form of laxatives and come with the promise of a squeaky clean colon because apparently it builds up waste inside of it.
It is true that if you don't have a good diet with fiber, veggies and water, you probably don't have the greatest digestive habits. But taking a bunch of laxatives is NOT the answer unless you are going for a colonoscopy! Colon cleanses can lead to dehydration, which can decrease your electrolytes and good digestive bacteria- this is NOT good for your body and will cause problems.

What about my body's pH level?

As I said before, your kidneys take care of your body's pH levels. Your body likes to sit at a comfy 7.4 pH. If your body is too acidic you can go into metabolic acidosis, which is caused when your kidneys do not filter acids properly; this can be fatal!
On the other hand, if your body is too alkaline, it leads to metabolic alkalosis. This occurs when there is an increase in bicarbonate, and can also be fatal. So no, you do not need to change the pH of your body to become healthy and it sure as hell won't cure cancer! It can kill you instead!

So when should you detox?

Detoxes can be done in certain life threatening situations, but should only be done with the supervision of health professionals, i.e a Doctor (like one with an actual Doctorate degree!).
For example, when people go to rehab for alcohol and drug abuse, they undergo detox. This is known to be especially brutal and if not supervised properly, the body can go into shock and it could be fatal. Other examples are with liver and/or kidney failure- as already mentioned your body will need external help in detoxing your body. In that case dialysis is needed.

So what should I do instead?

I am not saying that because your liver and kidneys work you can use and abuse your body with bad diet, smoking an alcohol. They can only take so much abuse and do need long term proper care and nutrition for optimal function!

What is really needed is a lifestyle change to optimize the function of your body and organs. Keeping your body healthy is the best thing you can do for it. Eating proper foods, drinking water, exercise, cutting back on alcohol and quitting smoking. We all know the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Eating well provides nutrients, fuel sources, and keeps digestion on track! Exercise keeps our hearts, muscles, and bones healthy. Is it easy? No, but in the long run, it is well worth it!