by Paul Martiquet The human body is very efficient at detoxing when it comes to self-cleansing and protection from chemical damage, but you wouldn’t think that if you looked at the claims and promises of what might be termed a detoxing industry.
An example: “For only $239.82, you will get a 90-day supply of detoxifier capsules and digestive cleanser, along with our specially-blended herbal tea.” Unfortunately, promises of these plans are all hype with no proven health benefits.
There are many ways to get your body clean and healthy, none of which involve a purge or special pills and liquid diets, and certainly not flooding the colon. These plans and diets are all responding to a supposed need to cleanse the body for a radical reboot to health. The claims are everywhere you look: online, in lifestyle magazines, from celebrities, celebrity doctors and others.
On the surface, the idea of cleansing may sound appealing, especially if you are feeling poorly or have overindulged, but there is no evidence to back this detox concept.
Detoxification used to refer to a medical procedure to rid the body of dangerous poisons, including those arising from addictions. That meaning has been lost and detox now refers to any number of non-traditional diets, treatments or products that will eliminate so-called toxins from the body. They also offer the benefit of weight loss in some cases.
Toxins are properly defined as substances poisonous to humans and animals at relatively low doses. Toxins have come to mean almost anything that will sell a detoxing, including refined sugar, caffeine, red meat, gluten and various environmental contaminants. Detoxing claims to treat all sorts of ailments from pimples to headaches, fatigue to insomnia, depression and even cancer. All these conditions are claimed as evidence of toxicity wreaking havoc in the body. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence or research that supports any of these claims.
If the goal is to detox your body, don’t waste the money or time. Nature, it turns out, has already provided all the tools the body needs to do the job itself.
In general, the body is entirely capable of cleansing itself and doing so very efficiently. Unless overwhelmed by a large dose of poison, the body can do its own cleansing just fine. Certain illnesses affect the ability of the liver and kidneys to do their jobs, but otherwise, they’re perfectly adapted to the job. There is no evidence that a special detox diet, fast or enema can improve on the body’s own ability to cleanse itself.
If the idea of detoxing sounds appealing, there is a way to do so: try clean eating that focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean protein. In other words, choose whole foods without a lot of processing. Not only is a healthy diet good for the body, it is also more likely to make you feel better and give you more energy, especially when you add in regular exercise.
Paul Martiquet is the Medical Health Officer for Rural Vancouver Coastal Health including Powell River, Sunshine Coast, Sea-to-Sky, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
