Do Cleanses Work?
By Tamar Rothenberg, MS, RDN
Have you been tempted to try a body cleanse or detox? They come in a variety of forms, and each one is marketed with several health benefits and convincing testimonials. Cleanses are particularly appealing to breast cancer survivors who are looking for ways to improve their body's ability to clear itself of cancer cells. In fact, breast cancer patients are more likely than any other cancer survivor to use alternative health methods*.
But can cleanses do all they claim? The question is if they truly enhance skin and digestion, strengthen the immune system, increase energy, reduce inflammation, or prevent cancer growth. Many times, even when they don't expressly state it, they are actually code phrases for a calorie-restricted weight loss plan. What impact do they truly have on your health? Is there a way you use diet to help your body detoxify—and maintain general health?
What is a cleanse?
Detoxification is the medical term used to define treatment for substance use disorders, such as alcohol or other addictive substances. It has now become trendy to use the word detox or cleanse to rid the body of any number of so-called toxins.
We are all exposed to toxins every day through food, water, and the air we breathe. Toxins include those naturally found in tiny quantities in foods (arsenic naturally occurs in small amounts in some fruits and vegetables—and even in our own body). There are also synthetic toxins found in medicines, pesticides, and preservatives. For example, sulfur dioxide is used to preserve some fruits and vegetables.
But detoxification is something your body does every single day! Did you know your body makes its own toxins through normal processes like digestion, metabolism, and physical activity. The compound urea is excreted in the urine. Your body has a remarkable efficient process for breaking down and eliminating those toxins.
News flash: Your body does a great job breaking down toxins and eliminating them.
Let’s define what a toxin is: A toxin is a natural toxicant produced by living organisms like plants and animals. A toxicant is either a natural toxin or a human-made substance that produces negative effects. Here we’ll use the common word toxin, but we are in fact referring to toxicants (whether natural or synthetic).
Because the world is full of toxins that can affect us, our body has evolved to create its own sophisticated detoxification systems. Detoxification systems are mainly in the liver, but they’re also found in the kidneys, gut, skin, and other organs. They help to make toxins less dangerous and allow them to be excreted mostly through urine and stool, and through breathing and sweating.
What does this have to do with nutrition?
These detoxification systems are made from many biochemicals in our bodies, such as enzymes. Part of what makes enzymes work are key essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals. So, getting quality nutrition helps your body maintain all aspects of your health—including detoxification.
What are “detox diets” and “cleanses”?
Scour the internet and you’ll find thousands of website pages and posts on these topics. There are so many different types of detox diets and cleanses being advertised. Many make bold promises of weight loss and improved health.
Detox diets and cleanses often include at least one of the following:
● Eating more whole foods
● Reducing packaged foods
● Avoiding alcohol and/or caffeine
● Eliminating some common allergens (from wheat to dairy)
● Replacing meals with smoothies, juices, teas, or powders
● Short or long-term fasting
● Only eating/drinking a handful of recommended foods/beverages
● Taking several dietary supplements and/or laxatives
● Getting “colon cleanses” (such as dangerous coffee enemas)
While some of these recommendations may seem reasonable and healthy (it’s hard to argue that eating more nutritious foods or reducing packaged foods isn’t a good step towards better health), some are downright dangerous. Some of the more extreme recommendations are extremely risky to cancer patients, and those with underlying health conditions, children, adolescents, athletes, older adults, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Nutrition is key, not cleanses
As you can imagine, the more foods you eliminate from your diet, the fewer nutrients you will get. Diets under 1,200 calories for most adults will lead to nutrient deficiencies and are not recommended by major medical organizations. It’s counterintuitive to cut out too many foods because there are critical nutrients scientifically proven to be necessary for your body’s natural detoxification enzymes to work efficiently.
Another risk with certain detox supplements or teas are serious side effects. You may have heard about cases of unsafe ingredients or contamination that have harmed people, including coffee enemas.
Overall, there is a lack of good quality research into detox diets and cleanses, as most studies have been conducted on animals, not people. As Dr. Robert H. Schmerling from Harvard Health says, “It’s not even clear what toxin or toxins a cleanse is supposed to remove, or whether this actually happens.”
There’s no evidence that detoxes or cleanses actually help your body eliminate more toxins than it normally does. Although there may be initial weight loss, experts believe that’s due to a reduction in calorie intake. The weight lost is often water and carbohydrate (not fat), so it’s easily regained as soon as the dieting stops. There are no studies of the long-term effects of detox diets or cleanses.
Some people claim to feel better and more energized when they’re on these diets. This may be because they’re eating more nutritious foods and eliminating foods high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats. In some cases, clients of mine said they felt better because they stopped eating a certain food. It turns out they unknowingly had irritable bowel syndrome and eliminated a food known to cause side effects. After working with me, they learned how to readily identify the classes of foods and the amounts they could safely eat without producing bloating or constipation.
Of course, there may be medical conditions for which eliminating certain foods is recommended. For example, if you have a food allergy or intolerance or if you need to be on a low-fiber diet due to digestive issues during active treatment, you have a valid reason for eliminating certain foods. So before jumping into a detox diet or cleanse, it’s best to speak with your healthcare provider first.
Nutrition plays a vital role in your body’s ability to naturally detoxify and eliminate toxins. The key is to make your body resistant to environmental toxins. And you don’t need to follow an overly restrictive or extreme detox diet or cleanse to support your body’s natural methods.
How to use nutrition to support your body’s natural cleansing
You probably don’t need to eliminate a long list of foods from your diet. In fact, getting enough of your daily nutrients is what can help ensure your detoxification enzymes have what they need to keep up their ongoing very important work.
Here are a few simple things you can do every day to “detox” yourself:
Don’t unnecessarily expose yourself to toxins in the first place. Avoid things like tobacco and alcohol.
Stay hydrated by drinking enough water. This promotes excretion via urine.
Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables. These are great sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber.
Include a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli or Brussels sprouts. These contain compounds that help support detoxification pathways.
Get enough dietary fiber by eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds. By promoting bowel regularity, these help to eliminate toxins from the body via the excretion.
Enjoy some naturally fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut. These promote digestive health and support your gut microbiome.
Consume the right amount of protein. Protein is needed for many things including maintaining optimal levels of a “master” detoxification enzyme called glutathione.
Physical activity is one of the best ways to make your body resistant to the toxins around you.
Consult with a registered dietitian nutritionist to see if you may be lacking in any key nutrients. Follow recommendations to eat more or less of a certain food or nutrient or take high-quality supplements.
Final thoughts on cleanses
Nutrition is a key aspect of detoxification. Your body’s own natural detoxification pathways in the liver, kidneys, and more, include many enzymes that require vitamins and minerals to function optimally. By getting enough of your essential vitamins and minerals, you’re supplying your detox enzymes what they need to work.
Detoxification diets or cleanses that you see advertised online are usually different. They often oversell their abilities to improve health. There are almost no quality human studies showing benefits and there are no long-term studies. I recommend speaking with your dietitian before embarking on a detox diet or cleanse.
Want to know more how you can get the nutrition your body’s detox pathways need? As a registered dietitian nutritionist who works with people experiencing cancer, I’d love to help. I offer clients support to plan, shop, and prepare more nutritious and healthy meals for yourself or your family. Here is my link to book a chat about my nutrition package.
Reference:
*Skyler B Johnson and others, Use of Alternative Medicine for Cancer and Its Impact on Survival, JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Volume 110, Issue 1, January 2018, Pages 121–124, https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djx145
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