Food & Recipes

The Truth About Detox Diets

Touted as a way to remove harmful toxins in the body and promote weight loss, detox diets are hotter than ever. Hollywood stars do it days before gracing the red carpet, Dr. Oz has his own formula, spa retreats feature them, and many diet books are based on detox beliefs.

But despite the popularity of detox diets, nutrition experts say they are neither necessary nor scientifically proven to work.

Frank Sacks, MD, a leading epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, says, "There is no basis in human biology that indicates we need fasting or any other detox formula to detoxify the body because we have our own internal organs and immune system that take care of excreting toxins."

What Is a Detox Diet?

Detox (short for detoxification) diets are extreme weight loss diet plans that claim to flush toxic chemicals from your body. Detoxing is based on the concept that your body needs help getting rid of unwanted toxins from contaminants in processed foods and the environment. In theory, once free of toxins, your body functions better and your metabolism soars so you can shed those extra pounds.

There are a variety of different detox diets. Most follow a pattern of very low calorie fasting with the addition of small amounts of fruits, vegetables, water, and assorted supplements. Some diets recommend herbs, pills, powders, enemas, and other forms of intestinal and colon cleansing. Methods vary and frequently include products that are only available from the author’s web site.

The underlying principle of detox diets and the selling of questionable products raises a red flag, says Washington University nutrition director, Connie Diekman, RD. "Detox diets prey on the vulnerability of dieters with fear tactics while gaining financially by selling products that are not necessary and potentially dangerous," she says.

Do Detox Diets Work?

Yes and no.

Beyonce made the maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper Master Cleanse formula (also known as the Lemonade Diet) famous when she dropped 20 pounds quickly for her role in Dreamgirls.  But she regained the weight soon after and, in interviews, warned dieters away from the regimen.

Weight loss occurs on most of these plans because they are so low in calories, says Diekman, past president of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "These fad diet detox plans are nothing more than a quick fix and not recommended for weight loss by registered dietitians," she says.

When you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, you will lose weight. But doing so can also cause all kinds of health problems, including muscle loss. And when you start fasting, your body goes into conservation mode, burning calories more slowly.

Keep in mind that the initial weight lost on a fast is primarily fluid or "water weight" not fat. And when you go back to eating, any lost weight usually gets a return ticket. Not only do most people regain the lost weight from a fast, they tend to add a few extra pounds because a slower metabolism makes it easier to gain.

"Dieters end up in a worse place than where they started, and the weight that is regained is likely to be all fat," Sacks, a cardiologist and researcher at Harvard Medical School, says. "Lost muscle has to be added back at the gym."