Detox Diet: Does It really Work or Is It Just a Fad?

The word "detox", or detoxification, is often used in contexts related to the intake of drugs or alcohol.

In fact, during the process of detoxification, the body is forced to expel any toxins, such as drugs or alcohol, to renew itself and regain its equilibrium, so that the body can be cleaned by removing back on the right path to health.

A body free of toxins is also the result desired by all those who want to improve their diet and make informed choices about what to eat.

And that's why it feels increasingly talk about diet or Detox Diet.

The problem, though, is that when something becomes "fashionable", like mushrooms sprouting out the most unthinkable or imaginary products industry experts whose goal, in most cases, is to lighten your wallet!

This is not to say that the detox diet is a bluff!

Indeed, if we mean the detox diet to "Detox" from the wrong foods, maybe that's the only way to regain your well-being.

What I mean is that, when you decide you want to engage in a serious and convinced a path to improving their diet, the first step is to find a person competent and prepared to follow and not to rely on dubious miracle solutions.

Now let's get a little more of the detox diet and try to understand a little more.

What does Detox

From a quick Google search, the definition of detox is soon date:

"A process or a period of time where refrains or releases the body from toxic or unsanitary"

Two things are immediately apparent:

  • There is no mention to weight loss;
  • There is no clear definition of what are toxins.

So, continuing the research, is that toxins are:

"a poison or venom Antigen of vegetable or animal origin, in particular product or derived from micro-organisms that can cause certain diseases and even death."

But the toxins are not all equal.

The "toxins" are completely different toxins that can be found in our body!

In fact, the "toxins in General" have to do with the toxic substances found in plants, animals or in high doses of medication, alcohol or drugs.

Toxins that are found in the human body, according to Gaiam, can be traced primarily to:

  • environmental pollutants
  • dental amalgams of silver or mercury
  • the mercury content in fish
  • aluminum tracks found in air fresheners
  • contaminated food or water
  • polluted air
  • infections
  • allergic reactions
  • processed foods
  • uv radiation

Despite the risks to which our body is exposed appear to be many, it is important to note that it works constantly in the Elimination of toxins: kidneys, lungs and liver are continually at work to remove the "waste" without even noticing.

They work just like natural filters, without which we could not survive.

Many people are convinced that toxins are excreted via sweat, but this is not really correct.

Sweating is the body's natural reaction that is enable to regulate body temperature and is made up of water, sodium and other substances.


But what are these other substances?

Is somewhat difficult to think that these chemicals are toxins. This is because, at least, unlikely that a refusal of our body to be used by the same to adjust their own temperature and thus to perform a task.

If this were not enough, clue supporting this thesis there is a search of the University of Arkansas that contends that sweat is 99% consists of water and the remaining 1% is made up of salt, protein, carbohydrates and urea.

After this long introduction, we respond to the question we posed at the start trying some authoritative source that can help us in this mission.

How the detox diet work?

To answer this question we must first understand what the objective you want to achieve.

For the avoidance of doubt it is better to clarify immediately that it is absolutely useless to start a detox diet in order to lose weight.

We will never cease to repeat in this blog that weight loss can only be the result of a more or less long path of changing their eating habits.

Having clarified this, let's see if a diet detox can be useful for purifying our organism.

Harvard Health Publications analyzed a detox diet is very popular in America and that is coming up in Italy: the Master Cleanse.

According to this diet you should start the day with a cup of salt water in the morning, drink a mixture made of water, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and lemon juice during the day and a cup of tea at night.

Despite the obvious lack of nutrients, this scheme would be to feed ben 10 days.

According to Harvard Medical School: "there are no data if this particular diet in medical literature. Many studies have shown, however, that a prolonged fasting or very low calorie diets may lower the basal metabolic rate of the body. This can cause rapid weight gain once you resume normal eating. "

So, rather than expel toxins, the result is to reduce our body with energy for living and increase our weight until you get to overcome the start condition.

Other sources (1, 2, 3) argue that there is no scientific evidence behind the claim that detox diets can purify the human body better than I can do it alone.

Anyway, if any of you have any reliable sources that claim otherwise, it would be interesting if the postaste in the comments to explore the theme.

Apparently, then, the only way certainly effective to detoxify our body and to provide you with all the necessary "Tools" to work properly so that it can expel toxins and waste in autonomous way.

Of course, before you start spending money on products or in detox diets the first thing to be clear with yourself about what you want to achieve.

Probably, the best benefit that can be drawn from this fashion of "detox" is the chance to drink more water than usual, thus changing its flavor by adding fruits, vegetables or spices.