Do you need detox diet?

With the beginning of New Year, we all set up new resolutions and most of them are on food, diet and weight loss. Moreover, some start the new year with a ‘Detox diet’, a way of cleansing one’s body. Let’s try understand this more deeply, to see if it’s really needed.

What is a Detox Diet?

The word detox means removing toxins or waste and when specific foods or diet plans are used for this, it is called, ‘Detox Diet’. Detox diet is often used either for weight loss or for cleansing the body. More recently, some other claims are made in relation to detox diet, from improved digestion and increased energy levels, to improved hair, skin and nails.

A Detox diet is followed for a day or for a month or longer. The diet includes: Consuming only fruits or veggies

Fasting for one or more days

Removing carbs, in the form of wheat, or fats in the form of dairy/meat

Avoiding caffeine intake

Now, the most important question… Does it really work?

All healthy individuals, have an in-built, natural mechanism to remove wastes and toxins from their body. Medical reasons, associated with the body’s liver or kidney functioning, may demand for a diet with certain specifications.

Our body is wonderfully equipped with some vital organs that are able to filter, excrete, and drain out all wastes or toxins coming from food, metabolites, medicines, chemical pollutants, dead cells, etc. Organs like, liver, kidneys, skin, gut are continuously working, whether we are awake or sleeping to detoxify our body. They function by responding instantly to the signals to remove waste from the body.

There are no products, pills or specific drinks that can do a magic job of removing the toxins from our body. Even some of the green teas that are sold as ‘Detox teas’ have just calming, relaxing or laxative properties.

Detox Diet claims

Detox diet promotes a feeling of wellbeing. Many people claim, when on a detox diet, they feel more energised, sleep better or feel their gut been cleansed. This feeling is associated to what they are eating and what foods they have removed from their diet. For instance, when on a detox diet, reduced intake of processed food, caffeine or meat along with an increase intake of fruits, veggies or legumes, will definitely give rise to the feeling of well-being. But this feeling also comes with fresh air, and regular exercise.

To detoxify, include fruits and veggies, These foods form an integral part of a healthy balanced diet, owing to the presence of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. But no single fruit or veggie can work like a magic wand, it is the variety which is important. Moreover, replacing fresh fruits and veggies with juices or smoothies to get a daily dose of these foods is an unhealthy approach.

To detoxify, remove, wheat and dairy. These foods provide some vital nutrients if careful and healthy choices are made, like going for low fat dairy or whole wheat.

Removal of these foods from the diet can have a detrimental effect on our body. If one feels that one is allergic to any of these, then proper diagnosis is advised before removing these foods.

Fasting is a great way to detoxify. Restricted eating or not eating for long hours means restricted intake of calories and nutrients. Not only will it cause nutritional insufficiency in the body but will cause unhealthy weight loss. The weight loss is rapid and is mainly water and glycogen loss. This results in tiredness, fatigue, mental confusion, poor quality sleep, etc.

To conclude, the ‘Detox diet’ is nutritionally incorrect and more of a marketing myth. The truth is, we don’t need to detoxify or cleanse ourselves. Most of the claims made by the promoters of this diet is exaggerated and lack proper evidence. Let’s start our New Year, with a focus on eating healthy, eating in moderation, adopting regular physical activity and involving ourselves in activities that keep us happy and energised.