the CRITICS

Most Western medical professionals dismiss the theory of detox out of hand. No credible scientific studies have been done on it, a Cape colorectal specialist informed me. In any case, it wouldn’t affect nutrient absorption, which is mostly from the small intestine, not the bowel, where faecal matter is stored before we evacuate it.‘The colon has been a self-regulating system for all the years humans have been around – most people require no intervention 99 percent of the time; I can’t think of an instance when a colonic would be useful,’ he says.

‘The idea that toxins, whether ingested from food or drink, accumulate in your system and need to be eliminated through massage, sweating and colonics is misguided,’ says dietician Dr Suna Kassier, senior lecturer in dietetics and human nutrition at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. ‘The body rids itself of waste products via the liver, kidneys and digestive tract, and has a built-in system to get rid of toxins, except in rare cases where it’s been compromised by something like liver or kidney failure.’

Colonics can be dangerous, she adds. ‘Bowels can be perforated if inexpertly administered, and the large quantities of water introduced can result in an imbalance in the gut microorganisms that make an important contribution to the immune system and the digestion of food.’

your stools were toxic, concludes Christopher Wanjek flatly in Bad

Medicine (John Wiley and Sons), ‘then the roughly 15 percent of Western adults with constipation would have a higher incidence of colon or digestive diseases than other people. But they don’t.’

The relief from bloating, lethargy and other signs that Ayurvedic and other detox advocates say indicate the need for detox, stem from the fact that ‘detox often includes a 360-degree change in lifestyle for a person, not just in terms of drinking alcohol and smoking’, says Kassier. ‘And if you had a fast-food diet before the detox, the consumption of more fruit, veggies, wholegrain cereals and water will bring about an improvement in your health and wellbeing on their own. A detox is usually followed for a week or two. However, the benefits of a healthy lifestyle is a long-term investment in health. A detox is like taking a headache pill that results in experiencing short-term benefits, but these are not sustainable.’

ut the biggest concern for detractors of Ayurveda is the herbal preparations. These are classified as alternative or ‘complementary’ medicine and don’t require the same scientific tests and controls as mainstream medicine. Also, Ayurvedic theory attributes therapeutic properties to metals such as mercury and lead, and a 2008 study published in the Journal of the American Medical

Association found nearly 21 percent of Ayurvedic medicines bought online contained detectable levels of these or of arsenic. In 2012 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported six cases of lead poisoning in pregnant women in the US who used Ayurvedic medicines containing lead. (Foetal exposure to this can result in neurological development problems.)

THE BOTTOM LINE

Although there’s a wealth of anecdotal evidence, the World Health Organisation notes that there are as yet no reputable published studies that have tested Ayurveda as a whole system, or have convincingly tested multiple Ayurvedic treatments in the management of a specific disease.

Bodies such as India’s Ayurvedic Trust, which runs Ayurveda colleges and hospitals, are now reported to be trying to back claims with peer-reviewed studies and articles published in its two journals. Dr David Gorski reported this year that Chopra had found ‘several collaborators’ from Harvard, Duke and UCLA for a study, though Gorski questioned the results.

For the moment, caution seems sensible. Johns Hopkins Medicine urges discussing with your doctor any Ayurvedic treatment you may be thinking of using, as some may be dangerous when combined with prescription or over-thecounter medicines. ‘While Ayurveda can have positive effects when used as a complementary therapy in combination with conventional medical care,’ the organisation states, ‘it should not replace standard, conventional medical care, especially when treating serious conditions.’

‘Most people require no intervention 99 percent of the time; I can’t think of an instance when a colonic would be useful.’