Detoxing? Better not – experts explain why
A detox seems like THE solution for anyone who wants to feel good in their own skin again. It is supposed to ensure that your body is completely cleansed from the inside out. Waste products and toxins disappear from your body, which is supposedly very healthy for you. But is that really the case? Experts warn: detoxing can backfire and even cause physical harm.
Detoxing is complete nonsense, if we are to believe the experts. In fact, your body does not need it at all. So forget about that nasty juice cleanse.
The ‘goal’: detoxifying the body
There are all kinds of detoxes. You can follow a juice cleanse, for example, during which you drink nothing but juices and eat nothing for several days. This is also known as juice fasting. But clay treatments were also trending for a while. With these, you drink—yes, really—a glass of water with clay twice a day for a period of time. All to detoxify your body and supposedly go through life ‘healthy’ again.
No scientific evidence
The problem is that many detox methods and their effects are not scientifically substantiated at all. There is no scientific evidence that such cleanses and rituals work. Arjan Bredenoord, a doctor at Amsterdam UMC, tells NOS that it is also entirely unnecessary to detoxify your body with a cleanse. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre supports this. The reason: your body cleanses itself. Your liver and kidneys, as well as your intestines, keep your body clean all day long. Once you have eaten, the final remnants have already been pushed through your small intestine into your large intestine after just 90 minutes. In other words, your body is ‘tidied up’ again. And without you even noticing.
Why detoxing can be dangerous
So why can detoxing be dangerous? Such a cleanse or ritual can go seriously wrong. Some cleanses, such as spiritual cleansing rituals, for example, require you to consume large quantities of water (read: at least 5 litres) in a short period of time. This can be extremely harmful to your organs, especially your kidneys. Continuing with juice cleanses for too long is also not good for you. Eventually, you will not get enough nutrients, which is harmful. And consuming clay is especially dangerous, because too much lead can build up in your body. Not pleasant.
Want to go through life feeling fresh and fruity? Here’s how
So what can you do to go through life feeling fresh and fruity? ‘Simply’ eat a healthy and varied diet, advises the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. If you mainly eat according to the guidelines of the Wheel of Five and also get enough exercise, you will soon be on the right track. Do you have vague physical complaints that persist for a long time? Always see your GP to have yourself examined. That is wiser than doing a detox whose effectiveness has not (yet) been scientifically proven.
Also read:
- Hot on TikTok: the lion diet (but whether it’s actually good for you…)
- Bizarre: the wine-and-egg diet really exists (but whether it’s healthy…)
- 5 things you shouldn’t eat and drink too often if you want to take good care of your heart
Sources: NOS and The Netherlands Nutrition Centre
