Detox diets are short-term diet programs designed to cleanse the body of toxins and increase intake of healthy nutrients. They include elements such as fasting, fresh fruit-vegetable juices, avoiding alcohol and caffeine. While providing short-term weight loss in some individuals, this loss is usually due to decreased fluid and carbohydrate stores. Detox diets do not offer a long-term solution for weight loss and can severely restrict nutrient intake. Therefore, it is important to consult a dietitian before applying a detox diet. It may pose risks for individuals with health issues such as children, the elderly, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and individuals with health problems like diabetes.
Detox diets, which have become quite popular in recent years, let's see if they really work.
These diets are claimed to clean our blood and eliminate harmful toxins from our bodies. However, it is not entirely clear how they do this, which specific compounds they are supposed to eliminate, and even if they work or not.
Detox diets are usually short-term dietary interventions designed to eliminate toxins from your body.
These diets are designed to include at least one of the ingredients we will list below.
* Fasting for 1-3 days
* Drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, water, and tea
* Drinking only certain liquids like saltwater or lemon water
* Eliminating foods rich in heavy metals, pollutants, and allergens
* Taking supplements or herbs
* Avoiding all allergenic foods, then slowly reintroducing them
* Regular exercise
* Completely eliminating alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, and refined sugar
Then let's move on to the reasons for preferring detox diets;
* Resting our organs by fasting
* Cleansing our liver from toxins
* Increasing toxin excretion through urine, sweat, and feces
* Providing the entry of healthy nutrients into our bodies
In addition to all these, it is claimed that these diets also help various health problems such as obesity, digestive issues, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, allergies, bloating, and chronic fatigue. Also, it is stated that short-term fasting can improve various disease markers in some individuals, such as enhanced leptin and insulin sensitivity. However, these effects do not apply to everyone.
Studies on women have shown that both 48-hour rapid and 3-week low-calorie intake periods can increase stress hormone levels. In addition, since these diets involve feeling extreme hunger, they can also lead to an increase in stress levels in individuals. It is also important to note that human studies on detox diets are lacking, and the existing studies are flawed in significant aspects.
Very few scientific studies have investigated how detox diets affect weight loss. As a result, some people have lost weight very quickly, but this effect has been shown to result from loss of fluid and carbohydrate stores rather than fat. And it has been noted that the weight is quickly regained after this loss.
As a result, if a detox diet includes serious calorie restriction, it will definitely lead to weight loss and improvements in metabolic health, but it may not necessarily help you lose weight in the long term.
Detox diets can severely limit energy and nutrient intake and pose various risks to our health. Therefore, before applying detox or calorie-restricted diets, be sure to consult a dietitian. Also, individuals with blood sugar problems like children, teenagers, the elderly, malnourished individuals, pregnant or nursing women, or those with diabetes or eating disorders should avoid these diets.
