Do Detoxes Work? The Truth About Detoxes and Cleanses
The Truth About How the Body Naturally Detoxes
Thinking about doing a detox or cleanse? Perhaps the promise of losing 5 pounds in 3 days sounds great! It’s quick and easy, and the pounds melt off! You also need to get all of the nasty toxins out of your body. Detoxes and cleanses promise quick weight loss results and the removal of toxins, but do detoxes work?
This article guides you through everything you need to know about detoxes and cleanses.
1. The DL about detoxes and cleanses
2. Do detoxes work?
3. How does the body naturally detox itself?
4. What you can do to help your body naturally detox
The DL About Detoxes and Cleanses
There are so many detox and cleanses out there and they’re not all the same. But, here are some of the most common protocols that you might see if you are looking for a detox or cleanse diet. They’re not all the same, but the idea is to cleanse the body of toxins.
A detox or cleanse usually:
Restricts foods that you can eat- only fruits and vegetables are allowed.
Encourages fasting (no drinking or eating for a set period of time)
Allows only certain beverages to be consumed- this varies.
Encourages taking supplements and/or herbs.
Is a restrictive diet
A restrictive diet does the following:
It limits the types of foods you can eat.
It limits the amount of food that you can eat.
As mentioned, not all cleanses are the same. For some cleanses you can drink tea. Some cleanses are strictly juice cleanses. Some cleanses last for days, while others last for months.
Now, to Answer the Big Question, “Do Detoxes Work?”
At this point in time, there is no scientific evidence that detoxes work. That’s probably not what you want to hear. There are tons of influencers and people who say that detoxes do work! People who swear that they feel so much better after detoxing and cleansing. So, is everything those people say untrue?
Well…
Doctors and scientists say that the reason why you might feel better after a detox or cleanse is because you are eating more fruits and vegetables, which may have not been what you were doing before the detox or cleanse. [1]
But what about all of the weight that people lose? Doesn’t that mean that detoxes work?
It is true that you can quickly lose a few pounds after a detox or cleanse. BUT, the weight you might lose is water weight- it’s not fat- and it will probably come back after you’re done detoxing. A detox or cleanse is not a long-term solution to weight loss.
Again, this might not be what you want to hear, but there is good news.
Your body naturally cleanses itself of toxins! Your body already gets rid of toxins naturally -with your kidneys and liver- and it is free! You don’t need to spend tons of money on detox and cleanse programs and supplements. Your body is already doing the work.
How Does the Body Naturally Detox Itself?
Now, you do not have to know the nitty-gritty of how your kidneys and liver work, but it’s still good to have a basic understanding of how these organs work. The kidneys and liver do A LOT for your body. This description from Cleveland Clinic sums up how toxins are naturally filtered from your body.
“When the liver has broken down harmful substances, its by-products are excreted into the bile or blood. Bile by-products enter the intestine and leave the body in the form of feces. Blood by-products are filtered out by the kidneys, and leave the body in the form of urine.” [2]
Your liver:
Breaks down harmful substances
The toxic substances are turned into bile
The bile moves to the intestines & leaves the body 💩
Your kidneys:
Filter your blood
Move the waste to your bladder
The waste- urine AKA pee- says “Peace out!” and leaves your body.
Yup, your body is amazing because it naturally detoxes itself! It gets rid of harmful substances that are not good for you.
Even though the answer is “no” to whether or not detoxes work, you can still do a lot to aid and support the body to naturally detox itself! The key to a healthy body that will naturally detox itself is to build healthy habits that you can do over a long period of time.
It’s Time to Ditch the Detoxes and Cleanses! Here’s What You Can Do.
Instead of restricting yourself, here are some things you can add to your routine to help your body naturally detox itself!
1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Drink enough water to help flush out your waste through urine. The recommended amount of water that you should drink a day if you are a man over 19 is 104 ounces.
The recommended amount of water that you should drink a day if you are a woman over 19 is 72 ounces. If you are pregnant, then the amount of water goes up. It is recommended to drink 80 ounces of water while pregnant. If you are breastfeeding, then you should drink even more water-104 ounces of water a day. [3]
So, grab your water bottle and stay hydrated!
2. Eat Foods High in Fiber.
High-fiber foods help aid digestion. 💩
Foods high in fiber:
Pears
Apples
Mangos
Bananas
Berries
Sweet potatoes
Chickpeas
Lentils
Beans
Almonds
Flax seeds
Oatmeal
Brown rice
3. Reduce Alcohol Intake
If you want to expose your body to less toxins, then reducing how much alcohol you drink is key. In a society that normalizes drinking alcohol, this information can be shocking. Alcohol is pretty much everywhere. It’s at your favorite restaurants, parties, formal events, movie theaters, concerts, and on and on and on.
Of course, you can have a glass of wine on a special occasion. However, to be completely truthful and transparent, it is important to note that alcohol is a toxin. No matter what you drink, or how much you drink, you are exposing yourself to a toxin when you drink alcohol. [4] And, your liver is the main organ that processes alcohol. So, keep your liver healthy and expose yourself to less toxins by limiting how much alcohol you drink.
4. Catch Some Z’s
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
Try to get enough sleep every night. We all know that getting enough sleep is sometimes easier said than done. Maybe you are in a phase of life where getting enough sleep is just not happening. Keep in mind that it’s a phase, and try to get as much sleep as you can.
Adults need 7 or more hours of sleep a night. [5] Sleep is important to maintain a healthy brain and body. I’m sure you’ve felt the effects on your body after a bad night of sleep. Maybe you were groggy and your body felt slow. It was probably harder to do tasks throughout the day. So if you want your body to perform well, then sleep is so important.
5. Start Sweating
Regular exercise is a great way to keep your liver and kidneys- and your entire body- strong and healthy.
Detoxes and cleanses sound great because they are fast and easy. But, the best way to take care of your body is to exercise. Exercise is a powerful way to support your liver and kidneys.
Regular exercise improves blood flood, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of obesity- key factors in keeping your organs healthy.
So instead of asking, do detoxes work?-focus on hydrating your body, eating foods high in fiber, reducing your alcohol intake, getting enough sleep, and regularly exercising. It’s not fast or easy, but the results will last.
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