There has been some national press coverage around the subject of “detoxing” recently, a lot of it stipulating that detox diets are a fad, that it is a nonsense term with no real meaning and that products associated with it are a waste of money. I wanted to write about “detoxing” this month and to comment on if it is something that we should consider doing or whether it is just a word that has become part of the marketing lexicon of health and beauty companies with merchandise to sell.
The first point to make is that the natural process of “detoxification” is something that is ongoing in our body’s, all of the time. The organs that are largely responsible for this are the liver and kidneys with the skin, lungs and lymphatics helping out as well. If these myriad natural biological processes were to stop we would become ill very quickly. It is part of normal cellular metabolism to produce waste products. These are dealt with through homeostatic (the balance of the internal workings of the body) mechanisms so that they do not accumulate and cause harm. So, I think it is fair to say that if you are of good general health you almost certainly do not need to “detox”. It is something that your body is naturally very adept at doing as part of your normal biology.
The issue with “detoxing” is further highlighted by the inability of the companies selling “detox” products to be able to define exactly what the toxins are that they are meant to be helping. We are all surrounded by organisms from bacteria to fungi and come into contact with chemicals that have the potential to do harm on a daily basis. But again, most of us are lucky enough to have a functioning immune system and natural defences to deal with, disable and process those foreign bodies so that they do no harm. This all happens without us even needing to think about it.
But patients of mine do report feeling better when they have been on a “detox” diet. So what is going on? The benefits that people feel are often simply because they exclude foods and drink that are not healthy for them anyway. Detoxing normally incorporates eliminating processed food, alcohol and caffeine, drinking more water along with generally being more active. Therefore, the benefits one might feel are not necessarily due to you detoxing more but the fact that you are implementing lifestyle changes that are conducive to better health anyway.
Just because these natural processes occur without the need of any assistance does not mean that we should not reflect on the state of our health or try to do something about it if we are feeling under par. We all have periods of overindulgence and may need to address aspects of our well being from time to time. It is just not necessary to buy products or eat in a novel way to be able to achieve optimum health. The usual rules apply. Eat nutrient dense real food, keep hydrated, move slowly often with occasional brief bursts of more intense activity, sleep well and try to reduce stress in your life and your body will do all the “detoxing” you will ever need.
Summary
- The body is naturally adept at “detoxing” without the need for any help from bought products or novel ways of eating
- This does not mean that we should not reflect upon the state of our health from time to time.
- The usual rules apply: eat real food, be active on a daily basis, sleep well and try to reduce negative stress as much as possible in your life and your body will do all the “detoxing” you ever need.
