Juice cleanses and liquid detox diets are all the rage, with many adherents and celebrities claiming they are a healthy way to lose weight quickly and eliminate toxins from their bodies.
But what scientific evidence backs such claims? Not much, according to a new analysis by the
Live Science Website that finds that such restrictive eating plans fail to live up to their health-promoting promises.
Joy Dubost, a dietitian in Washington, D.C., and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says anyone who wants to follow a more cleansing diet should increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich foods, and water in their diets.
Dubost reviewed seven health claims commonly made by liquid cleansing programs to help separate fact from fiction.
Claim: Avoiding solid foods for 12 or more hours causes the body to switch into "cleanse mode," and excrete toxins.
Fact: The body is always in a natural state of cleansing and has a built-in system for detoxification: the liver, lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract work to remove toxins or harmful substances.
Claim: Drinking juice removes fiber from the diet, allowing the digestive system to rest and detoxify the body.
Fact: There is no science evidence that the digestive system needs to rest and limiting fiber can interfere with the proper function of the gastrointestinal tract.
Claim: Cleansing kick starts the metabolism.
Fact: Actually, cleanses will cause bodies to conserve the calories and nutrient stores they have, which slows down metabolism.
Claim: Cleansing improves mental clarity and focus.
Fact: If anything, cleansing does the opposite, noting that the brain runs on glucose.
Claim: Cleansing rapidly sheds unwanted pounds.
Fact: A person might see results on the scale after doing a juice cleanse, but the loss is primarily due to loss of water weight and muscle weight, and potentially over time, someone could lose bone mass.
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