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DEL.ICIO.USWeight Loss and Fitness Myth #15: Detox and Fasting Flushes out Impurities and Helps you Lose Fat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The popularity of detoxifying has had it’s peaks and valleys over the past few decades. Usually, the popularity is created by those who do it in the entertainment industry. For those of you who don’t know what a “detox” is, let me explain.
Detoxifying is the idea of radically restricting caloric intake in order to “flush out” impurities that are left in the body. According to detox-diet books, these impurities come from our current food supply and suppress the immune system. The most popular detoxification plan at this time is the Master Cleanse. The Master Cleanse involves only drinking a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper, plus a laxative tea and salt water for 10 days.
Though, there are a few people out there who actually do this fasting plan to get rid of impurities, the bottom-line truth is that most people do it to lose weight. I will pick on the weight loss thing in just a second, for now, I will pick on the “detox” part. There is absolutely no evidence that going on any kind of fasting or detoxification flushes out impurities, nor does it improve the immune system. As a matter of fact, the opposite has been shown. When you fast, you actually deplete your body of vitamins and minerals. By the way, you can’t simply replace them by taking vitamins, as you need food to absorb micronutrients. You also lose “good” bacteria when you fast. Once again, taking something to replace it is not ideal, when you should prevent it to begin with.
As far as weight loss is concerned, there is no denying that you lose “weight.” However, most of the weight loss is not from fat, it is from a loss of water, a depletion of food in the digestive track, and eventually muscle. If you’re told that you don’t lose water because you’re drinking water, that’s a lie too. The “cleansing” part is more a result of the constant going to the bathroom, as the concoctions used usually operate as laxatives. You also lose water by depleting foods, mainly carbohydrates (this is not a good thing folks). Inevitably, studies show that going on restrictive calorie plans of any kind can cause you to gain more weight over time.
I already know that there are many people that will disagree with what I am telling you. Many of which are a part of my industry. The only problem is that there is no scientific evidence to support detoxification or fasting. (The only time I support fasting is for religious purposes. In this case, the purpose of fasting has another meaning). One more time, let me share that the opposite shows to be true. When you detox or fast, you are going to mess up other physiological functions. The body does an excellent job of expelling impurities on it’s own. Whether you’re trying to detox or lose weight, the best policy is to include a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and drink plenty of water.
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