Toxins .. a useless word

Gojira74

There are no toxins in your body that you "sweat out" or "flush out." In the 1800s, people who sold magical cures were referred to as "snake oil salesmen." The idea that you have heavy metals or toxic chemicals in your body and you can sweat/flush them out is magical voodoo talk. Anyone who tries to sell you a product based on this idea is just another snake oil salesman.

redefiningmyself

and what do you base this opinion on??

ak_in_ak

Thank you! I am so sick of people talking about clenses and what not, just a waste of money.

jatcat310

Can I ask what you base your opinion on? I just like to know the why and how.

Silvergamma

Here is an article on the Master Cleanse that talks about why "detoxification":

http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/zimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use/master-cleanse-diet-master-scam/

The key bit from that article:

"The body uses the liver, kidneys, GI tract and the lungs to rid itself of many toxic materials. This is normal. Some toxins, however, cannot be eliminated normally because they build up in “hidden” locations such as fat tissue or within the airways (think of miner’s lung disease). Some of these toxins can be removed using highly sophisticated medical treatments, but some can’t and some people who work with certain toxic chemicals can die from this exposure. Most importantly, however, is that drinking this peppered lemonade could not in any possible way eliminate any of these toxins."

Your body has organs that take care of any nasty things that you ingest, inhale or absorb. Toxins exist, and sometimes require medical treatment to remove them, but the cleanses and fad "detox" programs out there are placebos.

Artemis_Acorn

Not exactly true, or you wouldn't need your liver and kidneys. Our bodies deal with many, many toxic substances every day. Toxins by definition are poisens that are produced by living organisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. They can be byproducts of our own very ordinary biological functions. Anything that helps make our bodies more efficient at evacuating these substances is beneficial our health.

Having gone the "cleanse" route myself a few times, I can vouch for that fact that I do feel better for a couple of weeks to months after I did it. Was it due to purging of toxins? I don't know, but I like feeling good, so I'll keep doing it regardless of any explaination that may or may not be readily available.

Eating 'clean' also makes me feel better. So does exercise. So does taking certain vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements, and fasting once a month. I'll keep doing those too.

ak_in_ak

Not exactly true, or you wouldn't need your liver and kidneys. Our bodies deal with many, many toxic substances every day. Toxins by definition are poisens that are produced by living organisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. They can be byproducts of our own very ordinary biological functions. Anything that helps make our bodies more efficient at evacuating these substances is beneficial our health.

Having gone the "cleanse" route myself a few times, I can vouch for that fact that I do feel better for a couple of weeks to months after I did it. Was it due to purging of toxins? I don't know, but I like feeling good, so I'll keep doing it regardless of any explaination that may or may not be readily available.

Eating 'clean' also makes me feel better. So does exercise. So does taking certain vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements, and fasting once a month. I'll keep doing those too.

the idea is that your body handels it naturally and buying over the counter products is useless

rankailie

Not exactly true, or you wouldn't need your liver and kidneys. Our bodies deal with many, many toxic substances every day. Toxins by definition are poisens that are produced by living organisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. They can be byproducts of our own very ordinary biological functions. Anything that helps make our bodies more efficient at evacuating these substances is beneficial our health.

Having gone the "cleanse" route myself a few times, I can vouch for that fact that I do feel better for a couple of weeks to months after I did it. Was it due to purging of toxins? I don't know, but I like feeling good, so I'll keep doing it regardless of any explaination that may or may not be readily available.

Eating 'clean' also makes me feel better. So does exercise. So does taking certain vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements, and fasting once a month. I'll keep doing those too.

the idea is that your body handels it naturally and buying over the counter products is useless

Not even just useless they can be downright dangerous. Flushing your body with cleanses can also push out necessary nutrients your body needs by not letting your body absorb it properly.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cleansing/AN00065

FTA:
Although doctors prescribe colon cleansing as preparation for medical procedures such as colonoscopy, most don't recommend colon cleansing for detoxification. Their reasoning is simple: Your digestive system and bowel naturally eliminate waste material and bacteria — your body doesn't need colon cleansing to do this.

In fact, colon cleansing can sometimes be harmful. The main concerns with colon cleansing are that it can:

Increase your risk of dehydration
Lead to bowel perforations
Increase the risk of infection
Cause a rise in your electrolytes, which can be dangerous if you have kidney disease or heart disease


Journal of Family Practice: The dangers of Colon Cleansing - http://www.jfponline.com/pdf/6008/6008JFP_Article1.pdf

kunibob

I've come to accept the depressing reality that pseudoscience holds more sway in our society than science. At least placebos really can have a strong impact on a person's well-being, so it's not a complete waste. If anyone tries to convince me that I should go on a cleanse, I will unleash SCIENCE! on them, but otherwise folks have the right to do whatever they want to their own bodies. ...though I must confess that it is difficult not to smack someone upside the head when they complain about how weak and nasty they feel because of "the toxins leaving the body." That's called a lack of calories and nutrients. :laugh:

On the other hand, I'd like to come down hard on the people peddling these things. Any time I read about folks dying or getting ill from "purification" and "cleansing" rituals, it makes my blood boil.

ohnuts14

You do "sweat" and "flush out" toxins, everyday. The skin, liver, kidneys, lungs, etc, all play a role in filtering our air, food, and water intake. The toxins (which refers to anyyy chemical or poison, whether it is a man made or a natural occurence, that affects the body negatively) is excreted out of the body in the form of sweat, urine, or feces. I do agree that the body does it pretty effectively on it's own, and I do think most products on the market are illegitimate. However, a detox through the form of fasting or eating clean, or doctor assisted treatments, can be helpful. Our body does pretty well on it's own, but we have doctors, and medicine, and hospitals, for a reason; because our bodies don't do everything 100%, which is what ultimately leads to sickness, disease, and even aging. Our life spans are drastically longer than they were only a century ago, and that's because of medical assistance. Part of our evolution is self-maintenance. I don't know how much detoxing helps, there isn't enough scientific research to support that it does, but there isn't enough to say it doesn't, either. At the very least, it can't hurt.

odusgolp

Here is an article on the Master Cleanse that talks about why "detoxification":

http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/zimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use/master-cleanse-diet-master-scam/

THAT is finally a great source. An intelligent source. Yes - Mercury is a toxin. And no enema no matter how strong is gonna fix it. See a doctor. Let your body work it's magic otherwise.

odusgolp

Not to be gross - but it's like douching. If any woman regularly douches, she's very likely to get BV or other problems because imbalancing her own natural goodies (bacteria is a goody sometimes!).

Love your coolie.

Gojira74

People are very flip with the word toxins. Honestly, most likely none of you are suffering from heavy metal toxicity and buying an enema or "flush" kit would have no effect. You do store certain chemicals (everything is a chemical, so I hate this word too) in your fat tissue, but you can't really do anything about that. I'm referencing the concept that you detoxify your body with weird pills and diets. The best you can do is avoid foods with high levels of heavy metals. When someone says "toxin" without being specific, you should be skeptical and ask what toxin and by what mechanism their claim would use to remove it.

Doctor assisted diets that address specific areas of ill health are different than people selling you "detox" based on garbage science. Kioki pads are a perfect example. You are NEVER going to leech toxins out of the bottom of your foot.

kunibob

Not to be gross - but it's like douching. If any woman regularly douches, she's very likely to get BV or other problems because imbalancing her own natural goodies (bacteria is a goody sometimes!).

Love your coolie.

So happy to see someone say this. Very true.