Should I do this cleanse?

taso42

Should I do the [insert name of cleanse] cleanse?

taso42

No. Don't waste your time, money or health. The body does an excellent job of "cleansing" itself. Just treat it right and it will treat you right. There is no "cleanse" as effective as simply eating well.

"The best way to 'detox' the body is simply to let your body do its job. Unless you have a medical problem, your body takes care of itself quite nicely, experts say.

"The liver and kidneys are nature's best-kept secret, because they are the weapons to eliminate toxins from your body," says Gerbstadt. "If you are concerned about certain substances in your diet, it is easier and safer to simply eliminate [those substances] rather than engage in unhealthy detox plans."

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=64306
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/detox-diets-purging-myths

According to Chau Che MD, with New York University:

"Despite evidence to the contrary, the idea that colon cleansing is therapeutic by removing impurities, lives on. However, these claims largely fail to consider normal physiology. The digestive tract has inherent properties that work to clean our colon. After food ingestion, the small intestine absorbs nutrients and contracts to move indigestible residue into the colon. The colon continues the digestive process by absorbing and secreting electrolytes and fluids while its resident bacteria ferments the undigested food products. These are just some of the many mechanisms in which the digestive tract works in order to ensure that the colon does not become encrusted with fecal matter as some products claim. The black, rubbery material passed on a colon cleanse is actually a byproduct from the supplements and fiber in the colon cleansing product as opposed to old fecal material, in which consumers are led to believe."

http://www.clinicalcorrelations.org/?p=1605
Reviewed by Michael Poles MD and Fritz Francois MD, NYU Division of Gastroenterology

taso42

http://lifehacker.com/5908996/why-body-detoxification-is-a-myth-and-you-should-stop-wasting-money-on-detox-products

chrisdavey

Credit to SaraUK2SF

There are multiple posts on a daily basis about people wanting to do detoxes and cleanses. Some are merely cutting out say sugar, meat and dairy for a few days to ‘kickstart’ their diet and 'boost' their metabolism and some are much more extreme such as the Master Cleanse/Lemonade Diet.

There is no real definition as to what constitutes a detox diet, however they tend to be lower in calories and cut out things like sugars, processed foods, meat and dairy and encourage lots of fruits, vegetables, water, and tea. Some, such as the Master Cleanse, recommend some awful concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper.

In fact, the Master Cleanse is a particularly ridiculous and potentially dangerous one as the extreme version of it encourages the use of enemas and laxatives. The loon who came up with this in 1940, Stanley Burroughs, was convicted of practicing medicine without a license and imprisoned, and he was convicted of second degree murder, later overturned, for his role in the death of a desperate leukemia patient, whose cancer Burroughs tried to cure with the Master Cleanse and other irresponsible batsh!t crazy practices. To put his totally whacko’ness into perspective, here is a following quote from him when asked about protein “we are able to assimilate and build the nitrogen also into our bodies as protein … by natural bacteria action….” In other words, by breathing!

Unfortunately the media has reported a few celebrities that have done them which encourages people to try them.

There is absolutely no reason you needs to detox or cleanse anything. Our body does a very good job of it already and there is no medical evidence that these diets actually rid the body of any toxins that would not be discarded in bodily waste under a normal diet.

We tend to forget that the body is equipped with a perfectly good detoxification system of its own, which includes the following:

The skin: The main function of the body’s largest organ is to provide a barrier against harmful substances, from bacteria and viruses to heavy metals and chemical toxins.

The respiratory system: Fine hairs inside the nose trap dirt and other large particles that may be inhaled. Smaller particles that make it to the lungs are expelled from the airways in mucus.

The immune system: Our network of cells and molecules is designed to recognize foreign substances and eliminate them from the body.

The intestines: Lymph nodes in the small intestine screen out parasites and other foreign substances before nutrients are absorbed into the blood from the colon.

The liver: Neutralizes harmful metals and regulates the metabolism of drugs.

The kidneys: Very efficient in filtering out waste substances and moving them out of the body.


There are a number of potential issues with these detoxes and cleanses, apart from the fact that they do not actually detox anything including:

- very low calories and a lack protein. Depending on how long it lasts you run the risk of losing LBM

- very low fat. Fats are necessary for healthy body functions.

- a lack of nutrients. They are often lacking in a range of minerals and vitamins

- the ones that promote cleanses that have a laxative effect have additional issues regarding cramping, depleted electrolytes, dehydration and the need to stay near a bathroom to deal with a case of the squits.

- a feeling of deprivation which can lead to binge eating

- they can also be dangerous to people with certain medical conditions

- disruption of intestinal flora (good bacteria in the intestines)

- perpetuating an unhealthy relationship with food and not encouraging healthy eating habits



In short: you want to feel better, eat a balanced diet with mainly nutritious foods and keep yourself hydrated. You want to lose weight, eat at a reasonable calorific deficit.