AIDS) and cancer. However, there is insufficient evi-
dence to support such claims.
Benefits
Claimed benefits of detox diets include higher
energy levels, increased mental clarity and ability to
concentrate, clearer skin, improved digestion, and
more restful sleep. Many of these improvements may
simply be due to better hydration as such diets encour-
age high fluid intake. Some people also lose weight on
detox diets, but emphasize that weight reduction should
never be the primary purpose of following one of these
regimens.
Precautions
In general, anyone considering a detoxification diet
should consult a health professional beforehand. Some
serious diseases, including cancer, may have minor
symptoms at onset, including headaches, low back
pain, and fatigue. These symptoms can easily be mis-
attributed to stress or poor eating habits. Some thera-
pists recommend requesting blood, urine, stool, and
liver function tests from a physician before undergoing
a detoxification diet.
Individuals who should not undertake a detoxifi-
cation diet are:
Pregnant or lactating women.
Children.
People with diabetes, hypothyroidism, heart disease,
anorexia or bulimia nervosa, kidney or liver disease,
stomach ulcers, impaired immune function, epilepsy,
cancer, terminal illness, active infections, or ulcer-
ative colitis.
People who are underweight.
People with alcohol or drug addictions.
People who have recently undergone surgery or
treatment for severe burns.
Prescription medications should be taken as usual
during a detoxification diet. The dieter should not
discontinue medications or reduce dosages without
consulting a physician.
Anyone on a detoxification diet who feels faint or
dizzy, develops an abnormal heart rhythm, feels nau-
seated or vomits, or has signs of low blood pressure,
should discontinue the fast and consult their doctor at
once.
Detox diets may encourage yo-yo dieting, which
is detrimental to health. They should not be under-
taken more than three times a year without medical
supervision.
Risks
The major risks to health from detoxification diets
include metabolic crises in patients with undiagnosed
diabetes; flare-ups or worsening of stomachulcers;
dizziness or fainting due to sudden lowering of blood
pressure; diarrhea that may result indehydrationand
an imbalance ofelectrolytesin the body; and protein
orcalciumdeficiencies from unsupervised long-term
juice fasts. Some people develop dental erosion from
raw-food detoxification diets.
Other side effects reported include headaches
(often caused by sudden withdrawal fromcaffeine),
fatigue,constipation(from extra fiber combined with
inadequate water intake), acne, irritability, dysmenor-
rhea (painful periods) in women, and intense hunger.
Raw-food detoxification diets increase the risk of
contracting parasites or other foodborne illnesses
caused by organisms normally destroyed in cooking
or pasteurization. In addition, some raw vegetables,
such as rhubarb leaves and stalks, buckwheat greens,
kidney beans, kidney bean sprouts, and raw potatoes
that have turned green are toxic, particularly if con-
sumed in large quantities.
People on detoxification diets who undergo colon-
ics are at risk of contracting an infection from improp-
erly sterilized colonic equipment; of serious illness or
death from electrolyte imbalances in the blood; or of
serious illness or death resulting from perforation of the
intestinal wall by improperly inserted equipment.
Colonics can also worsen the symptoms of ulcerative
colitis.Research and general acceptance
Detoxification diets are generally dismissed as fads
by such professional nutritionists’ organizations as the
American Dietetic Association (ADA) and other main-
stream medical groups. Most physicians point out that
the human body is a remarkably efficient organism thatQUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR
DOCTOR What type of detoxification diet would you
recommend for me?
What is your opinion of alternative practitioners’
explanations of the need for detoxification?
Have any of your other patients ever tried a
mono diet? If so, did they develop any health
problems?Detoxification diets