Experts warn of detox diet dangers

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Experts warn of detox diet dangers

Fasting programs are getting more popular, but watch out for the risks

By s, R.D.

Updated: 8:30 a.m. PT May 18, 2007

Popular detox diets promise to flush poisons from your body, purge

pounds of excess fat, clear your complexion and bolster your immune

system.

But experts say there's little evidence that extreme regimens such as

the Master Cleanse or Fruit Flush do anything more than lead to

unpleasant, unhealthy side effects.

Still, these super-restrictive eating plans are hotter than ever,

thanks to being linked to lanky celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow

and Angelina Jolie. Beyonce Knowles attributed her 20-pound weight

loss for the movie " Dreamgirls " to the Master Cleanse — a starvation

diet whose adherents swallow nothing but a concoction of lemon juice

mixed with maple syrup, water and cayenne pepper, as well as salt

water and a laxative tea for 10 days.

The idea of detoxifying or purifying the body of harmful substances

has been around for centuries and cycles back into popularity now and

again. There are no hard numbers on how many people have tried the

latest fashionable plans, much less stuck with them, but dozens of

new do-it-yourself fasting books are glutting bookstore shelves.

That's what has nutrition experts sounding the alarm over possible

risks from lengthy or repeated fasts. Vitamin deficiencies, muscle

breakdown and blood-sugar problems — not to mention frequent liquid

bowel movements — are some of the seriously unpleasant drawbacks to

these plans, which are skimpy on solid foods and often call for

laxatives.

" Long-term fasts lead to muscle breakdown and a shortage of many

needed nutrients, " says Lona Sandon, a Dallas dietitian and

spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Depriving the

body of the vitamins and minerals we get from food can " actually

weaken the body's ability to fight infections and inflammation, " she

says.

Because the crash diets can upset blood sugar, potassium and sodium

levels in the body, people with diabetes, heart or kidney disease or

women who are pregnant or nursing shouldn't try them, experts say.

Children, teens, older adults or people with certain digestive

conditions should also steer clear.

The scores of detox diet books and kits out there each have their own

take on how to cleanse the body — one calls for spices and fruit

juices, another for only vegetable purees — but most of them boil

down to extremely low-calorie, primarily liquid diets.

The idea behind these plans, which can last anywhere from three days

to about a month, is to rid the body of toxins absorbed from the

environment and the less-than-healthy foods we eat. This cleansing is

supposed to leave you feeling energized.

Some plans restrict all solid foods and instruct dieters to survive

on only low-calorie beverages for days at a time. The Joshi holistic

diet involves an elaborate list of so-called acid-forming foods to

avoid for three weeks, including seemingly healthy veggies and

grains.

Many intestinal experts say we don't need an extreme diet to cleanse

our insides.

" Your body does a perfectly good job of getting rid of toxins on its

own, " says Dr. Nasir Moloo, a gastroenterologist with Capitol

Gastroenterology Consultants Medical Group in Sacramento,

Calif. " There's no evidence that these types of diets are necessary

or helpful. "

While there are medical conditions that interfere with organ function

and prevent the body from clearing toxins, healthy people already

have a built-in detoxification system — the liver, kidneys, lungs and

skin, says Moloo.

And by attempting to flush out the " bad stuff " from our intestines,

Sandon warns, you're also " flushing out the good bacteria that keep

the intestines healthy. "

Lots of bathroom time

The side effects from prolonged, severe calorie restriction can

include headache, fatigue, irritability, aches and pains. Because

many rely on aggressive laxatives, these diets can also get pretty

messy. Frequent bathroom visits can lead to irritation and breakdown

of skin on your bottom, as well as dehydration.

While believers claim they feel lighter and more energetic, studies

on starvation show the longer you fast, the more lethargic and less

focused you become. Because most of these diets contain very little

protein, it can be difficult for the body to rebuild lost muscle

tissue.

Although people can quickly drop pounds on these diets, the majority

of people regain all the weight they lose on any diet, especially the

highly restrictive varieties, according to recent research published

in American Psychologist, the journal of the American Psychological

Association. While people can lose 5 to 10 percent of their weight in

the first few months of a diet, up to two-thirds of people regain

even more weight than they lost within four or five years, the

researchers found.

Cutting back on high-fat foods, eating in moderation and consuming

more vegetables and fruits may not seem as glamorous as starving

yourself like a celebrity for days, but it's healthier for you in the

long run and certainly sexier than rushing to the bathroom all day.