The cayenne pepper, lemon and water cleanse, more popularly known as the Master Cleanse or lemonade diet is not good for your health. Although the people who peddle the diet say it is safe and easy to use, doctors do not endorse the use of fasting diets or detoxing cleanses to lose weight or aid recovery from any disease or condition.
History
The Master Cleanse diet was first devised by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s. Burroughs, an alternative health practitioner, devised the diet to address stomach ulcers and not as a weight loss aid or detox regimen. Burroughs believed that fasting with the diet could cure his patients' ulcers and reported that he had some success. However, this approach has not been medically verified so consult your doctor before treating an ulcer with a fasting diet.
Use
For this diet, you mix lemon juice in water and add cayenne pepper into a 60-ounce measurement and drink this for 10 days in place of meals. Maple syrup is commonly used to sweeten the drink, although several variations exist on the recipe.
Benefits
Fans of this diet say that you can eliminate toxins from your system and treat a range of disorders. They say that you will lose weight on the diet, increase your energy stores and treat such conditions as arthritis and fibromyalgia. Some say they see an improvement in their skin after such a regime but there are no scientifically proven benefits to this diet. Dr. Roger Clemens of the University of Southern California says that while you will lose weight on this diet, you will regain it once the regimen ends.
Side Effects
There are a myriad of potential side effects associated with this diet. Headaches and a dip in blood sugar can be expected in the short-term, while in the long-term, you may experience anemia, fainting, an irregular heartbeat and nutritional deficiency. Dawn Jackson Blatner of the American Dietetic Association warns that such diets can be very problematic and advises against eliminating whole food groups from your diet.
Warning
Do not attempt a detox diet if you have any health conditions, especially diabetes. Changes to blood sugar caused by this diet can present serious problems. Children, old people and any pregnant or breastfeeding woman should not attempt this diet. This diet is also unsuitable for anyone with heart problems. Even if you are in good health, do not attempt this diet -- heart palpitations are a potential side effect. Malnourishment, dehydration and even a coma or death are all possible with this diet, according to Harvard's "HEALTHbeat" magazine.
References
- "The Complete Master Cleanse -- A Step-by-Step Guide to Maximizing the Benefits of The Lemonade Diet;" Tom Woloshyn; 2007
- "Staying Healthy with Nutrition -- The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine;" Elson M. Haas and Buck Levin; 2006
- Harvard HEALTHbeat: The Dubious Practice of Detox
- University of Souther California -- USCHealthNow: Debunking Detox Diets
- Kansas State University: Dining on a Dime -- Eating Better for Less
- Medill Reports -- Chicago Northwestern University: Demystifying Detox Diets
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