A quick-cleanse detox diet is designed to rid your body of impurities and toxins that have been absorbed from your environment. Sometimes, this comes just from exposure to toxins in the air and common household products and from impurities in food and water. The human body does filter out impurities through the kidneys and liver, but it can take a lot of time when the impurities are continuing to be added from smoking, drug use and regular environmental contaminants.
Types
A detox diet will have you eating raw fruits and vegetables and drinking juices and water. The many quick-cleansing detox diets touted on the market vary with what you are eating or drinking, but they all generally follow a period of fasting and then a raw diet. Some quick-cleaning detox diets recommend herbs and supplements as well as using enemas and laxatives to cleanse the colon. Another form of a quick-cleaning detox diet is metabolic therapy used by cancer patients and researched by the American Cancer Society, which works by removing contaminants from foods and adding supplements and enzymes. This method should be utilized only under the care of a doctor.
Time Frame
A detox diet lasts about one week to 10 days and is typically utilized at least twice a year in order to improve your health. It may be appropriate to follow it more often if you suffer from a specific disease, if you are exposed to more toxins than the average person because of the nature of your occupation or if it is recommended by a doctor.
Benefits
Many people report feeling less fatigued and having more energy than before a detox and report that their previous symptoms disappear. Many people decide to do a quick cleanse to relieve bloating and allergy symptoms.
Expert Insight
According to nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic, detox diets are not supported by evidence to be effective. "Most ingested toxins are efficiently and effectively removed by the kidneys and liver and excreted in urine and stool," Zeratsky says.
Warning
Some people who have heart or kidney disease or certain cancers should only consider a detox diet under strict supervision of a doctor. This is because of the power of the diet, which makes your kidneys work harder to cleanse the impurities out of the body. Sometimes, people who have cancer or heart disease are already in a weakened state, and a detox diet can result in an increased risk for infection.
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