Most detox diets are followed in the hopes of flushing out the GI tract by removing built-up waste material and encouraging toxins to be expelled during elimination. The thinking is that people consume toxins every day from foods and from what they're exposed to in the environment and the only way to get rid of them is through a detox diet. However, science does not back up these claims --- the body is designed to rid itself of toxins naturally and detoxing through dieting or fasting may actually be harmful.
Healthier Diet
Many GI detox diets simply involve eating healthier. That is, you would eliminate addictive foods and substances like refined sugar, alcohol and caffeine and dramatically increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, according to CNNhealth.com. By eliminating unhealthy foods from your diet, your body will rid itself of toxins and place you in a better state of health.
Fasting
Another form of detoxing involves fasting. Popular options that use this method of detox are the Master Cleanse and the Fruit Flush. The Master Cleanse involves consuming vast quantities of only a special lemonade mixture every day for up to 14 days and performing a salt water flush that results in diarrhea each morning. The Fruit Flush lasts only three days and requires you to drink lots of water, eat lots of fruit and add protein powder to your smoothies.
Benefits
Undergoing a GI detox diet is intended to be easy on your digestive system so that the system can focus on purging toxins rather than digesting foods. You may feel lighter and more alert while detoxing and be able to eliminate caffeine and alcohol permanently from your diet following the detox. Even if the detox doesn't actually get rid of toxins as "USA Today" suggests, it can still help you to increase your intake of healthy foods, which puts you on a path toward improved health.
Side Effects
A GI detox diet does carry a few side effects. For instance, suddenly stopping your intake of caffeine can cause headaches and fatigue. Increasing the amount of vegetables you eat could cause digestive upset such as nausea and diarrhea. Fasting diets can cause you to feel dizzy, weak and nauseous, according to the Mayo Clinic, and may even cause nutritional deficiencies.
Considerations
Since science doesn't back up the claims that detox diets actually do any detoxing at all, the risk of going on a fasting diet may not be worth it, according to the Mayo Clinic. To make digestion easier for your GI tract, you would be better off cutting out the processed foods and increasing your fresh produce intake. In the end, a balanced diet, along with exercise, is the best way to achieve optimum health.
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