Gentle Body Cleanse Diet

Your fruits and vegetables likely still carry pesticides that, in large quantities, can be detrimental to your health. Highly processed foods have unhealthy chemicals in them, as does the polluted air you breathe and the water you drink. In a 2005 study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reportedly found trace elements of over 60 toxins in 2,000 people from all over the country. Body cleanse or detoxification diets supposedly help you purge your body of these toxins. While you may make dietary adjustments to optimize your health in a toxic world, be aware that detox diets aren't scientifically proven and could be harmful. Never undergo such a plan without consulting your doctor first.

Features

Detoxification plans usually include a diet lasting about a week or 10 days. Some detox programs promote a diet of raw fruits and vegetables. Others advocate abstaining from solid food completely for a period of time, drinking only water or natural fruit juices. Detox promoters also sell supplements containing fiber or diuretic herbs that supposedly help you eliminate toxins stuck in your system.

Theories

According to Dr. Lynn Hardy, founder of the Global College of Natural Medicine, if fecal matter collects on the walls of the colon, it breeds bacteria that poisons the body -- a process that body cleansing advocates call "autointoxication." Detoxification advocates believe poisons produced by the body and consumed or breathed from food, water and air cause people to suffer rashes, frequent colds, fatigue, constipation, allergies and bad breath, among other discomforts. They also believe these toxins are responsible for chronic diseases and conditions like cancer, diabetes and asthma.

Gentle Detoxification

Though some of the extreme forms of detoxification can be dangerous, you can gently cleanse your system by making sure you get enough dietary fiber. There are many different types of fiber, but fiber in fruits, vegetables and wheat bran do the best job of helping your body eliminate waste more efficiently, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. A Harvard University study of over 40,000 healthy men found that a high amount dietary fiber significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease, and the Harvard School of Public Health website states that dietary fiber may also reduce the risk of diverticular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Warning

If you choose a body cleansing diet that eliminates entire food groups, even for a few days, you may suffer adverse side effects, including fatigue, nausea, dizziness and dehydration. Herbs and other supplements common to detox diet programs may have severe diuretic effects that can cause liver damage if taken in large quantities. Since these products do not contain drugs, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate them and the manufacturers are not required to label the quantity of diuretic ingredients. Thus, a detox diet may not always be as healthy or as gentle as it looks.

Considerations

When considering a detox program, don't place too much faith in the testimonials others have given about the beneficial effects of body cleansing. Your body may not respond to it the same way their bodies did. Also, marketers won't publish negative experiences customers have had, and some detox diet and supplement promoters have faced lawsuits from people who had adverse effects. Finally, consider Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky's speculation that when people feel energized and healthier while undergoing or after completing a body cleansing diet, it "may be belief that they're doing something good for their bodies."