Master Cleanse Information

Pucker up for a mix of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper if you plan to try the Master Cleanse diet. This so-called detox diet was originally created by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s and made popular again by entrepreneur Peter Glickman in the 1990s. Endorsed by several celebrities, the Master Cleanse is the most popular diet in its category; however, it may not deserve all the acclaim. Is the Master Cleanse diet a lemon?

Master Cleanse Overview

The Master Cleanse is a 10-day liquid diet. Followers down six to 12 8-oz. glasses of a drink made with fresh lemon juice, grade-B maple syrup and cayenne pepper. In addition, adherents follow a laxative regimen that requires drinking a "saltwater flush" made of water and sea salt each morning and an herbal laxative tea each evening.

Health Claims

Peter Glickman's website states that hundreds of thousands of Master Cleanse dieters have lost weight, kicked cravings for unhealthy foods, detoxified their bodies, improved their health and regained the energy of youth. There are also claims that the diet relieves symptoms of chronic fatigue, arthritis and other chronic health conditions. No data exists to support the health claims associated with the Master Cleanse, according to Harvard's July 22, 2008 HEALTHbeat newsletter.

Side Effects

Master Cleanse dieters may experience side effects, such as irritability, tiredness, food cravings, nausea, vomiting, aches and pains, headaches, frequent bowel movements and diarrhea. Although Mr. Glickman claims these symptoms are due to the cleanse doing its job of detoxification, they are actually due to the very low calorie intake and dehydration resulting from frequent bowel movements and diarrhea, according to Harvard.

Risks

There are risks associated with the Master Cleanse diet. The lemon juice concoction lacks vital nutrients, such as fatty acids and protein. The diet is very low in calories -- only about 600 per day -- and all are supplied by carbohydrates. The twice-daily laxative requirements can cause dehydration that can lead to disruption of the body's electrolyte balance, potentially resulting in metabolic acidosis, coma and death. The laxatives can also disrupt normal bowel function and impact the normal flora in the bowel that play a role in normal digestion. (Reference 2)

Expert Opinion

Dieters are lured to the Master Cleanse and other detox programs out of fear of environmental and dietary toxins, such as dioxins, pesticides and carcinogens, and the desire to cleanse these toxins from the body, according to Beth Reardon, M.S., R.D., of Duke Integrative Medicine. She states there is no science to support the health claims of detox diets. Reardon also says the body has very effective built-in detoxification systems, such as the kidneys and liver, and supporting these systems with healthy food and hydration is all that's needed.