Stanley Burroughs, a holistic medicine advocate, introduced the Master Cleanse diet in the 1940s. People use this controversial diet to lose weight and purportedly to remove impurities from their bodies. Because little evidence supports the efficacy of the Master Cleanse diet, you should talk to your doctor before beginning a cleanse to ensure that it is a safe choice.
Claims
Testimonials from Master Cleanse practitioners claim that the diet improves overall health and well-being. The Master Cleanse purportedly improves energy, promotes weight loss, decreases bad breath and body odor, improves skin clarity and reduces chronic pain. The diet supposedly works by sweeping toxins from your cells and cleansing your digestive tract of waste.
Ingredients
The Master Cleanse diet consists of a lemonade beverage made from three key ingredients: lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Cleanse practitioners recommend using USDA-certified organic lemons to avoid pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and other chemical residue. Freshly squeezed lemons act as a cleansing agent in your body. The maple syrup in your lemonade drink should be organic grade B maple syrup, which contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. Dieters use organic ground cayenne pepper to boost metabolism and improve digestion. All ingredients are blended with fresh, purified water.
Diet Features
The typical Master Cleanse diet lasts for 10 days, although some people follow the diet for up to a month. Dieters must drink 60 oz. of the lemonade beverage throughout the day in place of solid food. Drinking purified water is also permitted. Master Cleanse dieters begin each day with a saltwater flush in which they drink 2 quarts of warm sea saltwater. This induces sudden bowel movements that clear the colon of fecal matter.
Warning
No medical research supports the use of the Master Cleanse diet to detoxify your body. Karen Crawford, a dietitian from Georgia, reports that the Master Cleanse may cause dramatic weight loss but can leave your body deprived of essential nutrients. Dieters often regain weight after returning to a normal diet. To avoid dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and other medical problems, consult your doctor about the safety and effectiveness of the Master Cleanse diet.
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