Most body detoxes require consumption of mostly liquids for a specified number of days. Though the daily calorie content of these detoxes varies greatly, they supply far fewer calories than your body expends. Chemically, body detoxes resemble stages of starvation. During starvation, the body depletes its stores of glycogen and then turns to fat and protein metabolism. The starvation-like state of detoxes can give rise to an imbalance in the brain's serotonin levels, which is directly linked to anxiety.
Detoxes and Starvation
When you stop eating and primarily drink liquids that add up to significantly fewer calories than your body expends, the pancreas secretes the hormone glucagon into the bloodstream. Glucagon binds to receptors on the surface of liver and muscle cells. Muscle and liver cells store glucose in the form of glycogen. When glucogon binds to glucogon receptors, the cells convert glycogen into glucose and release it into the bloodstream. When the body has depleted its stores of glycogen, it starts to break down its stores of fat and protein.
The Carbohydrate-Serotonin Link
A direct link exists between a lack of carbohydrates, the main source of glucose in the diet, and low levels of the mood-enhancing neurotransmitter serotonin, according to Dr. Judith J. Wurtman, co-author of "The Serotonin Power Diet, Eat Carbs, Nature's Own Appetite Suppressant, to Stop Emotional Overeating." Serotonin is synthesized from the essential amino acid tryptophan. Consuming foods high in tryptophan, such as turkey, fish, tofu, sunflower seeds, whey protein, flax seeds and flax oil can help increase your levels of serotonin but the effect is not immediate. Carbohydrate-rich foods, Wurtman reports, have an immediate effect on the brain's serotonin levels and your mood.
Body Detoxes and Anxiety
When serotonin levels drop, activity rises in the amygdala, the brain's main fear processing center. This can lead to anxiety, irritability, crankiness and difficulties concentrating. Because body detoxes deplete your body's stores of glucose without supplying more through diet, your mood is likely to alter. Once the body has depleted its stores of glycogen and starts to break down protein, your body may be lacking tryptophan as well, which can prevent your brain from producing new serotonin.
Treatment
If the detox is short term, symptoms of anxiety should disappear in the days following the detox. During the detox, eating a small carbohydrate-rich snack may be sufficient for controlling your mood. According to Dr. Wurtman, a small snack containing only about 30 g of carbohydrates and 1 to 2 g of fat and protein can increase your serotonin levels within 20 to 30 minutes. Though most detoxes do not allow for snacks of this kind, eating a small snack a few times during the detox is unlikely to completely demolish the effects of the detox.
References
- Why Serotonin Can Cause Depression and Anxiety
- "Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience"; How to Increase Serotonin in the Human Brain without Drugs; Simon N. Young; November 2007
- The Huffington Post: Dropping Serotonin Levels: Why You Crave Carbs Late in the Day, by Judith D. Wurtman
- "The Journal of Clinical Investigation"; Effects of Brief Starvation on Muscle Amino Acid Metabolism in Nonobese Man; T. Pozefsky, et al.; February 1976
- Today; Lemon Detox Diet; Joanna McMillan-Price; September 2007
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