A detox diet plan is predicated on the notion that the typical modern-day diet is inherently unhealthy, filling our bodies with harmful toxins that cause an array of health problems. According to adherents of detox diets, these health problems can be eliminated by undertaking a detox cleanse, which utilizes special herbs or other natural substances to flush these toxins out of the body. One such cleanse is the Sambu Elderberry Cleanse, which involves fasting and drinking juice made from elderberry concentrate.
The Sambu Cleanse
The Sambu Internal Cleansing Program was developed by Dr. Brunhild Zechelius of the Institute of Nutritional Sciences in Switzerland. The cleanse is available in 10-day and three-day versions, and is purported to cleanse your skin, colon, lungs, liver and sinuses of toxins that have built up in your body over time. The Sambu cleanse kit contains elderberry concentrate, fiber, herbal teas and extracts that are meant to “vitalize” your system during the cleanse, which begins with fasting. Solid food is gradually introduced, but during the cleanse only specific foods — such as vegetables and whole grains — are to be consumed.
Purported Benefits
The product’s manufacturer, Flora, implies that the Sambu Elderberry Cleanse offers a variety of health benefits, although stops short of making specific claims. For example, it is “designed” for people who want to cleanse sinuses, colon, lungs, kidney and liver, and is “used to release a toxic load from the body.” The product can also “help” you to lose the excess weight of toxins and metabolic waste, and is “beneficial" for mucous congestion, sluggish digestion or allergies. There are no scientific studies to prove that the Sambu Elderberry Cleanse actually offers any health benefits and will assist your liver, kidneys and digestive system in eliminating toxins.
How it Works
According to the product’s marketing material, elder flowers and elderberries are a potent diuretic that can “enhance” kidney function and more efficiently flush out toxins. In addition, elderberry concentrate is also an expectorant that aids the discharge of mucous and phlegm, and will also purify the blood. Further claims about elder flowers and elderberries include their diaphoretic properties, promoting perspiration to expel toxins through sweat. An added bonus of undertaking this cleanse is the accompanying weight loss, although this is to be expected in any diet plan that involves fasting and severe dietary restrictions.
Criticism
According to a 2006 article in the U.K. newspaper "The Sunday Times," most toxicologists and nutrition experts agree that there is no empirical evidence to support claims that detox plans such as the Sambu Elderberry Cleanse are actually effective in influencing the rate at which the body rids itself of toxins; any beneficial effects you would experience from a cleanse could be matched by simply drinking lots of water, eating fruit and vegetables and getting plenty of sleep. As Dr. Stephen Barrett notes on his medical myth-busting website Quackwatch, the idea of "detoxification" is based on "quack notions that are not based upon the body of knowledge related to health, disease, and health care that has been widely accepted by the scientific community." However, Barrett adds that a cleanse such as the Sambu Elderberry Cleanse probably won't cause you any actual harm beyond the damage inflicted to your wallet.
References
- Discount Natural Foods: Sambu Elderberry Deep 10-Day Cleanse
- Medical News Today: Detox Diets Are a Waste of Money and Time, Says Andrew Wadge, Chief Scientist, Food Standards Agency, UK; December 2007
- Your Natural Vitamin Store: Flora Sambu 3-Day Mini Cleanse
- "The Sunday Times"; Detox Diets Are a Waste of Time and Money, Say Scientists; Mark Henderson and Fran Yeoman; December 2006
- Quackwatch; "Detoxification" Schemes and Scams; Stephen Barrett
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