Natural health advocates, such as Brenda Watson, a certified nutritional consultant and author of “The Detox Strategy,” extol the virtues of a nutritional detox. For instance, Watson points out that it can speed up the elimination of toxins from your body, boost your immune system and metabolism and help you lose weight. However, conventional medical practitioners continue to pooh-pooh the benefits of detox diets and claim they may cause mild to severe symptoms. Do not attempt these diets without medical advice if you have a health problem.
Dehydration
Increasing intake of fiber-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, is frequently recommended in nutritional detox programs. However, quickly boosting fiber intake without increasing water intake can lead to dehydration. So too can drinking diuretic beverages like citrus juices or herbal teas like dandelion. Dehydration may cause dizziness or light-headedness, dry mouth or even seizures and coma. Watson recommends drinking half your body weight in ounces of water daily. For instance, if you weigh 160 pounds, you would need 10 8-ounce glasses of water daily. Fruit juices and herbal teas are also included as part of this recommended daily intake.
Constipation
Another symptom of increased fiber intake without boosting water consumption is constipation. A goal of nutritional detox is to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract, including speeding the removal of waste and toxins through the colon. Constipation inhibits this process. Drinking enough water is key to treating constipation, as it adds bulk to stool and makes having bowel movements easier. Fruit and vegetable juices and soups can also help to prevent this symptom of nutritional detox.
Headaches
Several factors can cause headaches during a nutritional detox, such as suddenly giving up caffeine and sugar. Also, a nutritional detox usually involves a sudden reduction in calorie intake, which can leave you feeling hungry. One of the symptoms of hunger is a headache. One approach that may help to minimize the risk of suffering headaches during a detox is gradual weaning off caffeine and sugar as the deadline to start the detox approaches. Also, making sure you eat enough calories can help to prevent headaches.
Fungal Overgrowth
A common nutritional detox approach is a juice fast, which involves replacing solid foods with juices from fruits, vegetables or herbs. However, Watson recommends not doing a juice fast for longer than three days. Prolonged juice fasts increase your risk of an overgrowth of the fungus called candida. Symptoms of candida overgrowth include allergies, brain fog and fatigue, according to Watson. Probiotics, which can be part of a nutritional detox to improve the balance of friendly and harmful bacteria in the intestines, can help to prevent candida overgrowth.
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