Cayenne Pepper And Maple Syrup Detox Diet

When you're trying to lose weight as soon as possible, drinking nothing but cayenne pepper, maple syrup and lemon juice might seem like an effective and harmless solution. The Master Cleanse diet involves drinking a homemade lemonade beverage that is touted as an effective detox program that also causes weight loss. If you must try The Master Cleanse to lose weight, talk to your doctor first.

History

The Master Cleanse Diet was created in the 1940s by Stanley Burroughs, a supporter of holistic health. Burroughs published a book, "The Master Cleanser," which recommends the diet as a detoxification program. The Master Cleanse is popular with celebrities, including Jared Leto and Beyonce, who claim they used the diet to help them lose weight for movie roles.
Burroughs got into legal trouble in 1984 when he was charged with second-degree felony murder and practicing medicine without a license when a patient with cancer died while following Burroughs's Master Cleanse Diet, under Burroughs's care. This murder charge was later reduced to involuntary manslaughter.

Indications

The Master Cleanse diet involves drinking as many glasses of a homemade lemonade mixture as desired every day for 10 days. The mixture contains lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and spring water. Burroughs recommends eating living foods three days before the diet begins, drinking only juices and vegetable broths two days before the diet begins and drinking only orange juice one day before the diet begins to ease the body into the diet. He recommends reversing these instructions to ease the body back out of the diet.

Results

The Master Cleanse diet is not proven to be effective as either a detox diet or a weight-loss program. According to the MayoClinic.com article "Detox Diets: Do They Work?" detox diets are not proven by doctors to be effective. Because the diet is so low in calories, the diet may cause initial weight loss. But because the body is being starved of calories, fat and nutrients, the body releases extra water weight. When you resume your usual diet, this water weight also returns. Trying detox diets like The Master Cleanse regularly might put you at risk of developing heart conditions, according to the Health.com article "How Crash Diets, Like the Master Cleanse, Harm Your Health and Heart."

Caution

The Master Cleanse Diet is considered a fad diet because it recommends consuming very small portions of very low-calorie foods for a long period of time. Fad diets do not provide sustainable weight loss and could create health complications. To lose weight, eat a nutritious combination of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains and lean protein, and exercise regularly.