A probiotic is a beneficial microbe -- bacteria, yeast or fungus -- that helps your body in some way. The beneficial bacteria aid in digestion, help your body absorb nutrients and boost your immune system. Unfortunately the lemonade cleanse can flush both harmful and friendly mirco-organisms from your body. Taking a multivitamin and a probiotic supplement during your cleanse can bolster your immune system and maintain the balance of gut flora in your body.
The lemonade diet, also called the master cleanse, is a three part detoxification and weight-loss program. Designed by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s, the cleanse was originally a cure-all intended to flush out stored toxins that contributed to illness and disease. Nowadays, most people use this cleanse primarily for weight loss. Each morning starts with a saltwater flush -- a liter of room temperature water with 2 to 3 tsp. of sea salt added. During the day, you'll consume between six and 12 glasses of "lemonade" -- a mixture of purified water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper and in the evening you'll have 1 cup of Smooth Move laxative tea.
Detoxification
There is no medical evidence that your body benefits from a cleanse or detox program such as the lemonade diet. Your body has built-in filters -- your lungs, skin, kidneys and liver are all organs that help remove and eliminate substances your body doesn't need. There is a natural balance of bacteria in your body; anything that disturbs this balance can cause illness. The constant flushing of your digestive tract from the saltwater, the laxative tea and liquid-only lemonade diet can rid your body of too many needed probiotic bacteria.
Probiotics
There may be more bacteria than cells in your body -- that's how important these microbes are. There are more than 1,000 different types of microbes and some are more useful than others. Probiotics help your digest foods, absorb vitamins and minerals and keep harmful bacteria in check. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, beneficial bacteria can treat irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease and colitis, prevent side-effects caused by using antibiotics, help treat yeast infections caused by an overgrowth of Candida albicans and stop tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Probiotics and the Lemonade Cleanse
Replacing the friendly bacteria that you may lose from a detox program such as the lemonade diet will help keep potentially harmful bacteria in check. The lemonade diet also lacks protein, fiber, healthy fat and some essential nutrients. Because probiotics aid in digestion, replenishing these microbes will help you absorb as much of the limited nutrients available as possible. Taking a multivitamin in addition to a probiotic supplement will also keep your immune system functioning. Probiotics are generally regarded as safe, but you should check with your doctor before adding any type of supplements to your diet.
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