The Myth of “Detoxification”
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The Myth of “Detoxification”
Paul Crane
Author, Webmaster, Founder
UltimateFatBurner.com
The source for science-based reviews of fat burners, diet programs and weight loss supplements since 1999!
http://www.ultimatefatburner.com
One of the hottest marketing buzz words these days is “detox” (which is used pretty much interchangeably with “cleanse”). It doesn’t matter whether you’re being sold shampoo, face cleansers, acne treatments, weight loss pills, vitamins or dedicated “cleansing” products, it’s very likely you’ll be pitched on the “detoxing” capabilities of the product. Yes these days, more and more retailers are claiming their products can help reduce or remove the nasty chemicals found in our increasingly polluted environment.
It’s a smart strategy (even if it’s ruthless, underhanded, unethical and not supported by any credible clinical evidence) since it capitalizes on many people’s fears that we’re slowly being poisoned by the vast array of noxious chemicals present in our food, water, and air supply.
And it’s not surprising therefore, to find these toxins described in the most menacing of terms; they are everywhere. We breathe them in. We eat them in our food and we drink them in our water. We even absorb them through our skin. They are keeping us sick, fat, depressed, tired, and unable to reach our true potential.
Despite the apparent danger, none of these toxins are ever identified. Funny, huh? Because in the world of genuine science, toxins have names and are readily identifiable. We know exactly what each one is called.
So what, right?
Wrong.
If these various products actually DID reduce toxins we are regularly exposed to (such as dioxin(s), PCBs, and methyl mercury), it would be easy enough to prove. Yet no proof of effectiveness is ever offered. Why do you think that is?
I’ll spell it out for you…
If you can identify a specific toxin and you can measure it, then you can test your product’s ability to remove it from the body. The only reason not to do so is obvious…
Your product does not work as described.
Recently, renown experts have weighed in on the “detox and cleansing fad”, dismissing it as complete nonsense. For instance, in 2007 scientists from the charitable trust “Sense About Science” reviewed 15 “detox” products (ranging from facial scrub to bottled water) and found the claims to be largely meaningless. They concluded the term “detox” is nothing more than a marketing term. For instance, when the term was used for promoting a facial scrub, it meant little more than it helped “clean the dirt out of your pores” – which, of course, is what every facial scrub does.
Others have weighed in as well. Dr Catherine Collins, Chief Dietician, St George’s Hospital Medical School, London says…
“The concept of ‘detox’ is a marketing myth rather than a physiological entity. The idea that an avalanche of vitamins, minerals, and laxatives taken over a 2 to 7 day period can have a long-lasting benefit for the body is also a marketing myth.”
In a recent WebMD article called “The Worst Diets Ever”, Pamela Peeke, MD, chief medical correspondent for the Discovery Health channel says this of detoxes (also referred to as “cleanses”)…
“All the flushes and cleanses are pure nonsense, unnecessary, and there is no scientific basis for these recommendations.”
So what exactly is in these miracle products claiming to “detox” your body?
The consumable products claiming to rid your body of toxins usually contain little more than common diuretics (dandelion root, uva ursi, buchu, juniper, etc) fiber (which will add bulk to the stool) and milk thistle – an ingredient which may offer some liver-regenerating characteristics (1).
However, none of these common ingredients will do anything to draw deep seated environmental toxins from deep within muscle and fat tissue stores.
Caveat emptor!
1. Biodrugs, Volume 15, Number 7, 1 July 2001, pp. 465-489(25)
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