# Detox diets: woo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581 "2012-12-30T18:11:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/1 "2012-12-30T18:11:24Z")
I will say first off that I think most health claims for specialized diets are nonsense based on woo. This includes the notion of foods that “detoxify” the body. I just came across another spin on the latter that has all the hallmarks of pure woo, but I thought I’d throw it out here. The author claims that we fill up with poisons from our enviroment (arguably tryue) and we need to “detoxify” ourselves at intervals (I hear woo)… and that eating a particular low-impact diet allows the body’s own detox systems to get the upper hand on the toxins. That is, by not eating a lot of purported toxins and bad foods, the body can turn to toxins from makeup, food additives, etc. Other than in a very general sense about eating healthier foods in sensible amounts, is there any non-woo in this claim? ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/2 "2012-12-30T18:44:31Z")
Part of the problem is getting a definition of exactly what a toxin is. The responses I’ve always seen are akin to nailing jello to the wall. There is also Paracelsus who said that the dose makes the poison, and that is largely true. It is known that lead can be stored in the bones and seen as ring-like deposits in long-term exposure scenarios. However, in that case, chelating can upset the calcium balance in the body and cause a release of both calcium and lead, leading to an acute toxic episode, the exact opposite of what was intended. The liver performs most of the detoxification, through mechanisms such as P450 enzymes and glutathione. Both of those chemically alter molecules to make them easier to pass from the blood and into urine in the kidneys. As with most woo and alt-med, there is a small grain of truth or theoretical plausibility, but when rigorous studies have been performed, they don’t show much, if any effect. Unless you’re in organ failure, your liver and kidneys are able to clear most toxins fairly quickly, regardless of diet. There is a problem with the build-up of fat-soluable toxins, as they stay in the body longer, but a fad diet won’t get rid of them any better than losing weight will. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/3 "2012-12-30T18:53:34Z")
If you do a google search on “detox,” you will find most references are from woo sites and the term is associated with wellness, naturopathy, herbals and the like, not real medicine. From [this:](http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/guide/detox-diets-purging-myths) > [@](#): > > Detox (short for detoxification) diets are extreme weight loss diet plans that claim to flush toxic chemicals from your body. Detoxing is based on the concept that your body needs help getting rid of unwanted toxins from contaminants in processed foods and the environment. In theory, once free of toxins, your body functions better and your metabolism soars so you can shed those extra pounds. > > \ > > The underlying principle of detox diets and the selling of questionable products raises a red flag, says Washington University nutrition director, Connie Diekman, RD. “Detox diets prey on the vulnerability of dieters with fear tactics while gaining financially by selling products that are not necessary and potentially dangerous,” she says. The [Mayo Clinic](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/detox-diets/AN01334) has this to say: > [@](#): > > Some people report feeling more focused and energetic during and after detox diets. However, there’s little evidence that detox diets actually remove toxins from the body. Indeed, the kidneys and liver effectively filter and eliminate most ingested toxins. The benefits from a detox diet may actually come from avoiding highly processed foods that have solid fats and added sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/4 "2012-12-30T19:08:12Z")
I believe toxins are the modern name for evil spirits who enter through your mouth and embed themselves in your tissues. By eating pure natural foods you are starving the evil spirits because they thrive on refined foods and unnatural chemicals used by capitalism to enslave us, and they lose their hold and are swept away as detritus, kind of like roundworms only invisible. Prove me wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/5 "2012-12-30T19:18:05Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Prove me wrong. [You mean like this](http://logical-critical-thinking.com/logical-fallacy/negative-proof-fallacy/)? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/6 "2012-12-30T19:26:37Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [You mean like this](http://logical-critical-thinking.com/logical-fallacy/negative-proof-fallacy/)? no, some other way. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/7 "2012-12-30T20:16:24Z")
The “auto-intoxication” BS seems to come from 19th century quack medicine-it pops up every now and then. Remember “Nature cleanse”-this crap was hawked because it would (allegedly) remove the 45 pounds of caked up grease and crap that was “stuck” to your intestine walls (“like spackle”). Quite apart from the total falsity of these claims, many of the “natural herbs” in these concoctions are poisonous in large doses. Can you poison yourself with excessive alcohol, tobacco, etc.? Yes, but none of these “cleansing diets” will correct that. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/8 "2012-12-30T20:33:20Z")
Thanks, all. This is all very much in line with my understanding (based on about 30 years of hanging out with the debunking crowd) but I wondered if there was some slightly justified wrinkle in this particular pitch. I have needled the poster of the article without sticking my neck out and expect much fun discussing the terms “medically valid” and “anecdotal” and “funny how all your cites come from people selling detox products and their indoctrinated acolytes.” ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/9 "2012-12-30T21:03:29Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > I believe toxins are the modern name for evil spirits who enter through your mouth and embed themselves in your tissues. By eating pure natural foods you are starving the evil spirits because they thrive on refined foods and unnatural chemicals used by capitalism to enslave us, and they lose their hold and are swept away as detritus, kind of like roundworms only invisible. > > Prove me wrong. Hmmm! I had no idea that evil spirits preferred Twinkies over granola bars. Does this mean that natural food = exorcism? If so, do you need to keep a priest handy for when the spirits get disgusted with all the natural food you’re eating and leave your body, searching for a new host? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/10 "2012-12-30T21:32:38Z")
In a strict sense getting “toxic” (in the sense of being poisoned) and needing to detox from a normal diet is is pure woo, but in many cases the effect will be quite positive for those following minimalist “detox” diets instead of the fat, sugar and processed foods heavy modern diet. You often will lose weight and feel better on these diets because you are getting more roughage, you are not loading up with huge bursts of fat and sugar, and your brain chemistry is not being yanked all over the place after eating. So, the effects of a minimalist “detox” diet will often have some real and positive benefits vs the calorie dense processed garbage we usually shovel in our maws. In the end if it makes you feel better and is healthier, and it makes you feel good to think you are detoxifying, and you weigh a healthy weight with your detox diet vs a woo naysayer who is 20-40 lbs overweight, constipated, and at risk for diabetes who is the winner? The woo person who looks great and gets all the action he or she wants, or the tubby doper smiling at the screen in satisfaction that they are factually correct. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/11 "2012-12-30T21:38:59Z")
> [@astro](#): > > In a strict sense getting “toxic” (in the sense of being poisoned) and needing to detox from a normal diet is is pure woo, but in many cases the effect will be quite positive for those following minimalist “detox” diets instead of the fat, sugar and processed foods heavy modern diet. You often will lose weight and feel better on these diets because you are getting more roughage, you are not loading up with huge bursts of fat and sugar, and your brain chemistry is not being yanked all over the place after eating. The problem is often the detox diet is some weird combo of foods(hence unbalanced) and almost always accompanied by expensive and unneeded herbal detox supplements. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/12 "2012-12-30T22:26:16Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > The problem is often the detox diet is some weird combo of foods(hence unbalanced) and almost always accompanied by expensive and unneeded herbal detox supplements. I know. My reply was mostly mostly tongue in cheek. Here are some popular detox diets evaluated from a non-woo perspective. > **[5 Popular Detox Diets - How They Work & Important Safety Issues](https://health.thefuntimesguide.com/detox_diets/)** > > The big question is... do Detox Diets work? Another popular question... are Detox Diets safe? Here we explore the top 5 Detox Diets and discuss their safety issues. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/13 "2012-12-30T22:38:12Z")
I generally think that detox diets come from the basic belief that eating for pleasure is a sin, and that the gods punish that sin by making us fat. Therefore, to lose weight you have to atone for your sin through some sort of punishment. The more intense the punishment, the more the gods will be satisfied. Slightly more seriously, I think that people would rather do something intense and short-lived than actually change how they live. Doing something extreme feels more real and more meaningful, like you are really serious. It’s both easier to do and seems more hard-core. It’s very appealing. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/14 "2012-12-30T22:40:35Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > The “auto-intoxication” BS seems to come from 19th century quack medicine-it pops up every now and then. Remember “Nature cleanse”-this crap was hawked because it would (allegedly) remove the 45 pounds of caked up grease and crap that was “stuck” to your intestine walls (“like spackle”). Quite apart from the total falsity of these claims, many of the “natural herbs” in these concoctions are poisonous in large doses. Can you poison yourself with excessive alcohol, tobacco, etc.? Yes, but none of these “cleansing diets” will correct that. Detoxification for people who eat a true healthy diet is pure woo. However, that doesn’t include most people in the U.S. most of whom a lack fiber in their diet plus eat way too many saturated fats. I used to think that the ‘build-up’ idea was myth too until I had severe acute health problem a few years ago and had to switch to a perfectly balanced, high-fiber diet instantly. You would be absolutely shocked at how much shit (literally) comes out of your system within just days or weeks. I don’t want to be too graphic but it is grotesque sludge that you wouldn’t ever believe was stored in your body. I was overweight when it started and lost 30 pounds within two weeks just from sitting on the toilet. I have kept it off even years later just by eating a diet that humans were adapted to follow. It is high in vegetables, fiber, and low in fats (except olive oil) and meat. That doesn’t mean that any particular detox diet does anything beneficial but switching to a more healthy high fiber diet can clear a lot of built-up shit fairly quickly in some people. I have no idea f it would work for everyone but there are probably a lot of people walking around who do have sludge that they could get rid of by switching completely to a new diet. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/15 "2012-12-30T23:00:43Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > … it is grotesque sludge that you wouldn’t ever believe was stored in your body. The sludge is what the evil spirits use to clothe their incorporeal forms. Ew. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/16 "2012-12-30T23:04:50Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I used to think that the ‘build-up’ idea was myth too until I had severe acute health problem a few years ago and had to switch to a perfectly balanced, high-fiber diet instantly. You would be absolutely shocked at how much shit (literally) comes out of your system within just days or weeks. I don’t want to be too graphic but it is grotesque sludge that you wouldn’t ever believe was stored in your body. It is a myth. The reason you had a lot of shit within a few days and weeks, is because you were eating a _high fiber diet._ Lots of fiber = lots of shit. It wasn’t stuff that was “building up” over the years, it was just all the fiber you were “shocking” your system with very quickly. And the loss of 30 pounds wasn’t because you were “shitting it out,” it’s because the high-fiber diet was just so much healthier and low calorie (remember, foods high in fiber are often low in calories AND make you feel full,) than your previous diet. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/17 "2012-12-30T23:18:33Z")
[ScienceBasedMedicine.org](http://ScienceBasedMedicine.org) article on colon cleanses, which are often touted as “detoxifying”: > **[Colon “cleanses”: A load of you know what…](https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/colon-cleanses-a-load-of-you-know-what/)** > > One of the more popular treatments in alternative medicine is the "colon cleanse," a treatment based on the idea that there is 20 lbs. worth of accumulated feces in your colon that is slowly poisoning ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/18 "2012-12-30T23:43:08Z")
I just got an email with [this Groupon offer](http://www.groupon.com/deals/advanced-physical-medicine-4?p=1&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&sid=2a048417-2d03-4cd5-8a39-50d1416b0348&division=chicago&user=16e2100fed645ed0f2b3e5b83b8dcc48f20d9e32300f3adb9e8de0d89e221c0a&date=20121230&s=body&c=deal_button&d=deal-page&utm_campaign=advanced-physical-medicine-4): > [@](#): > > The body does a fairly good job of keeping itself clean, but sometimes it needs a little boost from a machine, such as an electric toothbrush or an eyeball polisher. Help your health with this Groupon… > > Colon hydrotherapy flushes the lower section of the digestive system with warm water, helping to gently dissolve harmful contents. Coincidence? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/19 "2012-12-31T00:12:46Z")
The Grotesque Sludge (wasn’t that the title of a '50s horror movie featuring Steve McQueen?) figures in a lot of woo horror stories and product testimonials. The most common anecdote features John Wayne and the alleged 70 (80? 150?) pounds of poop supposedly found clogging his intestines at autopsy. I am sorry to say that I may be uniquely positioned (urp) among Dopers to refute this fallacy. I have done many many autopsies, most involving hospital patients whose G.I. tracts essentially shut down in the face of compelling problems elsewhere, and none featured untoward amounts of poop, sludge, scale, lime deposits or what have you. There does seem to be a considerable element in detox diet fanciers of self-punishment for personal excess (expect a ramping up of ads after New Year’s) and a sense of relief after temporarily giving up/reducing intake of drugs, alcohol, fatty foods and so on, compounded by whatever unpleasantness is associated with fad detox diets. They may perceive a benefit through not seeing double, greater regularity and fitting into their clothes again, that has nothing to do with “purging toxins”. Now, specifically addressing the OP: > [@](#): > > The author claims that we fill up with poisons from our enviroment (arguably tryue) Nope. This claim ignores our highly efficient bodily mechanisms for detoxification (liver and kidneys in particular). > [@](#): > > and we need to “detoxify” ourselves at intervals (I hear woo)… Yep. Every substance (including water and oxygen) is toxic in excess, and every substance is innocuous in minute enough quantity, so it is meaningless to refer to “toxins” unless there is a demonstrable toxic effect on the human body. > [@](#): > > and that eating a particular low-impact diet allows the body’s own detox systems to get the upper hand on the toxins. Nope. The body doesn’t need that kind of “help”. > [@](#): > > That is, by not eating a lot of purported toxins and bad foods, the body can turn to toxins from makeup, food additives, etc. I read this another way. If you take away the body’s treasured toxins from eating Slurpees and Big Macs, it’ll just turn to toxins in makeup, subway seats etc. The body is mad for toxins! Just get used to it. Oh, and eat less. Mostly plants. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581/20 "2012-12-31T01:01:41Z")
**Shagnasty** , this is what 40 lbs of sludge looks like. http ://feeltheh.ipower.com/wp9ey3in.jpg http ://www.aliveandwellcoloncare.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/megacolon.jp Links broken for the squeamish. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detox-diets-woo/645581.md?page=2)