Introduction
Many individuals view their bodies like a car. A car needs gas to go and get from place to place. If you put bad gas in your car it will not function well. This same comparison can be made for food; the food an individual consumes can make a difference in how well or poorly one’s body functions. Individuals are becoming more involved in everyday work, hobbies, and social events, which makes it hard to get three, well-balanced meals a day, making fast food a lifestyle and not a choice. This is why obesity is at a record high; not only seen in adults, but in younger ages as well.
One option that individuals can use for weight management is detoxification. Detox diets are used to remove toxins from the body. When toxins are removed from the body it can eliminate environmental exposure to chemicals, cleanse the system, reduce gastrointestinal disorders, help with inflammation, chronic ailments and weight loss (Klein & Kiat, 2014). Detox diets are becoming popular around the world from movie stars to the average modern day individual, but who is to say these detox diets really work. This complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) paper will examine detox diets to determine what all is involved, if they are effective for weight loss weight loss, if they are necessary for the body, cost effective, and are harmful (Klein & Kiat, 2014).
Literature Review
In a double-binded, randomized, and controlled trial, one hundred individuals aged 20-50 were selected that were premenopausal, consumed average diets, had a body mass index of greater or equal to 23, and healthy without any major diseases or medical conditions (Kim, Hwang, Ko, Na, & Kim, 2015, p. 411). The individuals were split into three groups consisting of a group with regular diet, a group with lemon juice placebo, and the group who received the lemon juice detox.
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Fasting blood glucose levels, liver and renal function test, inflammatory marker test, serum lipid profiles and body measurement were collected to determine the safety and effectiveness of the trial. In the study the individuals who received the lemon detox, as well as the placebo, observed decreases in total serum protein, albumin, and BUN levels; however, there were increases in serum creatinine levels. It can be concluded that restricting calories alters renal function test and serum levels but the levels remain within normal ranges; it also improves insulin sensitivity.
Therefore, it was determined that the lemon detox is not dangerous. There were no findings that suggested the lemon detox diet had improvements on serum lipid panels; however, panels could improve post-trial, but this has not been determined. Further research is needed because there are limitations of this study that cannot be controlled, including diet and physical activity. Although positive benefits of detoxification have been suggested, there is not enough evidence to determine this (Kim, Hwang, Ko, Na, & Kim, 2015).
According to Martin et al. (2017) semi- experimental, prospective, and comparative studies examined detox diets for effective strategies as managing obesity and oxidation. Fourteen individuals both male and female between the ages of 30 to 60 from Spain were recruited for the study. Individuals considered for inclusion were not obese or overweight and had no serious diseases (Martin et al., 2017). The individuals were split into two groups; one group used a juice detox for three days followed by a hypocaloric diet for four days. The second group used a Mediterranean hypocaloric detox for all seven days. Factors studied included height, weight, waist circumference, body mass index, physical activity, and nutrition. Both groups showed a significant difference from baseline in all measurement areas.
Although, the group that consumed the Mediterranean diet did have a greater decrease in body fat and weight loss versus the hypocaloric diet and juice detox. The individuals who consumed the hypocaloric diet and juice detox had a greater loss in muscle mass and water. It can be determined that detox diets are important for incorporating weight loss and promoting health. However, there is not enough clinical trails regarding detoxification leading to lack of control, sample bias, small sample size, and dependence on self reporting (Martin et al., 2017).
A cross-sectional study assessed self-reported weight-loss strategies used by adult males and females in Australia that were 18 years of age and could understand English. Underweight individuals were not included in the study. There were 1335 individuals that reported responses on touch screen computers while at their physician’s office (Yoong, Carey, Sanson-Fisher, & D’Este, 2012, p.3). The surveys indicated that individuals had tried meal replacements, low calorie diets, the Atkins diet, low-fat diets, detox diets, high-fiber diets, celebrity, and fad diets.
Another question included whether participants had consulted with their general practitioner prior to their chosen weight-loss attempts. Only 5% of individuals surveyed used a detox diet, and out of all individuals survived only 21% consulted their general practitioner prior to implementing their weight loss strategy. It was determined that regardless of weight loss strategy, individuals who received advice from their general practitioner were more likely to lose weight (Yoong, Carey, Sanson-Fisher, & D’Este, 2012).
Two additional research articles were identified to determine ethical and economic impacts of detoxification diets as a whole. The first article noted that detox diets are quick, easy ways to reduce weight, and once the diet has ended rapid weight gain will emerge. The majority of weight elimination identified comes from frequent bowel movements and fluid loss. Detox diets are contraindicated in individuals with the following, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic diseases, pregnancy, or youth. These diets can cause diarrhea and mineral loss. Over the counter detoxes can be medically harmful and provide false advertisements. If the ultimate goal is weight loss, individuals can achieve this more effectively through dietary regimens and physical activity. Reporting bias of the research on detox diets was made evident in this article due to social desirability and under reporting of popular diets and detoxes (Ali, 2018).
The second article determined that detoxification diets, including over the counter methods, can cause harm to individuals as it can promote eating disorders and induce multiple emergency hospital stays. The public health concern and policies regarding this intervention examined taxing detox products to reduce individuals from purchasing them. The revenue generated from this increased tax could generate ways to promote healthy weight loss strategies. It was determined that detox and cleansing agents did not have any effect on the amount purchased, even with the increase on product tax (Austin, Liu, & Tefft, 2018).
Discussion of Findings
The lemon detox diet had unclear methods of how detoxification works within the body. Although this diet was first introduce in the early 1940’s, there is still uncertainty about the efficacy or safety of the intervention and additional research is needed. However, within the 11-day study there was improvements in body fat reduction and insulin resistance, but it is unclear the effects it had on cardiovascular disease because of alterations to serum lipid profiles (Kim, Hwang, Ko, Na, & Kim, 2015).
Detoxification juice diets and Mediterranean diets that compared baseline data had significant differences; however, results indicated higher weight loss and body fat loss with the Mediterranean diet. It is also determined that detoxification diets can help with health promotion and weight loss. There are only a handful of studies that compare dietary detoxifications, and there have not been any rigorous studies completed yielding unbiased and significant data. There is no medical evidence to suggest that liquid detoxes can actually remove toxins from the body. Research suggests that healthy gut bacteria and electrolytes can be destroyed from detoxification diets. It can be determined that detox diets are good for temporary or short term weight-loss but further evidence is needed to determine the effect that it has on maintaining long-term weight loss (Martin, et al., 2017).
Because there are so many popular diets in society, an individual must decide what their overall goal is and whether or not a temporary fad will help them achieve that goal. It was determined that a majority of individuals preferred to use the low-fat diet strategy without consulting a physician. It is important to note that individuals who seek detoxifications diets for weight loss or toxin removal should consult with their primary care provider to assist with effective treatment strategies and plans (Yoong, Carey, Sanson-Fisher, & D’Este, 2012). Additional research is needed to recommend individuals for any detoxification diets. However, the safest solution is to address detoxification methods with general practitioners. Physical activity and dietary regimens can have positive outcomes for individuals. In comparison they are safer than detoxification diets, as some detox diets have negative effects on the body.
Conclusions
There are many different types of detoxification strategies and diets worldwide. It can be determined that results from each intervention vary. There is no significant evidence to determine safety, efficiency, and reliability of each detoxification diet. Lastly, individuals that seek detoxifications diets for weight loss or toxin removal should consult with their primary care provider to assist with effective treatment strategies and plans as detoxes are contraindicated in certain individuals and can be harmful (Yoong, Carey, Sanson-Fisher, & D’Este, 2012). Individuals that are seeking detoxification methods for weight loss, improved energy, and toxin removal should incorporate regular physical activity and dietary regimen (Ali, 2018).
References
- Ali, S. T. (2018). Detox diet–worth to use it or not? Advances in Obesity, Weight Management & Control, 8(2). doi:10.15406/aowmc.2018.08.00225
- Austin, S., Liu, S., & Tefft, N. (2018). Could a Tax on Unhealthy Products Sold for Weight Loss Reduce Consumer Use? A Novel Estimation of Potential Taxation Effects. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3183814
- Kim, M. J., Hwang, J. H., Ko, H. J., Na, H. B., & Kim, J. H. (2015). Lemon detox diet reduced body fat, insulin resistance, and serum hs-CRP level without hematological changes in overweight Korean women. Nutrition Research, 35(5), 409-420. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2015.04.001
- Klein, A. V., & Kiat, H. (2014). Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: A critical review of the evidence. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 28(6), 675-686. doi:10.1111/jhn.12286
- Martin, I. S., Barato, V. P., Rojo, S. S., Oliva, S. L., Vilar, E. G., Gudalewska, P., Yurrita, L. C. (2017). Are detox diets an effective strategy for obesity and oxidation management in the short term? Journal of Negative and No Positive Results, 2. doi:10.19230/jonnpr.1585
- Yoong, S. L., Carey, M. L., Sanson-Fisher, R. W., & D’Este, C. (2012). A cross-sectional study assessing the self-reported weight loss strategies used by adult Australian general practice patients. BMC Family Practice, 13(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2296-13-48
