The truth about “detox”

As spring approaches, lots of people think about doing a body cleanse cure. We are led to believe that these cures are very beneficial, but are they?

Unfortunately not! The grim reality is that most of the time, only the industry selling these cures actually benefits! We’d all like to know of an easy solution for getting rid of excess food and flushing toxins from our bodies in just a few days, but is there a solution?

Body detox?

The role of the liver and kidneys is to metabolize toxins and eliminate them from the body. These organs do not require cleaning; they aren’t filters that get clogged up, like the oil filters in cars. The liver and kidneys eliminate toxins continually, and there’s no going back. So the only way we can help them do their work and stop causing them harm is by making sure our eating habits and lifestyle are healthy.

Dangerous products?

Many products are made with natural ingredients or are quite simply fruit or vegetable juices. In this case, they can provide the body with lots of essential nutrients. However, other products can have a laxative effect. Even so-called “natural” products can disturb normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and irritate its mucous lining. This can have dangerous side effects in the short and long term.(1)

Calorie intake is very low during cures. This could lead to deficiencies in nutrients and energy, among others, through a serious loss of water, carbohydrates, and muscle. When this occurs, many people write their weight loss down to having burned fat and eliminated toxins.

The solution?

If you want to “do” a springtime body cleanse, simply adopt better eating habits; this is by far the best solution. Our nutritionists and kinesiologists can help you do this.

Karine Séguin, P.Dt. Nutritionist

Reference:

Brazier, Jean-Louis. (2015). Cures de détox. Une pilule, une petite granule. En ligne. < http://pilule.telequebec.tv/occurrence.aspx?id=1295>

The truth about "detox" is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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