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Important Facts About Detox Diets

By: Cindi Gellar


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What could possibly be wrong with a diet that rids us of dangerous toxins? These diets typically encourage us to eat natural healthy foods such as vegetables, non processed foods, and plenty of water. Some detox diets are quite easy going and allow many healthy food sources. Detox diets have received a lot of limelight from celebrities seeking health improvements or going into rehab clinics. It's therefore not so surprising that people are asking if such diets are safe.

The correct answer is that it depends on the dieter, their health and their individual situation. Just like many fad diets, some detox diets have later been proved to have harmful side-effects, especially for young people and those with prior medical conditions.

What Are Toxins Anyway

So what exactly are toxins?. Toxins are any chemical that your body needs to dispose of, either poisons, or also excesses of chemicals that would otherwise be safe. They can enter the body naturally via food and drink, and through the air that we breathe. It is the job of the liver and kidneys to process the toxins and extract them, so that they can be excreted out of the body.

Do Toxins Harm Our Health

Possible causes of toxification include emotional stress and de-hydration, which are claimed to interfere with the natural cleansing process. Toxins that cannot be excreted from the body are stored in fat, hair, skin and other less-active body cells. The big supporters of detox diets suggest that it is these excess stored toxins that are the cause of problems such as headaches, allergies, tiredness, and skin complaints.

How Do Detox Diets Work

Detox diets focus on temporarily avoiding any foods that are considered toxic. The idea is that during this time your body will be able to rid itself of the excess toxins. detox diets generally last for a short period of time, and aim to cleanse the body quite quickly. Often these diets start rapidly - by avoiding almost all foods (apart from water and vegetables), and then slowly allow you to bring back certain safe foods as the detox process draws to an end. Many detox diets also promote colonic irrigation or enema to clean up your colon. Some detox diets suggest that herbal teas can help to purify of the blood, and flush out the toxins.

There is a very wide range of detox and cleanse diets on offer. Most diets typically, begin with one or two days of a strict liquid diet. The diet then progresses to a week or two of eating fresh fruit and vegetables. The third stage of the diet is to introduce more food sources including meats (but not red meat), and organic foods (but not wheat).

What Benefits Can I Expect From Detoxification

There are numerous claims made about the beneficial effects of detox diets. Claims include disease prevention and cure, increased energy and the ability to focus and concentrate more. Of course, any change in diet that includes more fiber and less unhealthy processed foods will most probably make the dieter feel healthier. Despite all the positive hype and recommendations for detox diets, it is really down to the individual to decide if they want to try such a diet. There is not a lot of scientific evidence to support the claims that detoxification diets work, or that they bring any health benefits.

Patrick Cormack writes many blogs and articles on a wide range of health and fat loss issues including detox diets. You can find more of his work at http://detox.4-fatloss.com

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