{"id":481,"date":"2016-06-02T13:09:25","date_gmt":"2016-06-02T20:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/?p=481"},"modified":"2024-04-12T11:52:54","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T18:52:54","slug":"do-you-need-a-detox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/do-you-need-a-detox\/","title":{"rendered":"Do you need a detox?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s all too common to just not feel very good. We\u2019re stressed and tired, our backs hurt. A lot of us are carrying around extra weight. We have headaches and heartburn. Stomach troubles are always lurking. And there is a weird dry patch on your elbow. Yeah, a detox sounds like it might just do the trick.<\/p>\n

\"juiceIt\u2019s hard to ignore the endless stream of internet sites and media that demonizes all kinds of foods, claiming they cause everything from autism to Alzheimer\u2019s. It\u2019s easy to buy into the idea that food is what\u2019s causing all that ails us because we just need a reason for why we don\u2019t feel good.<\/p>\n

There are hundreds of detoxes on the market and every self-proclaimed health guru has their own version. Most \u201cdetoxes\u201d are some kind of fast where you go without a certain food or food group for a certain period of time with the intention of removing toxins from the body or giving your digestive system a break. Ranging from popular juice fasts where you only drink juice to raw food fasts where you only eat raw foods, proponents of these fad diets advertise dramatic results from glowing skin to weight loss. Some require costly supplements or teas. Many cut out entire food groups. But \u201cdetox\u201d means different things to different people. And “detox” might just mean money for the promoter.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

But don’t I need to get rid of the toxins?<\/h3>\n

One of the mysteries of detox diets is what toxins we are trying to get rid of and where are they coming from. There is little evidence that toxins are being stored in our body because our livers and digestive systems are overloaded or clogged. If that were the case you would need medical detoxification STAT! Detoxification in medical terms is very different than the dietary detox promoted in the media. Ingestion of poison, like an overdose of drugs, that causes organ systems to stop functioning requires medical detoxification. While it\u2019s not the best choice, fast food and junk food or a generally unhealthy lifestyle just doesn\u2019t fit into this category.<\/p>\n

The dictionary definition of a toxin is this: A poisonous substance produced by a living organism. Toxins can be products of ordinary metabolism (such as lactic acid), can be produced to kill or immobilize prey (such as the toxins in snake venom), or can be produced for self-defense (such as the cyanide produced by several plants). Toxins produced by bacteria cause disease.<\/p>\n

It is natural part of life to be exposed to toxins in our environment. But our bodies have systems in place to help us eliminate those toxins. And these systems have backup systems and those systems have more backup systems if the primary system was ever to fail. Our liver, our kidneys, our lungs, our skin and our immune system are constantly working together to get rid of the “bad” stuff and put the “good” stuff to use. As far as giving our gut a rest, the body generally works under the \u201cuse it or lose it\u201d principle. So there is no need to stop eating solid foods or only drink lemon water in order to give it a break. This could actually have the reverse effect and hinder nutrients from being absorbed.<\/p>\n

\"liver<\/p>\n

The Problems with Detox Diets<\/h3>\n