There is no one definitive detox diet, with several popular variations out there – ranging from living on just water or juice to allowing fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and fish, and following time frames between two days and a month – but the theory behind them is the same. A detox diet aims to temporarily change your eating habits to get rid of toxins in the body, banishing bad skin, cellulite and bloating. Most also promise rapid weight loss – usually a stone in the first 10 to 14 days.

Detox Diet Information: Types of Detox Diets

Detox enthusiasts say detoxing cleans out your body and gives you more energy, plus detox diets can result in dramatic, rapid weightloss. However many experts say that detox diets are a waste of time, and many of the more restrictive diets are unhealthy or dangerous if carried out for longer time periods.

The most well known and celebrity endorsed detox diets include the Master Cleanse diet, also known as the Maple Syrup Diet or the Lemon Detox – where fans like Beyonce drink glasses of natural maple syrup mixed with lemon juice and cayenne pepper – the 21 Day Detox, which is made up entirely of steamed vegetables and whole grains and lasts for 3 weeks, and the restrictive Longevity Diet.

Detox Diet Information: How It Works

In general, detox diets cut out most foods besides fruit and vegetables – often in juice or smoothie form – and encourage dieters to drink large amounts of water. Some detox diets have complex rules about what foods are allowed on each day; for example, just fruit the first day, just vegetables the second say and just bananas and milk on day three.

Besides the diet, detox diets often suggest other detox methods to compliment the eating plan, such as massages, body brushing and sometimes even colonic irrigation and bowel enemas.

Detox Diet Information: Good Foods

• Raw fruit and vegetables, sometimes juiced
• Water
• Herbal teas, especially green tea and dandelion tea
• Some detox diets also allow whole grains, raw nuts, seeds and fish
• Herbal detox aids like milk thistle, detox drinks and liver tonics

Detox Diet Information: Banned Foods

Almost all foods besides fruit and vegetables tend to be cut out, but especially bad are:

• Processed foods
• Refined carbs including bread
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Red meat and pork
• Canned foods
• Ready meals
• Salt
• Sugar
• Wheat
• Fried foods
• Dairy, cheese, butter, margarine, cream

Detox Diet Information: Pros

• It is a good idea to cut down on unhealthy foods like refined and processed foods
• It’s also a positive goal to focus on eating more fruits and vegetables
• Detox diets encourage you to drink more water, which is a good thing – as long as it’s not taken to the extreme. Experts recommend eight glasses of water a day 
• It’s also a good habit to cut down on caffeine and alcohol
• Detox diets are likely to result in quick weight loss – however you’ll put it all back on again as soon as you go off the diet

Detox Diet Information: Cons

• Some detox diets can be extremely restrictive and very unhealthy if carried out for more than a day or two – a detox diet is unlikely to provide you with all of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs and could result in a deficiency and lower your body’s immune system
• If the detox diet is too restrictive, you’re likely to be very hungry – plus your body could go into starvation mode and store all the fat it can, causing weight gain
• You may experience unpleasant side effects like tiredness, headaches, heartburn, nausea and fainting. In extremely rare cases, there could also be more severe side effects. There have been several cases of people slipping into comas after drinking massive amounts of water and cutting out most foods. Recently, an Oxfordshire mother of two made headlines when she was awarded over £800 000 in damages after suffering permanent brain damage caused by following a detox diet.
• There is no scientific proof that cutting out certain foods really does help your body eliminate toxins – in fact, experts say our bodies are quite capable of getting rid of excess waste on their own
• The lack of protein could lower your metabolism, making it more difficult for you to burn calories and burn weight for some time to come
• Instead of changing your lifestyle and eating habits for good, detox diets encourage a binge and purge, yo yo dieting pattern and don’t fix anything in the long run
• Detox diets are impossible to keep up if you want to eat out and socialise and could lead to an unhealthy obsession with food

Detox Diet Information: What the Experts Say

'As there are so many different ’detox diets’, it’s hard to make sweeping comments about them,” says Blue Skies nutritionist and KeeptheDoctorAway.co.uk resident nutrition expert Sam Howells.

“However, it must be emphasised that anyone following detox diets must be aware of the potential dangers of what can be very restrictive diets - the Master Cleanse diet for example verges on starvation!”
 
Howells says one of the main problems with detox diets is that they do not foster or encourage sensible, healthy eating patterns. Rather, they encourage repeated fasting interspersed by a person’s ’normal’ eating patterns, which may be far from ideal.

“There is no ’education’ involved in these diets so people do not learn how to eat well or improve their eating habits,” she explains.
 
“The detox diets that call for a reduction in processed and/or convenience foods whilst placing importance upon fresh fruit, vegetables, lean proteins and certain carbohydrates will at least offer participants a decent level of micronutrients. Those that involve huge restrictions on food and drink, however, will lead to short-term vitamin and mineral deficiencies and may result in muscle breakdown, electrolyte imbalances and blood-sugar problems.”

She added that these diets should not be undertaken by anyone with diabetes, heart or kidney conditions, pregnant or breast-feeding women or anyone with pre-existing medical complications unless they have obtained medical clearance.
 
“One other major concern is that many of these diets will encourage participants to take laxatives or laxative-like substances, which should never be abused for weight loss purposes as they can be dangerous to your health,' says Howells.  

For exclusive health tips from bestselling health and diet expert Patrick Holford, including how to detox your body the healthy way, Click Here: Exclusive Health Tips from Patrick Holford

To read more about the pros and cons of detoxing with Milk Thistle, Click Here.

Do you have experience of this type of diet? What are your views on Detox Diets and do you think it could work for you? Share your views by using the Comment on this Article box below.