Does a juice detox really flush out toxins? You were born with a cleanup crew

You already have a cleanup crew working 24 hours a day

The human body comes with a very sophisticated waste disposal system:

• The liver transforms many foreign substances, medicines and alcohol into forms that are easier to get rid of.
• The kidneys filter the blood constantly, about 180 litres a day, and send the excess out as urine.
• The lungs release CO2 every time you breathe out.
• The gut moves out whatever cannot be digested.
• The skin chips in through sweat, though only a little.

This crew works nonstop and needs no detox pack to switch it on. Only when an organ is ill do people need medical care, and that is a job for a hospital, not a bottle of juice.

So what are the "toxins" in detox ads?

Scientists have asked exactly this question. And the answer is surprising: detox ads rarely say which substance they mean.

In 2015, two researchers reviewed the evidence on detox diets. They found almost no quality studies showing that detox helps remove a specific toxin. The few studies that existed were small and weakly designed.

A proper experiment needs to do three things: name the toxin, measure it before, then measure it after. Very few detox products manage that.

Why does a detox make you feel lighter, then?

That feeling is not imaginary. But the reasons differ from the advertising:

1. You eat a lot less. Six bottles of juice usually carry less energy than three meals.
2. You take a break from heavy stuff. No alcohol, no fried food, nothing salty. That alone makes your stomach happier.
3. You drink a lot of fluid. Many people normally drink too little.
4. The quick drop on the scale is water and food in the gut, not fat. Eat normally again and the number comes back.

In other words, what helps is a break from old habits, not magic in a bottle.

The side of juice that rarely gets mentioned

Vegetable and fruit juices contain vitamins and minerals. But when you juice, most of the fibre stays behind in the pulp.

Without fibre, the sugar in fruit reaches your blood faster. And because there is no chewing, it is easy to drink several times more fruit than you would normally eat.

A glass of orange juice holds about 5 teaspoons of sugar. The WHO puts the sugar in juice in the free sugars group, the group to limit, just like added sugar.

Juice is not filling either. An hour later, you are hungry again. Detox packs that last several days can also leave you short on protein.

Want a "reset"? Here is what actually helps

If you feel heavy after the holidays, there are simple things your body's cleanup crew will thank you for:

• Eat whole fruit instead of juicing it. If you want a drink, blend a smoothie that keeps the pulp, with no added sugar.
• Add vegetables to every meal. Fibre helps your gut work regularly.
• Drink enough water.
• Cut back on alcohol and fried food for a few weeks.
• Sleep enough. It sounds simple, but sleep is when the body rests and recovers.

No 3-day pack needed. Just go back to normal meals with vegetables, protein and moderate carbs.

Frequently asked questions