Detox Diets - Are they Safe for Weight Loss? Complete Detox Guide

Detox Diets : Are they safe?

These days there are multiple different diet plans available for people to choose from. One of these plans includes the detox diet, which has recently gotten very popular, especially amongst individuals who are trying to lose weight. You will find a lot of people doing a detox diet- from celebrities to your colleagues.

What is a Detox Diet?

Before looking at its effects, it’s essential to know what a detox diet actually is. Our bodies get toxins from the food we consume or the air we breathe; it automatically flushes the toxic material out through sweating, urination, and feces. A detox diet is said to help with the detoxification of our body; it sounds like a good thing, right? However, this type of diet comes with its fair share of cons as well.

What Includes in a Detox Diet?

Detox diets are meant for short-term use only, typically for a few days or a maximum of one month. There are a variety of ways by which people choose to detox, such as starving themselves for a few days completely or just slightly modifying their diet. A few common ways include:

Intermittent fasting which is an eating pattern in which you schedule your meal time and don’t eat at all for a specific amount of time.
Drinking different kinds of liquids in the form of juices, water, herbal teas, etc.
Using supplements, enema, laxatives.
Consumption of strictly fruits and vegetables.
Eliminating meat, coffee, or other food that is high in metals from the diet.

What Are the Good Effects of Detox?

People, especially social media influencers who endorse detox diets, have reported that it brings a lot of benefits, including:

Weight loss: It helps by increasing the metabolism of the body, which aids in losing weight.
Digestion: improves the digestion process if you take a detox drink that includes lemon or mint.
Inflammation reduction: Due to the toxins being excreted out, the free radicals in our body may decrease, which lowers the chances of inflammation
Skin improvement: Citrus fruits and drinks help in making your skin glow and remove unwanted wrinkles and dryness.
Energy levels: Increased toxic levels can cause lethargy and fatigue, so once you get rid of them, you’ll automatically feel more recharged and energetic.

That being said, our body already has organs present that naturally performs the detoxification process. So, the concept of a detox diet being healthy for the body is still debatable, as the bad effects of this diet outweigh the benefits.

What Are the Bad Effects of Detox?

Whoever has started a detox diet must have surely faced at least a few of the following symptoms:

Weight gain: Even though detox does help in quick weight loss for some people, it’s important to know that once you stop this diet and resume back to your normal eating habits, the Kgs you lost will return as well.
Headache: This is another common symptom faced by people on a detox diet, and the best way to overcome it is by keeping yourself hydrated.
Malnutrition: Because of all the fasting and limited food intake, it is very common for people to face malnutrition during this process.
Electrolyte imbalances: The elimination of multiple food groups along with an excess of fluid intake can together lead to electrolyte disturbance in the body.
Stomach Issues: Some people take laxatives when following a detox diet, which can result in diarrhea. While others have also faced constipation, bloating, and abdominal cramps as well.
Mood swings: A lot of people had faced irritability and anger along with anxiety when they were on a detox diet. Tiredness and fatigue are present at times as well, especially if you’re someone who cut down on coffee completely.

Detox Diet for Weight Loss- Is It Worth it?

One of the major reasons why people go on a detox diet is for weight loss. For some people being on this diet does work wonders as they lose weight in a short time period. However, the same people easily gain back the weight as well because the weight loss results from water content in the body being lost instead of the actual fat.

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Another factor to consider is that during detox, cravings also increase. This is because your body is not getting all the nutrients it is supposed to. So, instead of losing weight, you can end up binge eating and end up with more KGs instead.

In a nutshell, we feel that detox is not the best way to lose weight, as it brings more harm than good. Instead of this, eat a well-balanced and healthy diet along with exercise to reduce weight.

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Josh Dudick

Josh is the owner and lead writer at Daily Wisely. His career has taken him from finance to blogging, and now shares his insights with readers of Daily Wisely.

Josh's work and authoritative advice have appeared in major publications like Nasdaq, Forbes, The Sun, Yahoo! Finance, CBS News, Fortune, The Street, MSN Money, and Go Banking Rates. Josh has over 15 years of experience on Wall Street, and currently shares his financial expertise in investing, wealth management, markets, taxes, real estate, and personal finance on his other website, Top Dollar Investor.

Josh graduated from Cornell University with a degree from the Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management at the SC Johnson College of Business.