Detox Diets

By Kim Brown, Tulsa World, Okla.

Feb. 5–Health professionals weigh in on their merits

From raw vegetables to lemonade and maple syrup, diets seem to have gone to the extremes these days to cleanse the system of toxins.

Many of these detoxification diets have hit the market in recent years, and they claim to rid the body of excess chemicals and toxins by flushing them out of the system with a liquid fast or other methods.

The Master Cleanse diet, or often called the lemonade diet, consists of replacing solid food with a mixture of lemonade, cayenne pepper and maple syrup for 10 days or longer. It claims to cleanse the kidneys and digestive system and to purify the glands and cells, and make you feel younger and more well rested.

But local dietitians say there are better ways to keep your body healthy and free of toxins.

“There is no reliable scientific evidence that detoxification is beneficial for any use, ” said CeCe Davis, a registered licensed dietitian and owner of Nutrition Consultants of Tulsa. “Some people also think that the body accumulates harmful toxin-like metals and chemicals and believe that special treatments like herbals and other supplements are needed to remove these toxins.

“It’s

just not valid.”

The liver and kidneys work to naturally detoxify your body, said Marianne Wetherill, fitness and wellness dietitian at St. John Medical Center’s Healthy Lifestyle Department.

“I think some of the concepts behind the detox claims are correct, but they’re usually so out of context that the diet could do more harm than good,” she said. “I remind patients that the body is naturally equipped to bring out toxins, like the kidneys and especially the liver. But the typical American diet is not very liver-friendly.”

Davis said that if you are trying to follow a raw foods or raw vegetables detox diet, be sure to remember to include protein.

“I don’t have anything against it — raw food is healthy — as long as you include proteins. Make sure you incorporate nuts and seeds to get the fatty acids in and a source of protein,” she said.

Fortified foods you should include in your diet to promote a healthy liver include: whey protein, lean meats (fish and turkey), red peppers, garlic and onions, broccoli and brussels sprouts, Wetherill said.

“The liver needs protein to regenerate itself and make new cells,” she said. “So when you put yourself on a low-calorie, low-protein diet, you hurt the liver more than anything.”

Following a sensible diet helps the body detoxify naturally, Davis said.

“What you need is a high- fiber, low-fat diet with fruits and vegetables and whole grains,” she said. “You need legumes and lean meats and nuts and seeds for protein, and nonfat dairy products and fresh fish.”

And as far as beverages are concerned, water works the best, but green and black teas are high in antioxidants, which are also good for your diet. Davis said that unless a patient has specific needs, you should probably keep the detox diets on the shelf.

“Often there is a situation when there are numerous medical conditions and food allergies that require a very strict, modified elimination diet,” she said. “It’s closely aligned to a detox diet but not actually one.”

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Kim Brown 581-8474 kim.brown@tulsaworld.com

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Is organic the solution?

One way to keep your body free of toxins is to avoid produce treated with chemicals and pesticides. But is it necessary to buy all organic fruits and vegetables?

Wetherill said this list, called the “Dirty Dozen,” includes the fruits and vegetables most likely to have been treated with pesticides. “You don’t really have to buy organic all the time. You should spend your money where it matters,” she said.

The Dirty Dozen:

Apples

Bell peppers

Celery

Cherries

Imported grapes

Nectarines

Peaches

Pears

Potatoes

Red raspberries

Spinach

Strawberries

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