What is Detox?
Detox, short for detoxification, is the body's natural, ongoing process of neutralizing or eliminating toxins from the body. Toxins (anything that can potentially harm body tissue) are transformed chemically to less harmful compounds and excreted via stools or urine.
What is a Detox Diet?
Although detox is primarily thought of as a treatment for alcohol or drug dependence, the term is also used to refer to diets, herbs, and other methods of removing environmental and dietary toxins from the body for optimum health
Why do People go on a Detox Diet?
A growing body of research suggests that many of the chemicals we ingest daily through food, water, and air can become deposited in fat cells in our bodies. A diet that lacks certain nutrients may also impair our natural ability to detoxify chemicals, which further leads to their build-up in the body.
Benefits of a Detox Diet
People often report improved energy, clearer skin, regular bowel movements, improved digestion, and increased concentration and clarity after a detox diet.
Who Shouldn't Try a Detox Diet?
Anyone considering a detox diet should consult a qualified health professional and/or their medical doctor first.
Pregnant or nursing women or children shouldn't go on a detox diet. People with anemia, eating disorder, diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid disease, autoimmune disease, cancer, terminal illness, certain genetic diseases, and other chronic conditions shouldn't try this diet or should do so only under the supervision of their primary care provider. It is not intended for alcohol or drug detoxification.
Some detox diets claim to target different organ systems involved in detoxification, such as the skin, liver, kidneys, colon, lungs and lymph system.
What Critics of the Detox Diet Say
· Detox diets aren't needed. The body can detoxify on its own without the help of a detox diet. Our system has evolved to adequately elimate new chemicals in our environment without extra assistance.
· There is no evidence that detox diets work.
· Herbal detox products are unproven and expensive. In some cases, they can even be harmful.
source:-http://altmedicine.about.com/od/detoxcleansing
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