Detox Diets May Be Toxic To Your Health
Detox diets are fasting diets that supposedly flush the toxins out of your system, help you to lose weight, clear your complexion, and boost your immune system.
But nutrition experts warn there could be some serious side effects. And you may find yourself running to the bathroom a lot — especially if your diet relies heavily on laxatives.
Celebrities like Beyonce Knowles credit extreme diets for their weight loss.
But when you supposedly rid your body of toxins, you may also eliminate the healthy bacteria in your intestines that’s needed for digestion.
The longer and more often you go on a detox diet, the more likely you are to suffer from vitamin deficiencies, blood sugar problems, muscle breakdown, and frequent, loose bowel movements (also known as really bad diarrhea).
If this occurs, especially the vitamin deficiencies, your immune system is more likely to be weakened and less likely to protect you from infections and other illnesses.
Other side effects include fatigue, headache, irritability, and body aches.
Women who are pregnant or nursing or people with diabetes, kidney or heart disease should be especially careful.
These diets can disturb blood sugar, sodium, and potassium levels in your body.
If you use this type of crash diet for weight loss, you should know that any weight you lose will most likely come back.
So what’s the allure of a detox diet?
As far as I can tell, it’s just a fad made more popular by the Hollywood connection.
But if you still want to try a detox diet, at least see your doctor so you can prepare for potential health problems.
Technorati Tags: diet, dieting, lose weight, weight loss, detox diet, fasting, crash diet










May 23rd, 2007 at 11:37 am
Crazy stuff. I wouldn’t do it.
May 23rd, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Too many people follow what the stars do and it’s just not healthy. Who cares how Beyonce got skinny unless she’s really found some magic way to do it in a healthy way?
May 23rd, 2007 at 2:04 pm
I’ve heard of a lot of celebrities using colonic cleansers… ewwww!
May 23rd, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Crash diets are never a good idea. Just because they call it a detox diet now doesn’t change the fact that they’re still crash diets.
May 23rd, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Clear your complexion? This kind of diet is a high price to pay to get rid of some pimples.
May 23rd, 2007 at 3:04 pm
I’ve tried crash diets before and I felt really sick every time. Don’t do it.
May 23rd, 2007 at 3:15 pm
A woman who’s pregnant shouldn’t be on a diet. Why would they go on something like this?
May 23rd, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Fads come and go. We all need to find something we can live with for the rest of our lives.
May 23rd, 2007 at 4:06 pm
The side effects you talked about don’t make this kind of diet something I’d want to go on. The laxative thing, I’m with Stephanie, ewwww!
May 23rd, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Thanks for this post! My sister is the queen of Detox Dieting so I am going to point her here :).
May 24th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
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