Detox diets 'a waste of time', say experts
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If the thought of chewing on raw celery and waking up with wheatgrass juice instead of your morning cuppa is more than you can bear, there is good news today. Experts insist all the body really needs to detox is a glass of water and a good night's sleep.
According to the Daily Mail, the guide, called Making Sense of Chemical Stories, which aims to dispel all those detox myths, which claim a diet of raw fruit and veg will cleanse the body of all its pesky impurities, reminds diet fans that our bodies are more than capable of dealing with nasty chemicals all by themselves.
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As Alan Boobis, a toxicologist at Imperial College London and contributor to the guide, says: "The body's own detoxification systems are remarkably sophisticated and versatile. They have to be, as the natural environment that we evolved in is hostile."
Other contributors, like Dr John Hoskins, suggest that "the only thing that loses weight on a detox diet is your wallet", while NHS dietician Catherine Collins dismissed detoxing as a "marketing myth".
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Compiled by the charity Sense About Science, the guide also urges people not to assume that everything chemical is a danger to our health, pointing out that everything, including those healthy fruits and veggies involved in most detox diets, are made up of chemicals themselves.
The message on detox diets and products, then, is simple, and simply put by the guide: "Save your money: Have a glass of tap water and a good night's sleep."
Have you tried detox diets or products? Did it work for you? Leave your comments below...
