Detox products are bunk

It seems like everyone is detoxing or cleansing these days. Do you need to detox, too? You’ve come to the right place!

What does it mean to detox?

Broadly speaking, a toxin is a substance that can cause harm. However, “the dose makes the poison,” meaning everything is toxic at a high enough dose. Some substances, such as botulinum, are toxic in extremely small amounts, while even water can be fatal at a high enough dose.

If our bodies accumulated toxins, we would be in serious trouble. Thankfully, they generally don’t. Our livers and kidneys break down or eliminate toxins, such as alcohol or ammonia. Even our skin and lungs remove toxins.

There are some instances, such as severe drug addictions, where medically supervised detoxification is useful. But our bodies are generally capable of breaking down and removing harmful substances on their own.

What about detox products?

Detoxes are big business. There are teas, juices, diets, enemas, crystals, stickers, saunas, supplements, shampoos, and so on… and you can supposedly detox your liver, kidneys, colon, feet, vagina, and even your “whole body.”

Detox products are based on the premise that our bodies accumulate toxins, that these toxins make us sick, and therefore we can feel better by removing the toxins.

But notice how vague these claims are. What toxins? What health problems? And how would the product work?

What does science say?

Despite sciencey diagrams and terms, detoxes ignore basic biology.

There’s literally no solid evidence to support the claim that we need to detox the way proponents suggest. There’s also no plausible mechanism by which these products might work.

For example, what toxins would a foot bath or tea remove? And how? Any product that claims do detoxify without at least specifying what the toxins are is almost certainly a scam.

Selling pseudoscience

Advertisers sell detox products with tried-and-true fallacious techniques, like:
–Appealing to fear: “Are dangerous toxins and chemicals making you sick?”
–Appealing to nature: “Detox and cleanse your body naturally!”
-Using technobabble, or science-sounding words, to sound credible: “Uses phyto-enzymes to detoxify free radicals at the cellular level!”
-Promising vague, but impressive-sounding, health benefits” “Increased energy levels,” “improved immune function,” “better sex drive,” and “greater emotional and spiritual clarity.”

In short, detox products aren’t science. They’re marketing.

Notice the sciencey words and vague health promises

But I felt better after detoxing!

Anecdotes aren’t good evidence for a reason: we can easily be fooled by our personal experiences.

Yet if detox products don’t do anything, why might someone “feel better” afterwards?

One explanation is that in addition to the detox, you changed something else that might have health benefits. Maybe you ate more whole, unprocessed foods, or eliminated sugary drinks, or started exercising. There’s also the possibility it was a placebo effect.

But, and this is important: Any perceived improvement wasn’t the result of detoxing.

What could it hurt?

Personally, I’m too cheap to waste money on something that doesn’t work.

But in addition to monetary harm, detoxing can cause bodily harm. Detox supplements have been known to be contaminated with drugs or even lead. Some detoxes use laxatives, and can cause diarrhea, severe dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances. Juice cleanses and liquid diets severely restrict calories and nutrients, and can lead to fatigue and dizziness.

There have even been instances where cleanses were nearly fatal, including one woman who suffered brain damage from a soy sauce cleanse, and another who now struggles to walk after her bowels were ruptured during colonic irrigation.

The take-home message

Despite the ubiquity of products and mountain of testimonials, there’s no scientific evidence to support the claims of detoxes and cleanses. Simply put, the idea that you can cleanse your system of harmful impurities is a scam.

The next time a wellness influencer tries to convince you to detox with before-and-after photos and testimonials about how great they feel, don’t be fooled. Someone is probably trying to take advantage of your desire to be healthy by selling you a useless (and potentially harmful_ product.

So save your money and your health! Cleanse your life of toxic pseudoscience and expensive false hopes. The real empowerment is better thinking.

To learn more

Jen Gunter, TED: A cleanse won’t detox your body – but here’s what will
Doctor Mike on YouTube: Detox tea is a scam
The Guardian: You can’t detox your body. It’s a myth. So how do you get healthy?
Vox: Products that promise “detox” are a sham. Yes, all of them.
Rush Stories: The truth about toxins