Weight Loss Diet ReferenceAcai Berry, Colon Cleansing and Detoxification
Body Cleansing Diets
Body cleansing or detoxification is a treatment in alternative medicine which proponents claimrid the body of accumulated harmful substances that exert a negative effect on individualhealth. Critics argue that such cleansings are often unnecessary, and are based on questionableor disproved scientific claims.
Background
The premise of body cleansing is based on the Ancient Egyptian and Greek idea of autointoxication, in which foods consumed or in the humoral theory of health that the fourhumours themselves can putrefy and produce toxins that harm the body. Biochemistry andmicrobiology appeared to support the theory in the 19th century, but by the early twentiethcentury, detoxification based approaches quickly fell out of favour. Despite abandonment bymainstream medicine, the idea has persisted in the popular imagination and amongstalternative medicine practitioners. In recent years, notions of body cleansing have undergonesomething of a resurgence, along with many other alternative medical approaches.Nonetheless, mainstream medicine continues to view the field as unscientific andanachronistic.Various modalities of body cleansing are currently employed, ranging from physical treatments(e.g. colon cleansing), to dietary restrictions (e.g. avoiding foods) or dietary supplements. Somevariants involve the use of herbs and supplements that purportedly speed or increase theeffectiveness of the process of cleansing. Several naturopathic and homeopathic preparationsare also promoted for cleansing; such products are often marketed as targeting specific organs,such as fiber for the colon or juices for the kidneys.
Detox Diets
Detox diets are dietary plans regarded as having detoxifying effects. Scientists, dietitians, anddoctors, while generally judging 'detox diets' harmless (unless nutritional deficiency results),often dispute the value and need of 'detox diets' due to lack of supporting factual evidence."Detox" diets usually suggest that water, or fruits and vegetables compose a majority of one'sfood intake. Limiting this to unprocessed (and sometimes also non-GM) foods is often
advocated. Limiting or eliminating alcohol is also a major factor, and drinking more water issimilarly recommended.Methods to modify the diet for the purpose of detoxification include:* Eliminating foods such as caffeine, alcohol, processed food (including any bread), pre-madeor canned food, salt, sugar, wheat, red meat, pork, fried and deep fried food, yellow cheese,cream, butter and margarine, shortening, etc., while focusing on pure foods such as raw fruitsand vegetables, whole grains, legumes, raw nuts and seeds, fish, vegetable oils, herbs andherbal teas, water, etc.* Raw foodism* Fasting, including water fasting and juice fasting* Increased consumption of fish* Food combining* Calorie restriction* Herbal detox* Master Cleanse, also known as the lemonade diet, terms that refer to the fasting dietadvocated by Stanley Burroughs* Special teas used in combination with another detox method. Most detox teas containginger, milk thistle, licorice, rooibos, black pepper and dandelion, ingredients known in folkmedicine as digestive aids. Other ingredients help to protect the liver, alleviate urinaryproblems and help treat stomach ulcers.Some proponents of detox diets emphasize it as a lifestyle rather than a diet. Others havetouted spiritual and psychological benefits of regular detox dieting.
Criticism
Body cleansing and detoxification have been referred to as an elaborate hoax used by conartists to cure nonexistent illnesses. Most doctors contend that the 'toxins' in question do noteven exist. In response, alternative medicine proponents frequently cite heavy metals orpesticides as the source of toxification, however no evidence exists that detoxificationapproaches have a measurable effect on these or any other chemical levels. Medical expertsstate that body cleansing is unnecessary as the human body is naturally capable of maintainingitself, with several organs dedicated to cleansing the blood and gut.
Professor Alan Boobis OBE, Toxicologist, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London states
that "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. It is remarkable thatpeople are prep
ared to risk seriously disrupting these systems with unproven ‘detox’ diets,
which could well do more harm than good."Highly restrictive detox diets such as Water fasting or the Master Cleanse are not the safestform of weight loss. These diets, if done improperly or for too long, may result in nutrientdeficiencies. Of particular concern is lack of protein, which may result in wasting of muscletissue, due to insufficient amino acids for repair. With less lean muscle tissue, the body'smetabolic needs decrease, which hampers weight loss efforts unless calories are lessenedfurther in the diet.Finally, while many testimonial and anecdotal accounts exist of health improvements followinga "detox", these are more likely attributable to the placebo effect; where people actuallybelieve that they are doing something good and healthy. Yet, there is a severe lack of quantitative data. Some changes recommended in certain "detox" lifestyles are also found inmainstream medical advice (such as consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables). Thesechanges can often produce beneficial effects in and of themselves, and it is accordingly difficultto separate these effects from those caused by the more controversial detoxificationrecommendations.
Detoxification
Detoxification, or detox for short is the removal of toxic substances from the body. Inconventional medicine, detoxification can also be achieved artificially by techniques such asdialysis and (in a very limited number of cases) chelation therapy. There is a firm scientific basein evidence-based medicine for this type of detoxification. Detoxification can also refer to theperiod of withdrawal during which a person's body returns to homeostasis after long-term useof an addictive substance.Many alternative medicine practitioners promote various other types of detoxification such as"diet detoxification," but there is no evidence that detox diets have any health benefits.Furthermore, Sense About Science, a UK-based charitable trust determined that mostcommercial products' "detox" claims lack any supporting evidence and can be considered a"waste of money".
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Weigh Loss Diet Reference
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