Detox diets are often touted as a way to cleanse the body after the excess food and drinks that come with the holidays. These diets promise quick results and can particularly entice people around the new year, when there tends to be a renewed focus on health and lifestyle habits.

There are a few different types of detox diets: fasting, juice cleanses, eating only certain foods, using dietary commercial detox supplements or “cleansing” the colon with enemas or laxatives.

Most of these diets have a few things in common: They are short-term and aim to eliminate allegedly toxic substances from the body. Typically, these diets include a period of fasting followed by an extremely restrictive diet for a number of days.

As a registered dietitian, I have seen clients attempt detox diets and experience a slew of negative side effects, including developing a negative relationship with food.

Research shows that there is little evidence to support the use of detox diets and that they are not needed anyway. The body is well-equipped to eliminate unwanted substances on its own, without expensive and potentially harmful supplements sold by the nutrition and wellness industry.

What are toxins – and how do they get into the body in the first place?

Internal toxins include natural byproducts created by the body during metabolism, such as lactic acid, urea and waste from the gut microbes.

External toxic exposures enter the body through eating, drinking, breathing or penetration of the skin. These can come in the form of air pollutants, food or water contaminated with chemicals or heavy metals, household products such as laundry detergent and even beauty products like facial cleansers, body wash and makeup.

The body’s built-in detoxification system includes the liver and kidneys, with assistance from the lungs, lymphatic system, digestive tract and skin. Briefly, the liver breaks down harmful substances, which are then filtered out through the kidneys. The digestive tract also expels them through bowel movements.

But our bodies aren’t always functioning optimally. That’s why a proper diet and improved lifestyle behaviors, such as increased exercise and sleep, may have a significant – and positive – impact on the body’s detoxification system.

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