| Overwhelming
controversy surrounds a weight management plan referred to as
“Detoxification Dieting.” Although, there is a spectrum of detox
practices, certain medical professionals recommend it, while others
suggest danger. To discern the positive and negative effects of
fasting or doing the detoxification diet, review the following
positives and negatives: Detoxification
Diet Perks
• Used short-term, it should be safe
• Spiritual benefits
• Weight loss is via fluid loss
• Releases a build up of toxins
• Beans, fruits, grains and vegetables, fruits, whole grains
and beans
Detoxification Diet Drawbacks
• Research does not corroborate the health benefits of the program
• Weight loss is generally temporary
• Does not effectively burn fat
• Considered to ‘quite dangerous’
Despite the immediate gratification of accelerated
weight loss, detoxification diets are not recommended for the
following individuals:
• Children
• Adolescents
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• Aging people
• Individuals with health problems (such as decreased kidney
function, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses)
Body detoxification programs have been touted
as a way for people to manage their own health. On the contrary
physicians are countering that the weight management plan does
not provide any benefits the body does not perform naturally.
According to one of the co-founders of the
21-Day Detox program in California, John Wood, it is virtually
impossible to “live in a dirty environment, breathing dirty
air ... eating food that's contaminated with poisons and pesticides
and be healthy."
On the other side of the detox diet debate,
Roger Clements, MD a chemist at the U.S.C. School of Pharmacy
scoffs at the program's stipulation on how the body or digestive
system needs a time-out or sabbatical. According to Dr. Clements,
both the liver and G.I. (gastrointestinal) tract are very long.
From the liver to the GI tract, the body manages to function
well. But according to Peter Pressman, an assistant professor
of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California,
detoxification is potentially dangerous.
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