Hi,
Cleanses are hot right now and have been for a while. Basically any celebrity from Snooki to Paris Hilton has had a cleanse that promises more energy, better gut health, overnight riches and of course better sex with less body fat.
The latest craze being a charcoal cleanse, where people actually drink charcoal (endorsed of course by world’s most renowned nutritionist – Gwyneth Paltrow). A grey, slimy, nausea inducing drink for only 10$…cool!
What’s the story with cleanses?
In short, there is no scientific evidence that such cleanses are any help whatsoever. The reasons for that are as follows:
- Cleansing does not equal fat loss. In other words, you did not lose 10 lbs. You just went to the bathroom a lot.
- Popular science often confuses detoxification in abuse programs with a cleanse. Detoxification is only needed if you consumed harmful substances or suffer from food poisoning (in which case the charcoal cleanse actually could make sense).
- Environmental poisons such as arsenic and mercury are typically found in organic juices and cleanses. Sadly, there is no way to avoid those pollutants in the times we live.
- Thankfully, the liver is our prime cleansing organ and does a superb job in doing so. If you remember, humans lived for a long time without refrigeration or proper food storage meaning they often ate rotten foods and survived (for the most part). The liver eliminates some 90+% of all toxins right away.
- Colon cleanses are actually harmful since they disturb the microbes in the colon, which inhibits your cleansing abilities.
So in conclusion, Gwyneth Paltrow was wrong again (just like it is wrong to name a kid Apple). A regular diet with plenty of fiber, lean protein, water and vitamins will keep you as clean and healthy as one needs to be.
If you are truly interested in bettering your health and overall appearance, send me a note and I’ll be happy to assist either online or in person.
Best,
Maik