A popular buzzword in today’s times – detox refers to optimising the body’s function of toxin removal. This is often done by consuming foods and drinks that supposedly possess detoxing properties.
Detox essentially means cleansing of the entire system, and hence is also known as a “cleanse”. People follow different diets and regimes to help remove unwanted substances from the body.
There are several forms of detox diets and cleanses that people tend to follow for various different reasons, even though the scientific community seems to be divided on whether it is beneficial or ultimately bad for the body. Essentially, the different kinds of detoxes are meant to achieve similar goals, by either replacing solids with primarily a liquid-based diet, cutting out certain food groups to help the body to detoxify, and/or meant to clean up your digestive tract.
Some cite the example of giving the digestive system a much deserved break, especially after the holiday season gets over, where it is likely you may have indulged in a lot of binge-eating. It is sometimes also performed to stabilise the body's metabolism process, although many of these claims have yet to be established with concrete evidence.
How effective is a detox diet? Let’s find out.