Frequently Asked Questions
By Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, LDN
Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association
July 2008
Q: Body detoxification food plans that urge me to "Be my own doctor" seem to be everywhere. Can leaving certain foods out of my diet, including dairy foods, eliminate body toxins encountered in daily life?
A: Popular talk show host Oprah Winfrey recently went on what she phrased a “cleansing” diet for 21 days, where she avoided all animal products, caffeine, sugar, alcohol and gluten for three weeks.
Oprah is not the first famous person to go on a cleansing, or detox, plan. Books and tapes about different programs abound claiming age reversal and stopping disease. While popular diets come and go, detox and master cleanses remain a returning favorite, owing their popularity to word of mouth and the Internet.
The idea of detoxifying or purifying the body of harmful substances has been around for centuries and regularly cycles back into popularity. The idea behind these plans, which can last anywhere from three days to about a month, is to rid the body of toxins absorbed from the environment and the less-than-healthy foods we may eat too much of (like those with high amounts of caffeine and sugar).
This cleansing is supposed to leave a person feeling energized. There are no hard numbers on how many people have tried the latest fashionable plans – or how many folks stuck with them. Still, these super-restrictive eating plans are hotter than ever, thanks to celebrity followers and dozens of do-it-yourself books glutting bookstore shelves.
Detox advocates say the body is under constant assault from toxins (like smog and pesticides) and without a periodic cleansing, these poisons accumulate in the body and cause headaches, fatigue, and a variety of chronic diseases. Health experts say this type of program is unnecessary and is based on "junk science" rather than a true understanding of how the body works.
Scientific studies have not found any process to support the claim that environmental contaminants can be purged over and above what the body itself is capable of doing regularly. We all have multiple systems in place, including the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract, that do a perfectly good job of eliminating toxins from the body within hours of consumption. There's no evidence that any of these approaches augment the body's own mechanisms.
Dietitians and doctors are concerned that those on cleansing diets may start depriving themselves of necessary nutrients by removing foods that have been shown to promote health. But there is a grain of wisdom in detox diets. Changing your diet to be as healthy as possible can be a positive step. The average person doesn't drink enough water or consume enough whole grains, lowfat dairy, fruits and vegetables. There is even a new campaign, Food Groups to Encourage, that supports these efforts.
Cleansing diets can lead to even more food hang-ups by repeating the "certain foods are evil" campaign. While Americans don't need to eat French fries and chocolate cake every day, the recommended "everything in moderation" certainly fits here. Food is not just for nutrition; it’s also a joyful way to bring people together and to relax. Don’t make eating a hurdle or a burden.
For more information:
Red Flags of Junk Science at: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_10278_ENU_HTML.htmDo you have a dairy-related question for “Ask the Dietitian?”
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