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Detox teas, juice cleanses, parasite cleanses, and foot pads all promise the same thing. The science tells a different story.
Social media has made one thing abundantly clear: apparently everyone needs a detox. According to “HealthTok,” the side of TikTok where people share supposed medical advice, there’s many toxins in your body and you can remove them with the right products:
- Feet pads can draw out heavy metal impurities overnight, and ionic foot baths can provide weight loss by removing fat impurities
- You have parasites in your body and need to have papaya seed-induced diarrhea to remove them
- After a night of drinking, wear a castor oil pack to draw toxins out of your liver
- Eat “detox cabbage soup” to lose 10 pounds in a week (this fad diet actually pops up every couple of years)
With an overflow of information about gut health everywhere, here’s what you need to know about what the research says about toxins, detoxes, and whether the wellness industry’s biggest promises actually hold up.
What Are Toxins?
Medically, the term people are generally looking for is “toxicant,” which are synthetic substances that make your body work differently than they would, including pesticides and excess medication doses.
Actual toxins are naturally produced substances from living plants, animals, and bacterias that destroy bodily functions.
In medicine, we can measure things like:
- Blood lead levels
- Mercury concentrations
- Alcohol levels
- Carbon monoxide exposure
- Drug toxicity
On social media, though, “toxins” are unspecified and usually become a catch-all explanation for:
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Brain fog
- Acne
- Low energy
While HealthTok pushes “detoxes,” your body already has built in detox machines: your liver and kidneys.
Your liver acts as a superpowered Brita filter and performs roughly 500 different functions. It metabolizes medications so your body can utilize them, catches and destroys bacteria and viruses, stores essential vitamins and nutrients, and plenty more.
Meanwhile, your kidneys filter around 200 quarts of blood every single day, removing the waste your liver has already processed and sending it out through your urine.
What Do Detox Products Do?
Some are harmless and others can do the exact opposite of what they’re advertised to do. Let’s break down some of the more popular ones:
Juice Cleanses
The biggest problem with juice cleanses is that they remove one of the healthiest parts of fruits and vegetables: fiber. Without that fiber, you’re essentially drinking concentrated sugar, and research has found that even a three-day juice cleanse can increase bacteria associated with inflammation rather than improve gut health.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is incredibly effective in emergency rooms after certain poisonings because it binds to chemicals before your body absorbs them.
The problem is that it doesn’t know the difference between a poison and your medication. It can cause constipation and reduce the absorption of birth control, antidepressants, blood pressure medications, and many other prescription drugs.
Detox Teas
Most detox teas feel like they work because they contain senna, a stimulant laxative. You’re not removing toxins, you’re just having diarrhea. Long-term use can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and dependence on laxatives.
Ironically, some of the supplements marketed to support your liver have become one of the leading causes of herbal and dietary supplement-related liver injury.
Is There a Right Way to Detox?
Your liver doesn’t need expensive detox products; it mostly needs you to stop making its job harder.
The biggest things you can do are:
- Stay hydrated so your kidneys can efficiently remove waste
- Eat more fiber, which supports your gut microbiome and reduces compounds your kidneys have to filter
- Increase cardio and resistance exercises to improve insulin resistance, lower liver fat content, and allow your body to use fat for energy rather than store it
- Limit alcohol because nearly all of it has to be processed by your liver
- Be careful with medications like acetaminophen, especially when combined with alcohol
The best part? Your liver and kidneys are capable of regeneration. When damage is caught early, they can often repair themselves surprisingly well.
One of the best ways to catch potential liver damage early is with a simple diagnostic test from Superpower.
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