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Detox diets are a waste of time and money, say scientists
By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent and Fran Yeoman
NEW year detox products that purport to rid the body of harmful chemicals accumulated through seasonal over-indulgence are a waste of time and money, leading scientists said yesterday.
Most of the pills, juices, teas and oils that are sold for their detoxifying effects on the body have no scientific foundation for their claims, according to toxicologists and dieticians.
They will not influence the rate at which the body rids itself of toxins, and any beneficial effects would be matched at much lower cost by drinking plenty of tap water, eating fruit and vegetables and getting a few early nights.
The entire market for detox products, which is worth tens of millions of pounds a year, rests on myths about the human body that are hitting consumers in the wallet, the experts’ report has found.
“Whether or not people believe the biblical story of the Virgin birth, there are plenty of other popular myths that are swallowed with religious fervour over Christmas,” said Martin Wiseman, Visiting Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Southampton. “Among these is the idea that in some way the body accumulates noxious chemicals during everyday life, and that they need to be expunged by some mysterious process of detoxification, often once a year after Christmas excess. The detox fad — or fads, as there are many methods — is an example of the capacity of people to believe in (and pay for) magic despite the lack of any sound evidence.”
John Hoskins, an independent environmental toxicologist, said: “On detox, the Romans got it right: Mundus vult decipi — the world wants to be deceived — better translated as ‘there’s a sucker born every minute’. The only thing that loses weight on a detox diet is your wallet.”
The criticism of the detox industry has emerged from an inquiry into public perceptions of chemicals and toxicity by a working party of 11 scientists. The full report, Making Sense of Chemical Stories, will be published later this month by the charity Sense About Science.
It found that popular ideas about detox are based on misconceptions about how the human body responds to chemicals in the diet. The liver and kidneys are highly efficient organs that have evolved to break down and remove toxins from the bloodstream, and their function is not helped by products such as Gillian McKeith’s £19.99 “24 hour detox programme”, which claims to “assist the natural detoxification process in your body”.
“Our bodies are very good at eliminating all the nasties that we might ingest over the festive season,” said John Emsley, of the Royal Society of Chemistry. “There is a popular notion that we can speed up the elimination process by drinking fancy bottled water or sipping herbal teas, but this is just nonsense.”
Sir Colin Berry, Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Queen Mary, University of London, said: “Even if you drink an almost lethal dose of alcohol (which I don’t recommend) your liver will clear it in 36 hours without assistance from detox tablets.”
Other researchers said “detox” was a scientifically worthless term. “The concept of ‘detox’ is a marketing myth rather than a physiological entity,” said Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George’s Hospital Medical School in London.
Tracey Brown, director of Sense About Science, said: “We were surprised to find such strength of feeling about the detox industry among scientists. The criticisms were unanimous across our working group, and were echoed by other scientists and clinicians.”
By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent and Fran Yeoman
NEW year detox products that purport to rid the body of harmful chemicals accumulated through seasonal over-indulgence are a waste of time and money, leading scientists said yesterday.
Most of the pills, juices, teas and oils that are sold for their detoxifying effects on the body have no scientific foundation for their claims, according to toxicologists and dieticians.
They will not influence the rate at which the body rids itself of toxins, and any beneficial effects would be matched at much lower cost by drinking plenty of tap water, eating fruit and vegetables and getting a few early nights.
The entire market for detox products, which is worth tens of millions of pounds a year, rests on myths about the human body that are hitting consumers in the wallet, the experts’ report has found.
“Whether or not people believe the biblical story of the Virgin birth, there are plenty of other popular myths that are swallowed with religious fervour over Christmas,” said Martin Wiseman, Visiting Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Southampton. “Among these is the idea that in some way the body accumulates noxious chemicals during everyday life, and that they need to be expunged by some mysterious process of detoxification, often once a year after Christmas excess. The detox fad — or fads, as there are many methods — is an example of the capacity of people to believe in (and pay for) magic despite the lack of any sound evidence.”
John Hoskins, an independent environmental toxicologist, said: “On detox, the Romans got it right: Mundus vult decipi — the world wants to be deceived — better translated as ‘there’s a sucker born every minute’. The only thing that loses weight on a detox diet is your wallet.”
The criticism of the detox industry has emerged from an inquiry into public perceptions of chemicals and toxicity by a working party of 11 scientists. The full report, Making Sense of Chemical Stories, will be published later this month by the charity Sense About Science.
It found that popular ideas about detox are based on misconceptions about how the human body responds to chemicals in the diet. The liver and kidneys are highly efficient organs that have evolved to break down and remove toxins from the bloodstream, and their function is not helped by products such as Gillian McKeith’s £19.99 “24 hour detox programme”, which claims to “assist the natural detoxification process in your body”.
“Our bodies are very good at eliminating all the nasties that we might ingest over the festive season,” said John Emsley, of the Royal Society of Chemistry. “There is a popular notion that we can speed up the elimination process by drinking fancy bottled water or sipping herbal teas, but this is just nonsense.”
Sir Colin Berry, Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Queen Mary, University of London, said: “Even if you drink an almost lethal dose of alcohol (which I don’t recommend) your liver will clear it in 36 hours without assistance from detox tablets.”
Other researchers said “detox” was a scientifically worthless term. “The concept of ‘detox’ is a marketing myth rather than a physiological entity,” said Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George’s Hospital Medical School in London.
Tracey Brown, director of Sense About Science, said: “We were surprised to find such strength of feeling about the detox industry among scientists. The criticisms were unanimous across our working group, and were echoed by other scientists and clinicians.”
