Column #28

Marketing guru Dr. Oz seems to recommend every idea that comes along, especially promotions that dovetail with his endorsements. One of his favorites is a $16-per-day detox cleanse diet. It’s marketed with a lot of feel-good psychobabble about antioxidants, fiber, enzymes, and Dr. Oz’s special supplements. He swears it makes him feel better right away. Yes, many people will try his short-term detox diet and feel better just because they stop eating garbage for a few days.

Detox and cleanse treatments very popular, big money makers for their promoters. Millions of people shop “health food” stores for detox potions often labeled as colon cleanses. They consist of patches, teas, pills, and more. Amazon.com has over 300 offerings!

But does anyone ask, “Is the detox approach to improving one’s health practical or valid?” They should because the answer is, “No.”

The body is continuously assaulted by toxins from the air, soils, water, and our foods. Some are man-made but many are natural. They are all poisons and dose governs their impact with high doses being deadly. For example alcoholic drinks are toxic since alcohol is a mycotoxin. In moderation alcohol is not a big deal for most people, but binge drinking can quickly kill.

Many toxins are virtually unavoidable. Some are cumulative if consumed continuously over a long period of time. But if the exposure is stopped or significantly reduced the body cleanses itself. Adults with moderate lead exposure usually recover without any complications. But if their lead levels got too high, that damages their brain which cannot be undone even after the lead is no longer in their system.

The body’s six major defenses are the immune system (attacks antigens, provides inflammatory response), lungs (gases are exhaled), skin (reduces penetration), digestive tract (eliminates toxic foods by vomiting or diarrhea), liver (changes the chemistry of many toxins), and kidneys (filter toxins out of blood into urine). These six processes are natural methods for fending off or eliminating toxins that are functioning 24/7 in a healthy body. The idea that these defenses require assistance because toxic material clings to the intestinal lining or that livers and kidneys need to the flushed out is marketing nonsense.

Careless exposure to toxins coupled with an improper diet is the real issue. Having a healthy body requires constant vigilance. It starts with a diet that optimizes all body functions including the immune system, digestive track, and body organs. Next is a practical avoidance of toxins and pathogens by avoiding or minimizing exposure to such things as high glycemic foods, foods high in Omega-6 fatty acids, low nutrient foods, moldy food, moldy environments, polluted air, chemicals used for cleaning and insect control, certain plastic containers and cooking utensils, and even some disinfectants.

The importance of diet cannot be overemphasized. Proper foods, as listed in The Real Diet of Man, include grass-fed and Omega-3 meats, wild-caught seafood, green leafy vegetables, and limited amounts of tart fruit. These foods provide 100% of mankind’s nutritional requirements in perfect balance. Deviations from that diet can introduce toxins while retarding the body’s six natural defenses.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

For additional reading:

The Detox Scam: How to spot it, and how to avoid it

The Truth About Detox Diets

“Detoxification” Schemes and Scams

Harmful Chemicals to Avoid in Products Women Use Everyday

Immune response