The Benefits of a Detox

Detox diets can take extreme forms, and may adversely affect your health if you don't take in the proper levels of nutrition. The Mayo Clinic warns that the side effects of a detox diet may include fatigue, dizziness, dehydration and nausea. A diet of raw vegetables and fruits, which is common to many detox programs, can be healthy, though there is no scientific evidence that fasting or using many of the herbs and supplements associated with detoxification actually provide a health benefit. However, if you review your detox plan with your doctor and proceed in a responsible way, the process may produce some positive results.

Physical

• Northwestern Health Sciences University lists four broad categories of toxins that commonly accumulate in the body and lead to health problems of various degrees. Heavy metal toxins---which Northwestern says poison 25 percent of Americans---build up in the brain, immune system and kidneys. Mercury, nickel, aluminum and arsenic are common heavy metal toxins, and those poisoned by them may be more susceptible to Alzheimer's Disease and other serious neurological disorders. Liver, protein by-product and microbial toxins may also adversely affect the body's natural functions.

  Proponents of body detoxification assert that the process cleanses the body of these harmful poisons, though Dr. Thomas Lee writes in Harvard University's "Health Beat" publication, "The human body can defend itself very well against most environmental insults and the effects of occasional indulgence."

Mental

• The mental benefits of detoxification may include heightened alertness and mental clarity. Elson M. Haas, MD., founder of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin, says he detoxifies "because it makes me feel more productive, creative, and open to subtle and spiritual energies." Detoxification may also help alleviate the cravings of people recovering from addiction to alcohol or other drugs.

Spiritual

• Dr. Haas notes that detoxification can be a spiritual endeavor, and adds that religious figures such as Jesus Christ and Paramahansa Yogananda fasted as a way to rise above the physical and commune with the Divine. Fasting is an extreme form of detoxification and can lead to adverse health consequences, but a detoxification diet of healthy foods---such as fruits and vegetables---could achieve the same spiritual purpose. The Mayo Clinic notes that many of the positive benefits people experience from detox diets may be the result of their belief in the process.