I'm bitter. Bitter about the detox scams out there. And yes, they are scams.
How often do you see influencers online promoting detox products with the promise to fix your liver, heal your gut, cleanse toxins, etc?
It's a huge popular niche online, and I don't think I can cover all of the bullshit in this one post. So I'm starting with the liver. It's going to be blunt and straightforward because I am beyond sick of this marketing tactic. It boils my blood thinking of all the impressionable people out there that think liver detoxes will help them, when in reality companies are jumping on hot topics and using buzz words to draw people in to buy useless products.
*DISCLAIMER: I am not a health professional, just extremely passionate about this topic.
First off, what IS the liver?
-Once food is broken down, the nutrients and contents are transferred through the bloodstream to the liver for filtering.
-Simply put, the liver then decides what to keep, and what to get rid of through stool. It cleans toxins out of our bloodstream.
-It makes bile, which is crucial for digestion AND fat absorption. It secretes bile into the small intestine, where the breakdown of fat mainly occurs.
-It's involved in sugar metabolism; it pulls glucose from the bloodstream and stores it in the form of glycogen. It will release the stored glycogen when needed.
-Also helps make the cholesterol that we need.
Those are the very basics, but the main point I'm trying to make is that the liver IS essentially the "filter" your body needs.
When it comes to liver detoxes, they claim to:
-cleanse the liver of toxins
-boost metabolism
-aid in weight lost
-"undo" damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption
One Harvard article discusses the Master Cleanse that is popular amongst celebrities. You've probably seen variations of this floating around: drink warm water with lemon juice, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and cayenne pepper. It is recommended to do this for up to ten days. But here is the summary from the article on why consuming limited calories is a horrible idea:
"There are no data on this particular diet in the medical literature. But many studies have shown that fasts and extremely low-calorie diets invariably lower the body's basal metabolic rate as it struggles to conserve energy. Once the dieter resumes normal eating, rapid weight gain follows. Much of the weight loss achieved through this diet results from fluid loss related to extremely low carbohydrate intake and frequent bowel movements or diarrhea produced by salt water and laxative tea. When the dieter resumes normal fluid intake, this weight is quickly regained."
There are countless other claims associated with these products or routines (as I'm sure you've seen). But they are simply marketing tactics and huge scams. Detoxes will mainly help you poop and get rid of water retention. But is this worth it to hurt our bodily functions and metabolism?
So how do we help our livers?
By living an active lifestyle, eating nutrient-dense foods, limiting alcohol consumption, and maintaining a healthy weight for your specific build.
Shocker, I know.
This year my fiance, Anthony, had blood work done and the results showed that he had abnormal liver enzymes. ALT (alanine aminotransferase) is an enzyme in the liver that's essential for filtering toxins out of the blood, storing nutrients, and producing bile. But damage or inflammation in the liver can cause extra ALT to be made and put in the bloodstream, which leads to those elevated levels. If untreated, it could lead to fatty liver disease. Fortunately, Anthony has been following his doctor's instructions and his second round of blood work indicated that his ALT levels are normalizing.
Keep in mind that there are many liver diseases, and you should always speak with your doctor.
With all of that being said, there are certain foods that will help keep your liver healthy and help manage inflammation:
-green tea
-coffee
-blueberries
-cruciferous vegetables (leafy greens, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc)
-nuts
-fatty fish
-olive oil
-garlic
-lemon
-carrots
-avocado
...and more!
Hopefully you can see the theme, which is to aim for whole foods and certain macro/micronutrients that benefit the liver. There are also supplements that ADD needed components for your liver's health (NOT causing some kind of "detox") such as milk thistle, fish oil, and elderberries. But again, always consult your doctor. (Side note: the Harvard article linked below talks about milk thistle, and reminds us that there is no evidence it "cleanses the liver." However, there is evidence that it provides beneficial nutrients for the liver)
It would be one thing if we saw posts and information with the label "foods that AID liver function" or even "steps to take to help digestion." But "detox" and "cleanse" claims are being shoved down our throats, and it irritates me that companies can get away with this false information. It also bugs me that influencers make so many false health claims. If an influencer has a large following and people are asking them specific questions, I think it's okay to share what works for them ONLY IF they disclaim that they are not professionals and they are just sharing their day-to-day life.
Every single human body is different. Different functions, intolerances, allergies, metabolisms, immune systems, GI tracts, skin...there is not a "one size fits all" when it comes to health.
But I will boldly state that everyone will benefit from integrating whole foods into daily life, as well as regular movement and quality sleep. However, you could be leading an incredibly healthy lifestyle and still have medical problems! So please don't fall victim to the marketing tactics that promise to "detox your liver." The industry does not know you personally; they just want access to your wallet.
Thank you for reading my rant of a post. In the future, I want to discuss the foods that I try to make a staple in my diet, as well as supplements I take. But I want to share this information safely and make sure it's clear that what works for me might not work for you. And what I consume does change frequently as my body continuously changes and might need new focuses. For example, I'd really like to touch on immunity myths and facts (but that's another can of worms for a different day).
Talk to your doctor, pay attention to your body, and do not believe everything you read on the internet. When doing research, make sure it is coming from a reputable source. Even as you read this, I hope you dive deeper beyond what I'm saying. I'm mainly here to remind you to stop listening to companies that are trying to push out useless products, and stop believing everything you see on Instagram. Health is a hot topic right now, but we don't need to fall victim to harmful misinformation.
LINKS
Lack of evidence shown in humans to support commercial detoxes:
Liquid diets & detoxes debunked: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29124370/
Alternative medicine cleanses & lack of evidence to draw a solid conclusion:
Beneficial supplements vs. detox claims: https://www.medicinenet.com/liver_cleanse/article.htm
*first picture (field of flowers) is my own*
Other pictures (credit):
*all from Instagram and used as example purposes, as there are thousands of similar posts; not intended for harmful use*
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