herbal detox UN-healthy?

[Ms.Tarantula]

Now personally.. I'm un-biased on this. I was looking into it because lots of my friends seem to be into this...

I came across the article below.. any thoughts??


Herbal detox not good for your health: diet experts
Last Updated Tue, 15 Jan 2002 12:47:48 EST
CBC News

VANCOUVER - Nutrition experts are warning people against using detoxifying herbal regimes. They say going through with it could be bad for your health.

"There's no research evidence that people who do these regimes are healthier than people who don't," says Susan Barr, a professor of nutrition at the University of British Columbia.



"People sort of believe that they wash out toxins, which isn't true."

January is the most popular month for people to try the regimes because it's right after the holiday season when they've eaten and imbibed too much.

Many of the herbal diet regimes require a person to take special mixtures of herbs while using laxatives and avoiding high-fat foods.

The idea is to rid the body of waste.

Sejal Parikh-Shah, a naturopath at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, says there are advantages to using detoxifying herbal programs.

"It's like spring cleaning...to kind of get rid of all the clutter. It can aid in weight management and...with energy levels if somebody has fatigue."

Parikh-Shah cautions that such programs are not recommended for those with liver, gall bladder or kidney problems.

Regimes restrict rice, potatoes, dairy foods

Wendy Tao of the Unique Nutrition Health Centre in Vancouver says she has tried the regimes and finds them beneficial. She used a 12-day program and found she was weak for the first four days but then felt very energetic after that.

Tao's store has already sold out of the regimes, which she says happens just about every January.

The programs last between three to 12 days. They require users to drink elderberry juice and take various herb and laxative capsules.

Other regimes restrict foods such as pasta, rice, potatoes, diary and certain fruits such as bananas and products containing white flour and sugar.

Barr warns such programs can harm the body because they don't provide enough nourishment and the user can experience bone loss without enough calcium in their diet.

Doctors say cleansing programs only serve to feed the multi-million dollar diet industry.

"There is no evidence that they do any good for the body whatsoever," says Dr. Paul Medve of Kitchener, Ont., who specializes in weight loss.

Medve says the body's large intestine, liver and kidneys already to a good job of getting rid of toxins.

He says a common sense approach to weight loss would be to eat fruits and vegetables high in fibre and to avoid processed foods. Washing it down with lots of water is also key.

Dietitian Kathleen Quinn goes further to say foods such as lentils, beans and whole grains help to naturally flush the body of what it doesn't need.

"Fibre...acts like a broom to continually move food through the intestine as well as blocking the absorption of substances like cholesterol."

[sNyx]

http://www.colonblow.com

[Senior]

Originally Posted by Ms.Tarantula

[b]

He says a common sense approach to weight loss would be to eat fruits and vegetables high in fibre and to avoid processed foods. Washing it down with lots of water is also key.

Dietitian Kathleen Quinn goes further to say foods such as lentils, beans and whole grains help to naturally flush the body of what it doesn't need.

"Fibre...acts like a broom to continually move food through the intestine as well as blocking the absorption of substances like cholesterol."

Well I'm far from an expert on the subject but I can say that I do find the article ironic. While all the said "experts" critize these cleanses by saying there is no proof they work they also don't sight any evidence that they don't work. Then at the end the "common sense" aproach to doing this reads right out of the cleanse diet that I used. Was this meant to be a story because it sure read like an editorial.

[ebbomega]

"herbal" = not tested by the FDA

[Goat]

Too bad you'll still be fat post-cleanse.
Check out purging and laxatives, next isle over.

[LastWerd]

I would recommend not taking any funky pills or paying a nutritionalist to tell you common sense. I don't really believe in this whole cleanse thing everyone is doing....

Just regular one a day vitamins,

drink green tea a few times a day (this tea is the key)

Make sure you get enough iron and calcium!

easy on the drinking, and don't smoke

strech and walk everyday

hold off on alot of fatty foods.

give it a week, you will feel so much better and it isnt a huge change from most peoples regular day
This is what I do when I am not feeling too healthy. I always loose a few pounds and have more energy when i do it.

[Goat]

In other words, lay off the cheeseburgers.

[Disco_Whore]

I find the cleanse process to be far more important to purge habits rather than "toxins". It gets you to eat the foods you should be eating, and shakes up your routine. It also makes you very aware of how your actual diet stacks up to a healthier diet, and how easy it is to change it.

If people try to use a cleanse to lose weight, and jump right back into their old routines and habits then of course it won't work. Just like how any crash diet won't work.

[Ray!]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

"herbal" = not tested by the FDA

fda only cares about money there is no money in the cure and herbs get rid of or cure
fda like maintenace pills u need everyday cuz there is money in them

[Senior]

Originally Posted by LastWerd

I would recommend not taking any funky pills or paying a nutritionalist to tell you common sense. I don't really believe in this whole cleanse thing everyone is doing....

Just regular one a day vitamins,

drink green tea a few times a day (this tea is the key)

Make sure you get enough iron and calcium!

easy on the drinking, and don't smoke

strech and walk everyday

hold off on alot of fatty foods.

give it a week, you will feel so much better and it isnt a huge change from most peoples regular day
This is what I do when I am not feeling too healthy. I always loose a few pounds and have more energy when i do it.

What I'm getting at though is that you have no basis for this opinion. "Funky pills" in itself is vague enough that you obviously have no idea why you have this opinion.

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by Ray!

fda only cares about money there is no money in the cure and herbs get rid of or cure
fda like maintenace pills u need everyday cuz there is money in them

um. no. you're mistaking the fda with drug companies. fda is the governmental administration set out to curtail the drug companies so that they don't just go money-hungry with the drugs and start selling codeine to every tom, dick and harry that asks.

if the fda was only about money they would just make everything over the counter and then they could just tax the shit out of them.

[Vitamin-X]

hmm, you really want to lose weight?

Hit up the ephedrine stack 50mg ephedrine,200mg caffeine every day
for one month.

Just don't drink with it (it'll make you crazy)

[Disco_Whore]

^Exactly. Who doesn't want to be thin, AND have a heart murmur?

[Big Bank Hank]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

um. no. you're mistaking the fda with drug companies. fda is the governmental administration set out to curtail the drug companies so that they don't just go money-hungry with the drugs and start selling codeine to every tom, dick and harry that asks.

if the fda was only about money they would just make everything over the counter and then they could just tax the shit out of them.

Pharmaceutical companies rule the US

[djmarkpaul]

Detox can be unhealthy if you've got liver or other general bowel problems, which is more than some would guess (READ not just fat people or smokers). Usually if you get all the right minerals, amino acids and the right amount of liquid you will be just fine, provided there are no conditions you have naturally.

Mind you if people took the right minerals, amino acids and the right amount of liquid in the first place we would need a lot less detox treatments.



I recommend the master cleanse

[-evil-duerr-]

wait a minute
so theyre sayin, if people eat right and excersize they will be healthy?

hmmm, it sounds kind of wacky, but it just may be wacky enough to work.

[Ragga_Wh0re]

if anyone considers doing any sort of body cleansing they should go and have a consultation with a naturopath so that they can identify which system is causing the most problems and which system it is that needs to be cleansed and what herbs theyre going to use to do so.

infact,i beleive that everyone should drop thier GP nad get a naturopath!Much better for you.

[djmarkpaul]

^^Well if that isn't a good opener I don't know what is:

ATTENTION: Blantent Plug

***

Free nutritional advice, however I don't say to completely drop your doctor, I always welcome a second or even third opinion, doesn't bother me I feel the customer should be able to decide for themself if they want to go through with anything...that also being a disclaimer that I assume no liability if someone doesn't get cured as a result of taking my advice or using my services.

There is a garuntee, I charge nothing for any time lost if one doesn't get cured, I fare that is a pretty awsome deal, I just ask for donations to pay for the cost of my travels and herbs at my cost.

I actually do house calls, so if anyone is interested PM me or msn me for details ( [email protected] ) . I specialize in herbs, crystals/reiki, and general nutritional advice.

/Blatant Plug

Markus