Is Detox Safe?

Peta Bee, "Is Detox Safe?"  The Sunday Times (London), August 10, 2008

News that detoxing is potentially dangerous will have caused ripples of panic among those who rely on it for inner cleansing and occasional inch loss. Dawn Page, a 52-year-old mother of two from Oxfordshire, made headlines when she received more than £800,000 after suffering permanent brain damage while on a detox diet that instructed her to reduce her salt intake and consume large amounts of water.

Long before this case, reputable dieticians were questioning the effectiveness and safety of detoxing. A detox diet can last anything from 48 hours to 21 days, and most involve drinking two litres or more of water a day, along with dandelion coffee and herb teas that are thought to help expel environmental nasties. Most also recommend additional fluids - carrot and apple juice are favourites because of their “digestion boosting” properties - and some allow unlimited consumption of raw fruit and vegetables, but little else. Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George's Hospital in London, says she has seen dozens of people with debilitating detox side effects, usually as a result of consuming more water and less salty food, often in conjunction with increased activity.

Coincidentally, St. George's Hospital is home base for the UK's most outspoken advocate for sodium reduction.