Detox: what goes in doesn't always come out
This is a story about societies obsession with detox and whether detoxing is necessary
Like the Brita sitting in your fridge, our body has a filtration system, the liver. The liver, together with the kidneys, lungs, skin, lymphatic system and gut work together to help the body expel toxins and pathogens. Unlike a Brita, we can't just buy a new filter when we want to improve the function of our system.
According to researchers at Harvard Medical School, the use of detox for wellness has been around for thousands of years. "Native Americans have long used various forms of ritual cleansing and purification, such as the sauna-like sweat lodge. Bloodletting, enemas, and fasting were regarded as legitimate medical therapies until the early 20th century," states an article in Harvard Health Publishing
Whether it's colon hydrotherapy, acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, juice cleanses, or a strict supplement regime, health and wellness consumers are passionate about improving the body's function through different detox methods.Harvard Medical School researchers link this phenomenon with the fear of a "variety of things, such as emerging pathogens, lead in toys, mercury in fish, smog in the air, pollutants in rivers and lakes, tainted beef, pharmaceuticals in the water supply, and synthetic chemicals with unknown properties."
While many conventional doctors believe that detox therapies can be at best ineffective and at worst dangerous, naturopathic doctors take the stance that environmental toxins have wreaked havoc on our bodies, hindering natural detoxification.
"We are constantly living in this like fight or flight, and we're exposed to so many outside elements that just tax our system," said Amanda Tenbrink, 45, certified naturopathic practitioner. "Constant canned food, hydrogenated oils, fast food, that's not natural," she added. She also said that 5G and higher exposure to electromagnetic fields are hard on the body.
BreAnna Guan, 38, a naturopathic physician licensed in Massachusetts, said an individual's need for detox can also be related to genetic components. "We all have different functioning enzymes which give us uniqueness in terms of our metabolism. And so some people might be slow at certain detoxification pathways, and so they might require a bit of an assistance, and then certain things will reduce the functioning of those enzymes also."
Guan believes that limiting chemical exposure reduces the body's need for detox and is essential for optimal health.
"What we really want to do is reduce our exposure to toxins and chemicals," she said. "Our body has a way of protecting us, but we can enhance that and support that regularly in terms of doing cleanses and detoxes."
She shared that constant interaction with chemicals can negatively impact the body's endocrine system and hormones and increase one's risk of developing insulin resistance and diabetes obesity.
Refresh Wellness Collective is one health center in Brookline offering treatments to detox the body, including colon hydrotherapy. "Colon irrigation is a safe and effective method for cleaning the colon of waste and for ridding the system of this unwanted material. Through repeated gentle flushing of pure filtered warm water, colon hydrotherapy supports hydration of the colon and promotes the loosening and elimination of waste matter," states the Q&A section of their website.
Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Michael F. Piccio believes there's no evidence that colonics improve health or remove toxins, and warns of the dangerous effects they can have, including dehydration, infection and changes in electrolyte balance.
Kate Leighton, owner of Refresh, and licensed massage and colon hydrotherapist, says that while colonics can assist the body in detoxification, they aren't necessary to obtain optimal health. "I think you could live your life very fine without a colonic," she said. Of the broader detox trend, she explained that many beliefs are rooted in fear and that popular detox methods and products can rev up what the body does naturally but shouldn't be a replacement for a healthy diet and exercise. "That's the biggest thing. Our bodies do it [detox] wonderfully."
Though colonics are not necessary, enthusiasts feel they have a special way of improving their health.
"My first colonic, my skin did a 360. I'm here once a month. I spent a couple of years where I didn't go. My skin was reacting again; I had gut issues,"
said Kerry Merisier, 50, a longtime client at Refresh. She believes colonics were the key to curing the cystic acne she struggled with for years.
Social media has become one of the primary sources of information and misinformation about health and wellness, including trends surrounding detox, such as which foods to eat and which supplements to take. Merisier shared that the media sparked her interest in starting colonics. "That's how I found out about colonics. I was reading that Usher and Beyonce do it for big shows. A lot of celebs do it for weight loss," she said.
Though advice from influencers and celebrities can spur public interest on specific topics, it isn't always the best way for consumers to learn about detoxification because every person's body is different and requires different inputs to function correctly.
Megha Sanghi, a naturopathic doctor at New England Integrative Medicine, says it's crucial for those looking to detox to consult a trusted practitioner instead of obtaining advice online because detox is often not a one fits all solution.
"I've had patients come to me taking 15 different supplements..., but that's not really how it works. It's better to take a more focused approach, and you can achieve really great results with just one or two things. Again, our medicine is very individualized, so I can't say, 'this is the perfect way to detox.'"
Demand for detox therapies are starting to dwindle, according to Brendan Eggart, director of customer experience at Cambridge Naturals, a small business wellness shop, with locations in Porter Square and Brighton. "I think it's been down-trending for ten years," he said. Regarding the percentage of clientele that comes into the store asking about detox, Eggart said it's a minimal amount, only 2 to 3%.
He explained it is difficult to recommend products for customers asking about detox because people usually misunderstand what detox truly means and are searching for overnight success. "When people come in and ask for detox, and that's the term they use, they're looking to either lose weight or lose fat or feel lighter."
According to Tenbrink, a naturopathic practitioner, detoxing the body is not related to losing weight, and detoxing is often mixed up with cleansing. "A cleanse is meant to clean out the colon. A detox is meant to filter the blood and the liver," she said.
Detox might be an attractive health and wellness practice, but it's only a matter of time before another craze replaces consumers' desire. Wellness trends rely heavily on market demands to be successful. With detox on the downtrend and practitioners themselves noting the benefits of detoxing not being as pronounced and miraculous as promoted in the media, we can anticipate new health trends to pop up soon.
Apps like Tik Tok and Instagram, though good for business, give health an unrealistic one-fits-all approach. Eggart said consumers taking advice from the internet could lead to negligence towards the many factors contributing to overall well-being. "I think it's [detox] a lot of false advertising, and people need more space to do research."
