The end-of-year celebrations are known to be relatively light… And many people worry about the effect of all this rich food on the body. We have always been told about the production of “toxins” that would result from these festive meals, and “detox” cures to come and repair our digestive system afterwards. But what is it really worth? Are there really miracle foods to cleanse us? asks Inserm.
The body cleans itself through the liver and kidneys
Already, Inserm reminds us: our body is itself equipped with a very effective self-cleaning system to get rid of toxic substances produced during excess: liver, kidneys, skin too. “The first is a purification plant which transforms certain waste such as ammonia and numerous toxic and carcinogenic substances. kidneys eliminate waste through urine. At the same time, the skin participates in the excretion of certain waste products, such as lactic acid, through perspiration, while the lungs reject CO2.
Stop using so-called “detox” foods. Inserm recalls that a detoxifying process reinforced by food is not based on “no scientific data”. Using certain ingredients with this so-called miracle property could even be dangerous, especially because we tend to ingest large quantities to compensate. They take the example of St. John’s wort, consumed in herbal tea, and which would help women to get pregnant: in reality, this tends to accelerate the degradation of the pill, but it also interacts with other treatments such as antiretrovirals or antiepileptics. Be careful with the detox, then!
Inserm also specifies that each toxin is processed in a certain way by the body. No food is able to play this role on the whole body…
“Some very restrictive detox diets based on cabbage for example, even risk tiring your body, causing deficiencies and altering its natural detoxification capacities…”
In conclusion ? Detox is a selling point, not very useful in reality, and to be handled with great care! But nothing prevents, of course, to re-adopt a healthy and balanced diet the day after a party.
Source : A detox cure to be on top after the holidays… really? Inserm, December 15, 2021.
Read also:
- Do you know the 3V rule, very simple to eat well?
- Is butter bad for your health?
