Body detoxes have been trending on social media for some time now. Every week, a new magical detox drink emerges. Sometimes a beetroot shot, sometimes a bitter gourd and carrot blend. Claims are made that these juices will cleanse your liver and remove toxins from your body, but is this true?

According to Dr. Sudhir Kumar (MD, DM), it's important to understand that your body isn't a clogged pipe that needs to be flushed, but rather a self-regulating biochemical system. Therefore, it's crucial to know the full truth before blindly trying any detox juice.

Do you need detox drinks?
You don't need any external juices because your body's organs do this work 24 hours a day:

Liver - It converts waste from drugs, alcohol, hormones, and metabolism into a form the body can excrete.

Kidneys - Our kidneys filter approximately 150-180 liters of blood daily. They constantly excrete toxins like urea, creatinine, and excess salt.

If these organs are functioning properly, you don't need detox juices, and if they're not functioning properly, no amount of juice can fix them.

Can detox juices be harmful?

Kidney disease - Beetroot, tomatoes, and gourds are high in potassium. High potassium levels can cause dangerously irregular heartbeats.

Gallstones - Beetroot and spinach juices are high in oxalate, which can worsen the problem of kidney stones.

Diabetes - Juicing removes the fiber from fruits and vegetables, causing rapid increases in blood sugar.

Liver disease - There's no evidence that vegetable juices can treat fatty liver or fibrosis.

Hyponatremia - Living on a liquid-only diet can lower sodium levels in the body.

What does science say?

There's no clinical evidence to prove that detox juices help with weight loss or organ cleansing. People often feel better after a detox due to cutting out processed foods, consuming fewer calories, and staying hydrated, not because of the detoxification process itself.

Instead of buying into false marketing, focus on these things:

Eat whole fruits and vegetables to provide fiber.

Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol.

Get regular exercise and good sleep.

Control diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

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