What Is a Detox Diet?
The name sounds reassuring — everyone knows that anything toxic is bad for you. Plus, detox diets encourage you to eat natural foods and involve lots of water and veggies, all stuff you know is good for you. You hear about celebrities going on detox diets, so shouldn't a detox diet be a good bet?
Not really. Like many other fad diets, detox diets can cause problems, especially for young people.
A toxin is a chemical or poison that has harmful effects on the body. Toxins can come from food or water, from chemicals used to grow or prepare food, and even from the air we breathe. Our bodies process those toxins through organs like the liver and kidneys and get rid of them in urine (pee), feces (poop), and sweat.