When we see an aging-in-reverse celeb flaunt her luminous skin and "How can I look like that?!" body, even the wisest of us may be tempted to try some dubious detox powder popping up all over social media. But no need to turn to supposedly magical answers like juice cleanses, chugging lemon water, or a colon-blasting chia seed concoction-those much-hyped "cures" are useless at best and at worst possibly dangerous, experts say.
"Our bodies don't need detoxes and cleanses, because we have our own natural detox pathways through systems like the liver, kidneys, and GI tract," says Jessica Levinson, M.S., R.D.N., a culinary nutrition expert in Westchester County, NY. In fact, scientific literature is full of case studies showing that cleanses may lead to kidney damage, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and GI symptoms including diarrhea and stomach cramps.
The idea of a detox makes sense: We don't always eat perfectly, and we regularly come in contact with things like pollution, airborne irritants, and germs and bacteria that could be harmful to our health. So seeking a way to "cleanse" your system may be appealing. But according to experts at Harvard Medical School, your body, and especially your intestinal tract, is full of beneficial bacteria that help fight illness, support digestion, and keep your organs functioning at their best; many detoxes you hear about can disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut, harming your body more than helping it.
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