Detox juices: the truth about the drinks that promise to make you lose weight in record time

How do they work?

It’s terrifying to go in and look for that word in Tik Tok or Instagram, especially in the first social network. We found videos that suggest people only drink carrot juice for five days, or drink only green juices for seven days to cleanse the intestines, to lose weight, or to “regenerate” a fatty liver. There are even some more seasoned videos that show combinations of juices with oils, with coffee and foods that, due to the amount of fiber, will cause one to go to the bathroom more often.

These videos could have some good intention, perhaps whoever shares it — many times unfortunately people with education in health sciences — it worked for them and they lost weight or feel better. This happens because all these detox diets are low in calories, they restrict many foods and you hydrate much more. By consuming fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight and that is called

By drinking detox juices or doing a detox diet without protein sources and eliminating carbohydrates, what will happen is that you lose water or even muscle mass, you will not lose body fat, which is why they are not recommended for anyone. If you want to lose weight, the ideal is to eat a balanced diet and have a caloric deficit for a short time to avoid problems in the future, and always in the hands of a nutritionist who can guide you in the process and teach you how to balance your meals to cover requirements of vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential fats and energy.

Those who share these juices on their social networks mention that during those days – that you starve because you only drink juices or foods that are very low in calories – you are going to eliminate toxins from the blood or that were in some organ. And that is not true, the body has the ability to detoxify itself thanks to various organs such as the liver and kidneys. If these organs really didn’t work, you’d be in a hospital and not doing detox juices.

“The ideal way to get more out of the benefits of fruits and vegetables is to eat them and not drink them”

It is important to know that a healthy and balanced diet can reverse or control the first stages of kidney or fatty liver disease, but always in the hands of a trained and up-to-date nutritionist. So why have people felt better when consuming green juices or mixed fruits and vegetables? The reason may be due to the placebo, the idea that you are doing something healthier for yourself; or also because they ate very poorly and this change to consuming more fruits and vegetables has generated some positive impact, but that does not mean that they are cleaning organs or eliminating more toxins.

Side effects

As someone who at some point did detox because diet culture teaches you that if you’re not thin you’re not healthy, so whatever you should be, I made the mistake of doing detox and I have experienced the symptoms that the theory indicates: The people who invite to do the detox or who sell these juices call these symptoms as a sign that the body is detoxifying, and that is not so. Extreme fasting can lead to protein and vitamin deficiencies, electrolyte imbalance, lactic acidosis, and even death.

The body detoxifies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it is a vital process of the organism, where the main organs that help to eliminate toxic substances and waste that the body does not need are the kidneys and the liver, as already we mentioned. No juice is going to fulfill that function. What we can do is help make this process more efficient, but not with juices, but with balanced, balanced and healthy eating habits; not following a nutrient-deficient juice-only diet for days.

Is it really bad to drink vegetable and fruit juices?

Depends. Fruits and vegetables are foods rich in vitamins, fiber and antioxidants, they must be consumed daily. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), eating at least 400 g, or five servings of fruits and vegetables a day reduces the risk of developing non-communicable diseases and helps ensure a sufficient daily intake of dietary fiber. So we must eat them. However, when we squeeze them in an extractor, or juice them in a blender and strain them, we are taking away the fiber that helps us keep our blood glucose level. So it’s not a good idea for those who already have problems with diabetes, fatty liver, obesity or insulin resistance. The theory mentions that for no one, but let’s be honest, if we drink orange juice or a green smoothie with pineapple, nothing will happen to us. It becomes a problem when it is daily and in abundance. The ideal way to get more out of the benefits of fruits and vegetables is to eat them and not drink them.

There are some exceptions to the rule. For example, when we are learning to eat fruits and vegetables, because we have a very low diet in these foods. There, it could become an ally to start consuming more fruits and vegetables, but once the habit begins, the ideal is to eat them; and if you are going to blend them, do not strain the juice. This way you will have a more consistent smoothie or with some fiber. Another example, without athletes who need energy quickly to replace what they will eliminate through exercise.

If you want to drink a green juice in the morning, that’s fine. If it includes more vegetables than fruits, much better. If you want to buy a Cold Pressed juice (cold pressed juice) that is also fine, but remember that no drink replaces a main meal, and to lead a healthy life you must consume all three macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Eliminate one of them, it could play against you.