Whether you’re looking to offload a few pounds to fit into that special outfit or all those eat-on-the-go meals have taken a toll on your tummy, fasting and detoxification have seized center stage in the discussions surrounding weight loss and gut health. But do fasting and detox really work? And are they safe options to achieve your wellness goals? Let’s take a closer look at these health trends.
Fasting vs Detoxing
Let’s begin with understanding the terminology. According to medical science, fasting is a form of detoxification usually done with a detox cleanse. In a basic fast, you only consume water or tea during the day—about three liters is optimal so you don’t get dehydrated. During a fast, you are not consuming any food, including proteins, carbohydrates, or sugars. For this reason, water-only fasts are usually between one and three days; extending beyond three days can be harmful due to the rapid depletion of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.
Detoxification diets include eating healthy whole foods, fruits, vegetables, grain, and lean protein, drinking fruit juices and water, and avoiding caffeinated beverages and alcohol. Detox diet plans widely vary in duration, with some as short as one day and others up to 30 days. Most detox plans include periods of fasting to help rest and relax your system, especially your liver.
Your liver acts as your body’s purification system, flushing toxins from the body to help your entire system function optimally. An article in the World Journal of Gastroenterology states, “The liver is one of the most important organs in the body, performing a fundamental role in the regulation of diverse processes, among which the metabolism, secretion, storage, and detoxification of endogenous and exogenous substances are prominent.” So, keeping the liver happy and healthy is critical to overall health wellness.
Fasting Pros and Cons
The main reason that most people try fasting is for a quick form of weight loss. Of course, only consuming water for up to 72 hours will certainly help you drop a few pounds rapidly; this type of long-term fasting for weight loss is not sustainable, can be detrimental to your overall health, and can be counterproductive to your overall weight loss goals. Aside from the extreme hunger, dizziness, and fatigue, your body can begin storing more fat in response to starvation.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), some other reasons people fold fasting into their wellness plans is because of the potential health benefits that have been seen in animal studies, including protection against diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline; to eliminate damaged cells and turn on stem cells to generate new, healthy cells; to slow the aging process; and possibly even help protect against some forms of cancer. In early human studies, some types of fasting have positively impacted blood sugar control, blood pressure, and inflammation.
Fasting can take on many forms outside of a water/tea-only diet. The most common type of fasting sweeping the celebrity circuit is intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting means you don’t eat for a certain period each day or week. There are several different ways to intermittent fast; some of the most popular include:
Alternate-day fasting
Eat normally for 24 hours and then completely fast or have one small meal of less than 500 calories during the next 24-hour period.
5:2 fasting
Eat normally for five days a week and fast for two days within the week. The fasting days can occur on any day during the week.
Daily time-restricted fasting
The most common type is the 16:8 fast, in which you fast for 16 hours and eat only during an eight-hour period. Typically, people will skip breakfast and have two or three smaller meals over their eight-hour eating window.
With fasting, consistency is key, so choosing the correct type of fasting depends on your long-term goals and sustainability. Adding some form of fasting to your health and wellness plan should be discussed with your healthcare practitioner, as certain types of fasting are not recommended for everyone.
All About Detox
While some fasting plans can be done as longer-term diet programs, detox diets are designed to be short-lived to help eliminate toxins from your body. These toxins include pollutants, synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and other harmful compounds that can be found in your environment or diet.
These detox cleanses traditionally incorporate periods of fasting and follow a strict diet of whole, nutrient-dense foods (foods rich in nutrients relative to their calorie content). Some detox diets will include dietary supplements, probiotics, and colon cleansing agents. The addition of high-fiber or high-probiotic foods may be used in place of supplements or colon cleansing agents.
The most common health benefits thought to be linked to detox diets include improved energy levels, constipation relief, support for relieving head, muscle, and body aches, and resting your organs, especially the liver, to help support the body’s natural detoxification processes.
According to the NIH, only a few studies have reported positive results from detox diets on weight and fat loss, insulin resistance, and blood pressure, and those studies have not been of the highest quality. Many healthcare professionals also believe that the body has its own natural detoxification system, which should be able to handle the job without assistance.
According to Harvard Health, the most reported side effects of a detox diet include irritability, fatigue, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, dehydration, abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and even kidney failure. However, the article does state that “just as there is limited evidence of benefit associated with detox or cleanse programs, there is limited evidence of harm.”
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration
The most important thing to remember when fasting and/or detoxing is hydration. Keeping the body well hydrated during a full detox diet, including fasting, will help keep the body functioning both mentally and physically.
Food is the body’s biggest fuel source, so during a fasting period, you will have lower energy levels, which can lead to fatigue and even dizziness. Staying hydrated helps support the body’s systems, like keeping a normal temperature, lubricating your joints, and helping to relieve head and muscle aches. So, you can keep moving without food, even if it may be a bit slower.
Water is also important to a detox diet because it helps to flush the system. The toxins you want to remove need to leave your body somehow, so drinking water helps to eliminate that waste through perspiration, urination, and bowel movements. Also, many detox diets incorporate colon cleanses, which can lead to diarrhea, so replenishing your internal water supply is critical.
Supplement Support
One of the biggest concerns of fasting and detoxing is the loss of crucial vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. During a fast, not ingesting any food sources also means not eating any nutrients. In a detox diet, you may be flushing toxins from your system, but that also means the vitamins and minerals your body relies on leave your body faster.
Some supplements to consider during your fasting and/or detox periods are:
Probiotics
Probiotics consist of good bacteria that help support gut health and proper digestion. During a fast or detox diet, probiotics may also help to maintain a healthy intestinal microecology and support gastrointestinal comfort and health.
Electrolytes
These minerals are essential to the body’s function by helping to maintain healthy nerve and muscle function, support vascular health, increase hydration, and maintain tissue health—some of the most important electrolytes being calcium, magnesium, sodium, and phosphorus.
Amino Acids
L-tyrosine is an important amino acid that can help support cognition and emotional well-being and potentially aid in stress reduction. Creatine is another amino acid that helps support energy, especially aiding in supplying energy to your muscles. Both of these amino acids could offer extra support during fasting/detoxing, especially if you are incorporating exercise into your plan.
Discussing the correct supplements with your doctor when considering incorporating supplements into a fasting/detox plan is paramount. Some supplements can break your fasting period and should be introduced during detox, while others can be taken throughout each phase of the wellness plan. Knowing what dose will best support your personal wellness goals is also important.
To Detox or Not to Detox
The first step when considering fasting/detox is establishing short- and long-term goals. If you want to drop weight quickly, you may have some luck with these plans, but remember that the weight will also return quickly once you resume your normal diet.
Recent findings from a review of weight-loss strategies and techniques in the journal Current Gastroenterology Reports include: Detoxification diets tend to work because they lead to extremely low caloric intake for short periods of time, however tend to lead to weight gain once a normal diet is resumed. Both intermittent fasting and the paleo diet lead to weight loss because of overall decreased caloric intake as well. Review of the literature does suggest that some fad diets and exercise plans do lead to weight loss; however, the studies are quite limited and are all based on the concept of caloric restriction.
No matter what your ultimate goals are for incorporating fasting and/or detoxing into your wellness journey, discussing how to safely implement your plan with a healthcare practitioner is crucial. Just as there are many postulated benefits, there are also many side effects that can end up up-ending your goals.
