The significance of detox is not just about spreading myths or exploiting human phobias; it’s also about the multi-billion dollar industry that thrives on our ignorance. But before we examine why it is pointless to try and clean your body by consuming something or doing some breathing exercise, let us first understand why ideas that flush out stuff from the body are sold so readily.
Easy to relate
It is easy to visualise accumulated dirt and the attack of enemies. If you have blocked drainage, you send liquid cleaners down. If the enemy attacks, send soldiers and smoke them out. It is a fallacy called the false analogy. Another one is the appeal to (common) belief. So, when your trusted traditional healer asks you to drink plenty of water and then vomit them out, you feel assured and feel happy after spitting out the bitter (must be the bad stuff in the body!) liquid.
Your real cleaner
Part of the reason we readily buy the plumbing argument is our lack of knowledge about our bodies. The liver is a vital organ in our body that, among scores of other things, is the gatekeeper against harmful substances. It breaks down the food we consume and sends the good stuff to the bloodstream and the waste to the kidneys.
Now, think about what happens when you drink your favourite detox drink, which contains a couple of vegetables, perhaps a lemon and a few herbs. It gets digested, nutrients are absorbed in the blood, and they reach the liver. Alas, not knowing this was a cleaner meant to clean it up, the liver breaks them down and packs any valuable things, e.g. vitamins, into the body and the waste to the kidneys.
What can you do for your cleaner?
The least you can do is not to overwhelm it. Avoiding the overconsumption of alcohol tops the list. Get vaccinated against Hepatitis (B and C), the viral infection that affects the liver. Finally, be careful with detox agents, especially the overload of unknown natural stuff, which often damages your liver or kidneys.
Read
Detoxing body: The Guardian
The water myth: McGill
Detox deception: The nature education
Body stuff with Dr Jen Gunter: TED
4 detox myths: MD Anderson
