© 2024 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
News
To contact us with news tips, story ideas or other related information, e-mail newsstaff@ideastream.org.

Detox and cleanse products may not be the silver bullet for the weight loss

Using a cleanse to jump start weight loss - good idea or marketing ploy? (photo credit: monticello / Shutterstock.com)
Using a cleanse to jump start weight loss - good idea or marketing ploy? (photo credit: monticello / Shutterstock.com)

If you are looking to shed some pounds gained over the holidays, some doctors say detox and cleanse products do not work and that they can even be dangerous when taken to the extreme.

Using a cleanse to jump start weight loss is a great marketing ploy, but there is no science to back up this practice and there is no medical benefit, said  Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer for the Cleveland Clinic.

“The cleanse is not a rational behavior unless you’re doing it for the psychological value. In other words, the psychological value is you're making a statement that I’m going to change my eating habits and I’m going to start it with quote a cleanse," Dr. Roizen said.

When detoxes are used repeatedly, over a short period of time, they can lead to dehydration and can make a person ill, he said.

"Some of the cleanses have caffeine in high enough quanities that they can cause with repeated use seizures," Dr. Roizen said.

It may help with weight loss for a short period of time but when you resume the food you regain the weight. The only safe route to weight loss is eating fewer calories per day with healthy foods.

"Basically it sill is calories in versus calories out," he said.

 

 

Marlene Harris-Taylor
Marlene is the director of engaged journalism at Ideastream Public Media.