A flood of products promises to ‘detox’ the body. But do you really need any of them? – CBC

Doctors warn there’s no silver bullet

Jan 02, 2025

It’s the first week of January and the word “detox” is probably trending again. It has, like clockwork, for the past five years. From juices and supplements to foot baths and diet regimens, detox products become more popular this time of year. But what do these treatments and programs actually do — and do you really need one?

Detox treatments or programs purport to cleanse the body of “toxins,” often without specifying which ones. The medical definition of a toxin is “a poison, usually one produced by a living organism,” according to Harvard Health Publishing. Food and even water can be harmful in large doses, even if they aren’t necessarily considered toxins.

Our bodies naturally process everything we put in them, including things that can harm us. Many things we consume, like alcohol or acetaminophen, can be poisonous in excess, but our organs — the liver, the kidneys and lungs in particular — work to pass them through the body and eliminate the byproducts.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/detox-january-fact-check-1.7415485