"Detoxification" diets, regimens, and therapies, often called “detoxes” or “cleanses,” are often suggested as ways to remove toxins from your body, lose weight, or promote health. Juice cleanses, in particular, have gained popularity as a quick fix for weight loss and a way to supposedly "detoxify" the body. However, these cleanses can have unintended and unpleasant side effects, including diarrhea. This article delves into the causes of diarrhea during a juice cleanse, examines the broader risks associated with such diets, and offers a more sustainable approach to health and well-being.
What is a Juice Cleanse?
A juice cleanse typically involves consuming only fruit and vegetable juices for a period ranging from a few days to several weeks. Proponents claim that these cleanses eliminate toxins, promote weight loss, and improve digestive health. The premise is that juice is more easily absorbed by the body because the insoluble fiber is absent, making digestion easier. While consuming fruits and vegetables is generally beneficial, a juice-only diet can have adverse effects.
Causes of Diarrhea During a Juice Cleanse
Diarrhea is a common side effect of juice cleanses. Several factors contribute to this issue:
- High Sugar Content: Juices, especially those made primarily from fruits, are high in natural sugars. According to Consumer Reports, 70% to 91% of the carbohydrates in popular juice cleanse brands come from sugar. This high sugar content can overwhelm the digestive system, leading to increased water secretion into the bowel, which results in diarrhea.
- Lack of Fiber: While some fiber is retained in juices, the amount is significantly less than what you would get from eating whole fruits and vegetables. The average juice cleanse provides about 14 grams of fiber per day, far less than the recommended 25+ grams. Fiber helps regulate bowel movements by adding bulk to the stool and slowing down digestion. Without enough fiber, the digestive system can become erratic, leading to either constipation or diarrhea.
- Osmotic Effect: The concentrated sugars and other compounds in juice can create an osmotic effect in the intestines. This means that water is drawn into the bowel to dilute the concentrated substances, leading to watery stools and diarrhea.
- Introduction of New Bacteria: A new Northwestern study suggests that juice cleansing might actually be harmful for your health, triggering shifts in gut and oral bacteria linked to inflammation and cognitive decline after just three days.
Other Potential Risks and Side Effects of Juice Cleanses
Besides diarrhea, juice cleanses can lead to several other undesirable effects:
- Nutrient Imbalance: Restricting your diet to only juices can lead to significant nutrient deficiencies. A juice cleanse may give you an opportunity to test whether you have a negative reaction to gluten, dairy, or fermented foods. After completing the cleanse, you can start reintroducing these foods one at a time into your diet to determine if any cause an issue/reaction. If so, you may have an intolerance and that should be discussed with your doctor.
- Muscle Loss: Juice cleanses are typically low in protein. Limiting yourself to a juice cleanse means you definitely won't meet your protein needs, and that can lead to a loss of muscle mass," say Harris-Pincus. Losing muscle slows down metabolism because it takes more calories to maintain muscle mass than fat mass, so having less muscle means you burn fewer calories overall.
- Unsustained Weight Loss: Most juice cleanses will result in initial weight loss, but all of this is water weight-simply the result of suddenly and drastically reducing calorie consumption. As soon as your cleanse ends, you're out of luck. Data shows us that most people gain back everything they lose, plus more, because the plan was unsustainable. Then when the weight comes back, it will most likely be gained as fat-not the best plan for long-term weight maintenance. In other words, going on a juice cleanse can eventually lead to more fat on your body.
- Blood Sugar Imbalance: A few days of juice cleansing can have a few positive effects. Some people experience a drop in blood sugar, insulin, and blood pressure. But, like all the things that happen on a juice cleanse, these benefits are temporary.
- Calorie Restriction: A Consumer Reports investigation discovered that some juice cleanses provide only 735 calories per day. A moderately active woman, by comparison, needs about 2,000 calories per day (around 1,600 if she's trying to lose weight). The problem: Living under this kind of a calorie deficit, even for a few days, can leave you feeling weak and sluggish. Cleanses are also notorious for causing big swings in energy, thanks to the high sugar content found in most juices.
- Constipation: Oddly, juice cleanses can also cause the exact opposite problem: constipation.
The Myth of Detoxification
One of the primary claims of juice cleanses is that they "detoxify" the body by removing unwanted toxins. While the idea of a juice cleanse is to detoxify your body by removing unwanted toxins, the truth is that your body doesn’t typically need help removing toxins. Your body has built-in mechanisms to process and remove waste. The liver and kidneys already do a great job of removing waste and toxins from our bodies," says Harris-Pincus. Their main function is to break down toxins into compounds that the body can excrete via sweat, urine, and poop.
Read also: Explore the pros and cons of fruit juice detoxes.
A Sustainable Approach to Health
Instead of relying on juice cleanses, consider adopting a more balanced and sustainable approach to health:
- Eat Whole Foods: Focus on a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods, including fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. These foods provide essential nutrients and fiber that support overall health and digestion.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to support kidney function and healthy bowel movements.
- Regular Exercise: Engage in regular physical activity to boost metabolism, improve digestion, and maintain a healthy weight.
- Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your body's signals and address any digestive issues with a healthcare professional rather than resorting to fad diets.
Read also: Juice Cleanse: Benefits and Risks
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