(March 13, 2013 at 1:46 pm)apophenia Wrote: From the detoxification therapies entry in The Skeptic's DictionaryOh snap, I was asked for scientific evidence - I didn't think quoting stuff off the internet counted!
It's an irrational concept, yet an intriguing idea, that modern life so fills us with poisons from polluted air and food additives
that we need to be periodically "cleaned out" ("detoxified"). Never mind that natural chemicals in our foods are thousands
of times more potent than additives, or that most Americans are healthier, live longer, and can choose from the most healthful
food supply ever available.
— Frances M. Berg, M.S.
Real detoxification of foreign substances takes place in the liver, which modifies their chemical structure so they can be excreted
by the kidneys which filter them from the blood into the urine.
— Stephen Barrett, M.D.
"Toxin" is classic pseudoscience terminology.
— Ben Goldacre, M.D.
"...these detox programs amount to a large quantity of excrement, both literally and figuratively.”
— Peter Pressman, M.D.
Quote:Outside of being treated for poisoning or certain kinds of addiction, the word 'detox' has no meaning, according to a pamphlet published by a group of thirty-six people calling itself Sense About Science (SAS). (A summary of the group's findings may be found on their .) There are thousands of products that use the claim of detoxification as their main selling point. SAS investigated 15 representative products and found that none of the products identified a single toxic substance as one their product removed, none of the manufacturers of the products could provide compelling scientific evidence that the product removes toxic substances, none of the sellers had a clue what the products actually do, and nobody involved in making or selling these detox products could provide a comprehensive definition of 'detox.'
Since it apparently does, here are some articles on fasting by a practicing MD.
Scientific Basis For Juice Fasting
Juice Fasting Therapy
History Of Fasting
And from another good site:
How TO Juice Fast
Juicing: Hows and Whys