Health Side Effects

Detox Side Effects: Herbal, Tea, Water Detox Can Be Dangerous to Your Health. If your new year’s resolution this year is to be healthy by doing detox, you should think twice, thrice, or many times because detox can be dangerous to your health.

From bbc.com:

Doctors have issued a warning about the potential harms of undertaking a radical new year detox. They highlight the case of a woman they treated last year who became critically ill after taking herbal remedies and drinking too much water.

The 47-year-old needed intensive care at Milton Keynes hospital. She recovered with treatment, but her story is a reminder of the dangers of drastic detoxing, the medics say.

So what exactly did the patient do that brought her to the hospital? Apparently, she imbibed an excessive amount of water and tea. The British Medical Journal Case Reports gives us some details:

According to her partner, she had reported increased thirst over the previous 2–3 days and had been drinking more water and tea as a result but they did not note this to be to an excessive degree. Further conversation with the partner revealed that the patient routinely used herbal remedies for various minor symptoms and that she was regularly taking milk thistle, molkosan, l-theanine, glutamine, vitamin B compound, vervain, sage tea, green tea and valerian root.

This is not the first time that health care professionals issued warnings on the dangers of detox side effects. For instance, seven years ago, Dr. Jane Elmslie is a Registered Dietitian at the University of Otago had this to say (via sciencemediacentre.co.nz):

My view is that at best detox diets are a quick fix and represent a very temporary solution to the problem of Christmas weight gain. They may be harmful in people who have diabetes or eating disorders and in growing children, teenagers, pregnant women and older adults. They are not safe for anyone as a long term weight loss strategy because they can cause electrolyte imbalances, muscle as well fat loss and a reduction in metabolic rate.

It might seem boring, but eating healthily can remove any temptation you may have to try a detox diet in the first place.

There you have it! Eating healthy is still the best way to go!

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