Friday 26 February 2010

A pox on detox

I've written before on the scam of "organic" foods.  Basically, there's no difference between the food you buy at the supermarket and the same stuff you pay three times as much for, which is labelled "organic".  No difference in amount of fertiliser or pesticides.   No difference in the amount of nutrition.

I thought the same about "detox" programs.  You know, the ones where you "get rid of poisons" in the body by "eating" only fruit juices and such like for a week or more.  That's supposed to rid you of toxins.  Problem is, there's zip evidence that it does.


And now we have a test to prove it. Last night BBC ran a program in which the premise was tested by taking two groups of randomly chosen young women, but with the same profile in terms of age, size, fitness, and so on.  They were tested in detail at the start: blood tests, urine tests, brain scans and so on.  Then they went on two diets, one of a normal balanced diet and one a standard "detox" program.
Result:  NO difference.
Of course, you may feel better eating "organic" foods, or going on a "detox" program and there's nothing wrong with that, for feeling better helps you to be better.  But it's all in the mind.