Special Report: Detox diets

Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow have been linked to them. Beyonce is said to have lost 20-pounds using one. Detox diets are hip in Hollywood right now and they come with some weighty claims: "lose up to eight pounds overnight," or "lose weight, have more energy and be happier in 10 days"

"Detox diets are diets that help you cleanse the metabolic wastes in the body," Alison Shore Gaines, of Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, said. "Most people feel tremendous vitality as their body cleans out, much like when you do a tune up in your car, your car has more energy, more pep, we feel that in our bodies."

There are tons of detox diets out there, some last for days, others go on for weeks. Most involve lots of liquids and very little solid food. The goal: to turn out the toxins and peel away the pounds.

Alison is juiced about a juice diet she believes cleanses the body and as an added bonus helps slim you down.

"Doing a sensible form of detox is a great jump start to losing weight," Alison said.

Her plan focuses on drinking organic juices like apple and cucumber blended together. Other diets concentrate on bunches of beans, handfuls of herbs or only eating cabbage soup!

There's even a detox diet that mixes water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. I wouldn't swallow this and a lot of experts don't either.

"Although people lose weight on these diets, they tend to not keep that weight off," dietician, Meryl Lindenberg, of Newton-Wellesley Hospital said.

Lindenberg says if you're healthy, a day or two of detoxing is fine. But longer than that can turn into trouble.

"The dangers really relate to how long somebody is on a detox diet," Lindenberg said.

Experts say on two or three-day diets, the most common side effects are headaches.

On diets longer than a few days, you risk excessive dehydration, calcium deficiencies, even anemia, low blood sugar, or an irregular heartbeat. All things to weigh before you decide to detox.

Lindenberg also says it's important to note that there is no scientific evidence that proves detox diets really remove toxins from the body long term.

Related link:
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health

(Copyright (c) 2006 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)