Body cleansing

Body cleansing or detoxification is a treatment in alternative medicine which proponents claim rid the body of accumulated harmful substances that exert a negative effect on individual health. Critics argue that such cleansings are often unnecessary, and are based on questionable or disproved scientific claims.

Various modalities of body cleansing are used, employing physical treatments (e.g. colon hydrotherapy), dietary restrictions (e.g. avoiding foods) or dietary supplements. Some variants involve the use of herbs and supplements that purportedly speed or increase the effectiveness of the process of cleansing. Naturopathic and homeopathic remedies are also promoted for cleansing. Cleansing agents and processes may be promoted as targeting specific organs, such as fiber for the colon or juices for the kidneys. Others are represented as useful for 'whole body' cleansing, sometimes with the goal of eliminating unidentified 'parasites.'

"Quackwatch" describes body cleansing and detoxification as an elaborate hoax used by con artists to cure nonexistent illnesses. The 'toxins' that are removed have been described as invented to give promoters something pretend they can fix. [cite web|url=http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/detox.html|author=Berg, Francis|title="Detoxification" with Pills and Fasting |accessdate=2007-02-12|publisher=Quackwatch] Medical experts state that the body cleansing is unnecessary since the body is actually very good at maintaining itself, with several organs dedicated to cleansing the blood and gut. [cite web | publisher = WebMd | url = http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/colon-cleansers-are-they-safe | title = Colon Cleansers: Are They Safe? Experts discuss the safety and effectiveness of colon cleansers. |accessdate = 2007-12-20 | date = 2007-02-08 | last = Stamos | first = Jenny ]

ee also

*Colon cleansing

References