Introduction

Have you ever felt tired, no matter how much you sleep? It might be the invisible toxins in your body that are taking away your energy and making you unhealthy. The United States invests over $3 billion annually in detox programs to help people overcome addiction. Success stories from these programs have positively impacted millions of people worldwide. However, some believe detoxification is fake and many conspiracy theories began to emerge after this. A main example is in this specific video: Why Detox is a Scam created by Krish Ashok where he explains that detoxification does not work and is a scam. Despite all the conspiracy theories about detoxification, there is evidence that shows it improves your overall health by eliminating toxins from your body, which leaves you feeling more energized, with better skin and overall well-being.

Detox Diets do Work

In this section, Krish Ashok claims, “Detox products claim to cleanse your body of unnamed toxins, but here’s the thing, they don’t work” (Ashok). In the following statement, he has no facts to support his claim. Instead, he uses his information to make a point towards his claim. Many conspiracy theories say that detoxification methods like special diets, supplements, or treatments are not needed, but these programs help the body remove toxins better than our natural processes can on their own. Krish Ashok talks about how these detox methods can be harmful by depriving the body of its essential nutrients, but, from these programs, many individuals feel a sense of energy and are clear-headed after they complete these detox diets. Some even notice clearer skin and generally feel lighter and more refreshed. In the article, “Do Detox Diets and Cleanses Actually Work?”Adrienne Seitz stated, “People report feeling more focused and energetic during and after detox diets, [h]owever this improved well-being may simply be due to eliminating processed foods, alcohol, and other unhealthy substances from your diet” (Seitz). 

Although Krish Ashok makes valid points that the body has a natural detoxification system, such as the liver and kidneys, he overlooks the positive experiences reported by many people who feel more energetic and focused after detoxing. 

An image from the video showing claims about detoxification from other websites (0:18)

Ashok also overlooks the idea that certain practices and diets can support and enhance these material processes, helping with overall health and well-being. Detox programs are recommended because they get rid of the harmful things that are in our environment or what we eat..  Adrienne Seitz states, “These diets also claim to help improve your immune system, digestion, energy levels, and aid in weight loss” (Seitz). A healthy diet can support the body’s natural detoxification process. These detox programs are great for a healthy lifestyle because they can support your overall health and well-being.

Enhancing Detoxification Through Nutrition

The next claim Krish Ashok makes is that the drinks in the detox programs do not help you. Instead, they just give your body a break that allows it to remove toxins. Krish Ashok explains that, “None of the detox nonsense you put inside you has any effect”(1:16). Krish Ashok tries to back up his claim by saying that this will likely damage your liver. That is all the state after his claim but, there is more evidence that these drinks help the liver speed up the process of cleaning out the toxins in your body. Certain foods and drinks, like green tea and vegetables, are known for detoxing the body and improving your health. Green tea contains antioxidants that have been studied for their detox benefits. These antioxidants help the liver function better by speeding up detoxification and eliminating toxins in the body. Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are just some of the vegetables that help the body detox. Emily Gelsomin states, “Sulfur in foods like garlic, onions, and cruciferous vegetables helps produce a natural chemical detoxifier that is involved in regulating your body’s cleansing process” (Gelsomin). Staying hydrated helps your body get rid of toxins through urine, which removes harmful things in your body. Proper hydration keeps organs functioning and helps your body detox. Krish Ashok talks about how the digestive system takes what it needs and removes the rest. That is not entirely incorrect but, moreover, eating healthy foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins can help with detoxing. These foods have important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber that help get rid of toxins:  “Fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean protein, and probiotics that aid gut and liver function. Any waste gets out of your system as soon as possible” (8 tips for a Full-Body Detox). While Krish Ashok may not be entirely correct in his claim that the drinks do nothing for you. Certain drinks have detoxing effects and can support overall health when consumed as part of a balanced diet. Therefore, it is essential to consider specific types of drinks and their ingredients when finding their effects on health, rather than making a blank statement that drinks do nothing for you.

Creating Conditions for The Body’s Natural Detox

Another claim Krish Ashok made was about how having regular exercise creates conditions for the body’s natural detox: “If you have ( . . . ) regular exercise ( . . . ) you are creating conditions for the body’s natural detox” (1:09). The idea that regular exercise helps detox the body, there is not enough information to fully support it. The claim mentions that exercise helps you sweat which can help remove toxins, but as Emily Gelsomin says, “Sweating out such compounds is more likely to be dehydrating than therapeutic.” (Gelsomin). Making some changes to your lifestyle like eating a balanced diet full of antioxidants, drinking lots of water, exercising regularly, and avoiding too many toxins is important to detoxification.

An image that shows what regular exercise does for detoxification and its benefits

Detoxing your body can help you lose weight by getting rid of extra toxins in fat cells. When your body has too many toxins from junk food, pollution, and stress, it can slow down your weight loss. Exercise not only helps with detox but also makes you feel less anxious. According to 8 tips for a Full-Body Detox, “Regular physical activity also has mental health benefits. Exercise helps you feel less anxious and reduces depression symptoms” (8 tips for a Full-Body Detox). Given that Krish Ashok is not fully incorrect he does not give much evidence to go along with his claim. 

Avoiding Chemicals Helps with Detoxification

An additional claim that Krish Ashok states is that the liver detoxes anything that goes in its way. “The liver is a filter that detoxes chemicals and metabolizes drugs” (0:50). Although the liver cleanses itself, it can sometimes get overwhelmed by the amount of toxins from pollution, junk foods and medications. When this happens, toxins build up in the body and lead to health problems. Detoxification helps the liver and other organs get rid of harmful substances.  “An unhealthy liver will not get better with a liver cleanse. A person with liver disease needs proper medical treatment and may require lifestyle or dietary changes” (Wilson).  The body takes in toxins from things like pollution, junk food, and stress. Detoxing is important for staying healthy because it helps the body get rid of these harmful substances that can build up and cause problems. To help with this, “Switch to natural cleaning products. Choosing natural cleaning products like vinegar and baking soda over commercial cleaning agents can reduce your exposure to potentially toxic chemicals.” (Meacham). 

By switching to this you are helping your body detox itself from these harmful toxins. You will feel more energized, focused, and not as stressed. “Some evidence suggests that adding Epsom salts to your bath may help cleanse your body inside and out. For example, your skin might absorb minerals in Epsom salt, namely magnesium. Magnesium aids muscle and nerve function, controls blood sugar, and regulates blood pressure” (8 tips for a Full-Body Detox). By only changing the chemicals you use in your life, you can feel more energized, focused, and not stressed. Choosing natural things supports your body’s detox process, making it easier for you to stay healthy. So, Krish Ashok was wrong when he said going on diets and cleanses would not help the body detox, instead it would just damage it. 

The Mental Effects of Detoxification and What it Benefits

The final claim Krish Ashok talks about was that the detox does nothing for you. He talks more about how it damages the liver and other organs.  “Self-medication with herbal supplements which are promoted for general well-being, weight loss, immunity, and memory boost, and mental and physical health claims are very prevalent” (Hassen). This shows that detoxing has a good mental effect on people and makes people feel more focused, energized, and not as stressed. 

Another example to back up that detoxification is good for mental health is that: “It involves the transformation and elimination of bodily waste: toxins that impair physical organ function and affect mental well-being and cognitive function” (Korn). With this information you can see that detoxification is good for your mental health because without it, the harmful toxins in your body could damage your organs and cause future health problems. See Fig. 3. Below to see some benefits that detoxification has on mental health.

The benefits that detoxification has on mental health

From this image you can see that detoxification has a great impact on people’s mental health. Following this, Krish Ashok was wrong when he said that detoxification does nothing for the body. There is more than enough evidence to back up my reasoning. 

Conclusion

Overall, it is important to recognize that despite the numerous conspiracy theories, detoxification helps promote health and well-being. With the evidence shown, it is clear that detoxification is not fake and does not damage the body. Research and lifestyle tips show how important detoxing is for health and well-being. So, despite what Krish Ashok said in his video , it is obvious that detoxification is a key part of health. All in all, when people detox their body they help their body improve its natural detox process and prove that detoxification is good for health