Detox products 'only cleanse you of cash'

Published on Sunday 4 January 2009 21:04

CONSUMERS are being urged not to "waste" their money on products which claim to detox the body, but apparently lack any scientific evidence to back them up.

A group of young scientists said that no two companies used the same definition of detox and their claims were "meaningless".

Their report concluded the human body was more than capable of detoxing itself, through organs such as the kidneys and liver. And they warned that some products, such as extreme detox diets, could be potentially dangerous.

It follows the case last year of a woman who was awarded more than 800,000 damages after suffering brain damage following a radical detox diet.

The latest study was compiled by Voice of Young Science (Voys), an organisation representing more than 300 "early-career" researchers across the UK.

They found that while manufacturers used the word detox to promote everything from foot patches to hair straighteners, they were unable to provide reliable evidence or consistent explanations of what the detox process actually means. The authors contacted manufacturers and retailers to ask them about claims for products, including the Boots 5-Day Detox Plan and Garnier's Clean Detox Anti-Dullness Foaming Gel.

The report said firms admitted in many cases they were renaming things used for cleaning or brushing as items for detox. But, they argued in the report, detox has no meaning outside clinical treatment for drugs or poisoning.

The study comes soon after the British Dietetic Association, which represents 6,000 dieticians across Britain, said there was no "potion or lotion" which could "magically" rid the body of chemicals. The idea that dangerous toxins build up in the body was also dismissed by the health experts, who said the body was more than capable of cleaning itself.

One of the authors, biologist Harriet Ball, said: "Detox is marketed as the idea that modern living fills us with invisible nasties that our bodies can't cope with unless we buy the latest jargon-filled remedy.

"Our investigation into detox products has convinced us that there is little or no proof that these products work, except to part people from their cash and downplay all the ways in which our bodies can look after themselves."

A spokeswoman for Boots said: "Boots recognises people don't drink enough water. The Boots 5-Day Detox Plan encourages people to drink water and includes a daily drink and tablet with ingredients that battle toxins."

A spokesman for Garnier said: "Anti-Dullness Foaming Gel detoxifies the skin's surface by removing impurities such as dirt and grime that accumulate over the course of the day."