---
title: 'The REAL Truth About Detoxes & Cleanses (Science-Based)'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=XBzCMisnlxM'
video_id: 'XBzCMisnlxM'
date: 2026-06-29
duration_sec: 316
---

# The REAL Truth About Detoxes & Cleanses (Science-Based)

> Source: [The REAL Truth About Detoxes & Cleanses (Science-Based)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=XBzCMisnlxM)

## Summary

Detox diets and cleanses have gained popularity despite minimal scientific support. This video examines the lack of evidence for their claimed benefits, highlights potential dangers, and offers the creator's personal rating.

### Key Points

- **Introduction to Detox Diets** [0:00] — The video asks how good detox diets/cleanses are, whether they are worth it, and what science says, with the creator to rate them on a 0–10 scale.
- **Lack of Evidence** [0:14] — There is little scientific evidence to support the benefits of detox diets, with proponents relying more on feelings than measurable results.
- **Inconsistency Across Diets** [0:40] — No single detox diet exists; they vary widely (some allow only fruits, others ban certain fruits, some are protein-rich, others ban protein). Many require specific products.
- **What Detox Diets Claim to Remove** [1:17] — Various claims include removing heavy metals, processed food waste, synthetic chemicals (BPA), or even curing diseases, but these are unsupported.
- **Body's Natural Detox Systems** [1:42] — Organs like the liver and kidneys are highly effective at filtering toxins, though not perfect.
- **Alternative Detox Methods Supported by Science** [2:01] — Exercise and sauna use can promote toxin elimination through sweating, with evidence showing sauna sweat may excrete more toxins.
- **Research Reviews on Detox Diets** [2:34] — Reviews in 2015 and 2022 concluded no compelling evidence supports detox diets, and they can pose risks (nutritional deficiency, unregulated products).
- **Case Example of Harm** [3:09] — In Spain, use of incorrect Epsom salts in a cleansing program led to severe illness and one death.
- **Creator's Rating** [3:31] — Detox diets are given a rating of 1/10, acknowledging the potential of certain nutrients (citric/malic acids, chlorella, coriander) for detoxification but noting these can be obtained without specific detox diets.
- **Conclusion and Request for Feedback** [4:35] — The creator asks viewers for feedback on the rating format and suggests topics for future videos.

### Conclusion

Based on current scientific evidence, detox diets and cleanses are not supported and may be harmful; a rating of 1/10 reflects their lack of merit, though some individual nutrients show promise for detoxification.

## Transcript

How good exactly are
detox diets or cleanses
and are they actually worth doing?
Well today we’re
gonna learn a bit more about them,
what the actual science says,
and how I personally rate them
on a scale between zero and ten
PicFit points. Let’s get started.
Now detoxes
and cleanses
have been all the rage
for quite some time now despite
receiving continuous pushback
from the scientific community.
To be upfront,
there’s just not much in the realm
of scientific evidence
to support the supposed benefits
of detox diets.
And, in a way,
it seems that people who are pro-detox
and cleanses
kind of rely on
just feels and vibes
rather than any measurable benefits.
Now, the reason for the lack of evidence
largely comes down to the fact
that there’s
no one detox diet out there and detox
companies can’t seem to agree
on what foods are best.
Some allow eating only fruits
and veggies.
While some actually ban
certain fruits and veggies.
Others ban almost all protein sources.
While others are actually protein-rich.
And, of course, many companies
also require you
to purchase and consume
their own little special juices,
pills, and shakes.
One company
even requires you to consume their juice
and nothing else.
So unsurprisingly it’s
hard to research something
with so much inconsistency
across the board.
And inconsistencies
also expand to what exactly
these diets are supposedly detoxifying
from our bodies.
Some claim to detoxify
heavy metals, others
claim to detoxify processed
food waste, and others claim to remove
synthetic chemicals like BPA.
Some even claim
to cleanse certain diseases.
But, again, there’s simply
no evidence
showing these diets
can detoxify anything.
And really,
we gotta give our bodies
a bit more credit.
Organs, like our livers
and kidneys,
have evolved to be highly effective
in managing, filtering,
converting, and excreting
many potentially dangerous substances.
It’s not a perfect system, of course,
but it’s still pretty darn great.
But, if we really wanna be more proactive
about detoxification,
then perhaps we should do something
that’s actually scientifically supported.
One is to simply exercise more
because sweating
can also eliminate a good deal of toxins.
And, if we wanna take things
even further,
then we should step into a sauna
‘cause some studies suggest
the sweat produced
in saunas excrete
even more toxins
than sweat from exercise.
Just make sure you properly hydrate.
Now, it might seem like everything
discussed so far
is painting detox diets
in a pretty bad light,
and that’s because it is.
And even though there’s
not a lot of research
on specific detox diets,
there are research reviews
in 2015
and 2022
that analyzed these diets
in a general sense.
Both came to very similar conclusions,
and that is that there’s, again,
no compelling evidence
to support the use of detox diets.
But they also pointed out
potential dangers to these diets
since some of these diets,
which are supposed to improve our health,
ironically provide
very little nutritional value.
It might also be a potential risk
to consume any propriety
detox juices and supplements
since they often go completely unchecked.
In fact,
there was a case in Spain
where many people experienced
severe illnesses,
including one death, after consuming
proprietary Epsom salts
from a cleansing program
because the salts were
accidentally prepared
with the wrong compound.
Overall, both reviews concluded that,
based on its current
standing, detox diets
should be discouraged.
And now with all that said,
how exactly would I personally rate
detox diets or cleanses?
Well, with the lack of data
and basically everything else,
I give detox diets
a solid 1 PicFit point out of ten.
Now, the only thing
saving detox diets
from being an absolute zero
is the fact that I do think
it’s a good idea
to promote using nutrition
to potentially eliminate dangerous toxins
and improve our health.
The thing is, based on some preliminary
evidence certain
nutritional components
might indeed carry
detoxifying properties.
Citric and malic acids,
for example,
both common in fruits, are associated
with reduced levels of aluminum.
Chlorella from algae
is associated with reduced levels
of lead and mercury.
And even coriander has been associated
with reducing cadmium.
So it’ll be great
if we keep seeing more research
developed in this area.
That said,
we don’t need
detox diets to take advantage
of these potential benefits.
And if these diets do end up
causing more harm than good,
then we’re best to skip them entirely.
Now if you made it this far,
please please
let me know what you think about this
whole ratings video format.
I really wanna give this format a shot
since it kind of presents health
and fitness content in a different light.
Not all things are so cut and dry
in fitness, ya
know, ‘cause it depends,
so rating things might be a good idea.
In this case,
it was a bit more cut and dry,
but if you have certain topics
you want to see discussed in this format,
please let me know that as well.
Other than that,
if you enjoyed this video, then please
give it a cleansing
thumbs up and share it
with your detox-loving friends.
Subscribe for more
and let me know what you think
in the comments.
As always,
thank you for watching and don’t
forget to get your protein!