Are liver cleansing diets healthy?
Most liver cleansing diets are fairly healthy, but the reasoning behind them is often flawed. For example, many of these diets claim that drinking water or eating enzymes in fresh fruit will help weight loss. This is not true. The table below summarises the common dietary claims for liver cleansing and the evidence to support these claims. Most of the data available on liver cleansing is based on anecdotal evidence only, which means that without controlled research comparing people on the diet versus people on a control diet, it’s difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of the claims. The cleansing approach often recommends increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, which is to be commended. It’s the omissions that are of concern. Dairy foods are often dumped from the diet. If this leads to a calcium deficiency it could contribute to calcium loss from the bones, resulting in earlier osteoporosis. The importance of physical activity for weight loss is also often missed. Here’s a li
