The Detox Con

I had always regarded the detox fad as just another new age fashion; a con that relieved the vulnerable and impressionable of their money. It looks like I was right.

In normal circumstances, then people should drink when their body tells them to – when they get thirsty.

Anything else is completely unnecessary, and will just leave you standing in the queue for the toilet.

Detox diets are a complete con in that respect.

Nice to have one’s suspicions confirmed. I can usually smell a charlatan from a mile off and this detox thing set my alarm bells ringing the first time I heard about it. What do these people think the body does with such things as kidneys, liver and large colon if not detoxing?

I have watched bemused by (mostly) young people glugging from the ever present bottle of water even when it isn’t particularly hot. They have been conned into thinking that it is good for them. Sure, dehydration is bad, but too much water is also bad.

The High Court heard Dawn Page, 52, began vomiting uncontrollably after starting The Amazing Hydration Diet.

Mrs Page, from Oxfordshire, later had an epileptic seizure which damaged her memory, speech and concentration.

Her nutritionist Barbara Nash has denied any wrongdoing and the High Court ratified the settlement without mention of liability.

The court heard Mrs Page, from Faringdon, near Swindon, claimed Mrs Nash told her to drink large amounts of water and reduce her salt intake when she started the diet in October 2001.

Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of basic biology will realise that osmosis will be a problem if the salts in the blood become too dilute.

Ah, but, of course, the health fascists keep telling us that salt is bad, too – or, to be more precise, too much. Except that this isn’t backed up by evidence. Never mind, we have been set targets for reduction – were you aware of that?

Breakfast cereals, bread and cheese are among 80 everyday foodstuffs that should have further cuts made to their salt contents, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

New research carried out by the FSA on nearly 700 British adults showed that average salt intake was 8.6g per day – significantly higher than the Government’s national target of 6g, or one level teaspoon.

Er, fuck them and fuck their targets. You see, this is another example of so-called experts making decisions on our behalf without evidence to support their claims. Claims that have been debunked.

The moral, of course, is go with what your body tells you. If you are thirsty, drink water. If you want to sprinkle salt on your chips, do so. In general, ignore fads, fashions, detox diets and charlatans.