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# Do Detox Therapies Work? Yes, According to Some Studies
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/do_detox_therapies_work_0421151113/
- Published: 2015-04-21T12:08:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T14:33:12.000Z
- Description: A gastroenterologist and a pharmacologist quoted here say the body detoxifies itself and that detox therapies lack clinical proof. The author counters that the literature backs some ingredients, among them Indian gooseberry (amla), studied for protecting the liver against toxins.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Herbs, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Do "detox" diets and preparations really work? Doctors and health care practitioners do not agree. While almost everyone agrees that the environment is rife with pesticides, heavy metals, chemicals and endocrine disrupters that can store in the human body--especially its fat--how to *cleanse* the body of the toxins is the subject of great disagreement.

For example, gastroenterologist Nasir Moloo says that the kidneys, liver, lungs and skin of healthy people provide sufficient detoxification without the help of preparations and aids. "Your body does a perfectly good job of getting rid of toxins on its own," says [Dr. Moloo](#.VScjOBwv0cM) and there's "no evidence" that detox diets are "necessary or helpful."

James O'Donnell, PharmD. Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Rush Medical College in Chicago is even more forthright. When I asked him his opinion of detox therapies he said, there is "absolutely no scientific proof" of their effectiveness in "the form of clinical studies by competent clinicians," and "some of these 'therapies" have proven dangerous and deadly."

Yet a quick look at the medical literature finds that several detox therapies are *indeed* backed by scientific studies and which give both rationale and evidence of their effectiveness. Here are a few, but make sure to consult your health care practitioner.

**Indian Gooseberry** (also called Phyllanthus emblica Linn and Indian amla)

In [several](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23978895?ref=foodconsumer.org) [scientific](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20506691?ref=foodconsumer.org) studies, gooseberry/amla, an ingredient in some detox preparations, has been shown to be effective in preventing and lessening the toxic effects on liver of alcohol, heavy metals (including "iron overload"), medications which can be toxic to the liver and environmental pathogens/fungi. The "hepatoprotective" actions of gooseberry/amla appear to be "mediated by its free radical scavenging, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and modulation of the xenobiotic detoxification process and lipid metabolism," says [one study.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23978895?ref=foodconsumer.org)

**Chlorella**

Chlorella, a single-cell green algae belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta plant, has long been thought to have beneficial effects in the human body--whether against inflammation or disease risks. A recent study in the journal *Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology* [confirms](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25590673?ref=foodconsumer.org) chlorella's ability to detoxify heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the human body--carcinogens that are created when dripping meat fat is burned. The [National Cancer Institute](http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cooked-meats-fact-sheet?ref=foodconsumer.org) warns against cooking meat over open flames and barbecues because of the dangers of these compounds.

**Milk Thistle (silymarin)**

Milk thistle is a flowering herb in the ragweed family which some studies have shown is effective in helping the liver detoxify from dangerous elements. In the journal [*Acta medica Hungarica*](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3073356?ref=foodconsumer.org), workers exposed to the industrial toxins toluene and xylene "significantly improved" when given concentrated Milk Thistle (Legalon) compared to untreated workers. The journal, [*Investigational New Drugs*](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19590824?ref=foodconsumer.org), wrote that silymarin in mice "markedly protects against chemically induced renal cancer and acts plausibly by virtue of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities."

**Pomegranate Bark** (also called Punica granatum, producing Punicalagin/PC)

The bark of the pomegranate fruit exerts detoxification processes according to several scientific studies. "We have demonstrated antioxidant and antigenotoxic properties of Punica granatum," wrote researchers in the open access journal[*BioMed Research International*](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24949451?ref=foodconsumer.org). Pomegranates contain ellagic acid which can inhibit the breast-cancer linked enzyme aromatase [says one report.](http://breastcancer.about.com/od/cancerfightingfoods/a/pomegranates.htm?ref=foodconsumer.org) "Pomegranate bioactives" inhibit the DNA damage done by Benzo\[a\]pyrene (BP), an extreme carcinogen found in coal tar report the researchers. Pomegranate shows antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic effects says [another scientific article.](http://business.highbeam.com/437363/article-1G1-201441571/pomegranate-juice-inhibits-sulfoconjugation-caco2-human?ref=foodconsumer.org)

**Cilantro** (also called Coriander)

Several studies have demonstrated that the well-known cooking herb cilantro, also called coriander, can be useful in reducing liver toxicity--called hepatotoxicity--by inhibiting undesirable oxidation processes. A study in the journal [*Toxicology and Industrial Health*](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23042592?ref=foodconsumer.org)*,* for example finds "treatment with coriander leaves and seeds helps in improving the adverse effect… \[of\] hepatotoxicity" in animals. Another [study says](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21966166?ref=foodconsumer.org) cilantro "possesses hepatoprotective activity which may be due to the antioxidant potential of phenolic compounds."

**Sulphur-Containing Foods**

Foods that contain sulfur like broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and kale are valuable for two reasons. Their sulfur releases a substance that activates potent antioxidant and detoxification enzymes [say reports.](http://www.needs.com/product/NDNL-1103-01/a%5FDetox%5FCleansing?ref=foodconsumer.org) Meanwhile, another substance in such cruciferous plants, indole-3-carbinol, helps deactivate potent [estrogen metabolites](http://thedetoxspecialist.com/blog/detox/how-to-detox-environmental-estrogen-to-prevent-estrogen-dominance/?ref=foodconsumer.org) which may protect against [cancers caused](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25590673?ref=foodconsumer.org) by the hormone-mimicking endocrine disrupters. The sulfur-related compound[, MSM,](http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/5-important-ways-msm-could-benefit-your-health?ref=foodconsumer.org) is also useful in detoxification say some practitioners.

**Chelation**

For decades, natural clinicians have recommended chelation, the administration of substances like porphine and EDTA, to trap and [usher toxic](http://www.livestrong.com/article/187224-definition-of-chelating-agents/?ref=foodconsumer.org) metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury out of the body. But chelation's acceptance in the scientific community has been slow in coming. Recently, a large [federally-funded chelation trial](http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/04/21/unexpected-results-chelation-study-vex-mainstream-medical-community/06gt6m1dC73Fp6OiXZaAyL/story.html?ref=foodconsumer.org), known as TACT, showed positive results and scientists are giving the metal reduction method a second look. A study in *the* [*Scientific World Journal*](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23690738?ref=foodconsumer.org) says in describing how it works that peptides "chelate both essential and toxic elements as they are sequestered, transported, and excreted…enhancing natural chelation detoxification pathways."

**Wolfberry** (also called Lycium barbarum polysaccharide, LBP)

Ingredients found in the wolfberry plant called LBP has demonstrated antioxidative, antiaging properties and antitumor activities in scientific studies. A study in the [*Journal of Drug Design, Development and Therapy*](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25552899?ref=foodconsumer.org) says "LBPs protect the liver from injuries due to exposure to toxic chemicals or other insults" and "reduce irradiation- or chemotherapy-induced organ toxicities." The wolfberry agents are also thought to protect against "neuronal injury," amyloid-related harm and factors thought to contribute to Alzheimer's disease, says the article.

**Intestinal Treatments**

Colonic cleansing routines including coffee enemas have been the basis of many natural detoxification methods for years including the [Gerson regimen.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20361473?ref=foodconsumer.org) Though they no longer have medical standing, coffee enemas were found in the doctors' Merck Manual until the mid 1970s. To empty if not “cleanse” the gut, some health practitioners also[ recommend](http://naturalsociety.com/8-effective-ways-detox-gmos/?ref=foodconsumer.org) cascara sagrada, burdock root, psyllium husks and other fiber containing plants. Scientific literature cites the value of activated charcoal in gut cleansing and probiotics to replenish a ["microdome"](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25852213?ref=foodconsumer.org) compromised by toxins. (Martha Rosenberg)