Detoxes: Separating Fact From Fiction

July 22, 2026

Detoxing and cleanses have been around since ancient times. But do detoxes work? Are some better than others? And is detoxing safe? Jacob Wolf, ND, LAc, DipACLM, a naturopathic doctor at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health, shares more.

What Are Detoxes?

A detox is a treatment or process meant to remove toxins and impurities from the body. They claim to offer benefits like more energy, better digestion, less inflammation, clearer skin, weight loss, reduced anxiety, headache relief and better sleep.

“There’s a wide range of detoxes,” says Dr. Wolf. “Some help reduce the body’s toxic burden, while others are designed to speed up detoxification.”

Your body’s toxic burden is the total amount of harmful substances that it has accumulated. These can come from the environment, water, food and personal care products. Common sources include pesticides, heavy metals, air pollutants and chemicals used to make plastics. Over time, a high toxic burden may make it harder for your body to function optimally, which can lead to health problems.

Popular dietary detoxes that aim to reduce the body’s toxic burden include:

Elimination diets: Removing certain foods from your diet and slowly adding them back to see if they cause problems.
Fasting: This may include prolonged fasting (reducing your calorie intake for more than two days) and intermittent fasting (switching between periods of fasting and eating).
The fasting-mimicking diet: A low-calorie, low-protein diet designed to mimic the effects of fasting.

Other detox methods that claim to help rid the body of toxins include:

Exercise.
Sauna therapy.
Herbs and supplements, including general cleanses, liver and kidney cleanses, parasite cleanses, and supplements that promote bowel movements.

Do Detoxes Work?

“Your body is built to detoxify itself,” says Dr. Wolf. “The best way to safely remove toxins is to keep your liver, kidneys and digestive system healthy, so they can naturally remove toxins and waste products. Healthy fasting, regular exercise and sauna therapy can all help boost the body’s natural detoxification processes.”

Fasting

Fasting gives your digestive system a break, which allows your body to focus on repair and cell cleanup.

Regular Exercise

Detox benefits of regular exercise include:

Stimulating the flow of blood and lymph fluid throughout the body, which helps carry waste to the liver and kidneys.
Promoting elimination of heavy metals and other toxins through your sweat.
Supporting regular bowel movements, which helps your body remove waste more efficiently.

Sauna Therapy

Research shows that sauna therapy can help remove heavy metals and other toxins that get stored in fat by making you sweat them out.

Detox Supplements

Unfortunately, there’s little scientific research to show detox supplements actually work. Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the effectiveness of detox supplements to make sure they work before they can be sold to the public.

Is Detoxification Safe?

Dr. Wolf says that short-term fasting, elimination diets, sauna therapy and regular exercise are generally safe for most people.

“For fasting, continued hydration with water is important,” he says. “Fasts should not be extended past 72 hours without medical guidance and support.”

Detox supplements, on the other hand, may be harmful. “Many of these products contain laxatives, binders and substances that can damage your liver and kidneys and cause other problems,” says Dr. Wolf.

He adds that while many supplement marketers claim their products detoxify the body by improving digestive health, you can improve your digestion naturally and less expensively simply by increasing your dietary fiber intake.

When Might a Doctor Recommend a Detox?

“Doctors usually suggest a medical detox only in special cases, such as exposure to heavy metals or harmful chemicals,” says Dr. Wolf.

In these cases, a doctor may use a treatment called chelation therapy. This involves taking a medicine (a chelator) that binds to heavy metals in the body. The kidneys then filter these substances, and the body removes them through urine and stool.

Dr. Wolf and his colleagues often incorporate detoxification into the treatment plans they develop for patients, usually in form of healthy diets, fasting and regular exercise.