Detox Water… is it worth the hype?
This article was produced by Lujain- @Lujainalhassan who is studying nutrition and wants to share her knowledge with us.
We’ve all heard a lot about detox water and it’s benefits. For a while, all we could see were people carrying fruit infused water bottles or placing lemon slices in their water jug; but before rushing to buy a fruit infuser water bottle, is it actually beneficial for you?Perhaps one of the biggest claims that detox water has is… well in it’s name. Many people claim detox water can help clear your body of all toxins, promote weight loss, balance pH in the body and help increase energy throughout the day. Unfortunately, all claims about detoxifying your body are false. Not only are they vague and unclear about what exactly is getting detoxified, there is also no evidence or research supporting the detox claims.In terms of weight loss, detox water is a healthy alternative to sugary drinks like sodas and fruit juices due to the fact that the fruit is actually infused, meaning it has a lower number of calories.
It is also a good way to encourage hydration for people who do not drink lots of water (i.e. do not reach the recommended amount of 8 glasses of water per day).
The immunity boosting benefits are also highly exaggerated, you do not get a lot of the benefit of whatever fruit you are infusing with water and so if immunity boosting properties are present, they are very minor and also not supported by research. If you are looking for foods that support your immunity check out my recent blog post “Alkalizing” foods is a popular trend that encourages trying to achieve a more alkaline environments in the body, which is thought to balance the pH in the body. Not only is this unproven and is not backed up by research, it is also very common information that foods cannot help with regulating pH levels in the body.Most of the benefits that detox water claims are often just the benefits of staying hydrated and can be achieved just by drinking regular water. Drinking detox water is only a first step to encourage people to stay hydrated by adding several appealing flavours to the water.Just like my previous post on nutrition myths, it is important to consider the sources of information you are getting your facts from. One of the most important things to look for is the research supporting the claim.
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