Rethinking Cleanses
Posted on: May 20th, 2016
Juice cleansing has gone mainstream. It’s endorsed by celebrities, offered at spas, home shopping channels are constantly selling juicers, and stores have endless varieties of fresh juice blends bottled for your convenience. The trend may seem innocent, but for those with eating disorders it can be dangerous.
Many suffering with eating disorders severely limit the calories they consume, which often leads to serious health issues. The concern is that these individuals are buying the hype about juice cleansing and adopting the practice as a method of calorie restriction. Perpetuating this behavior is that many believe juice cleansing has health benefits when in fact there is little scientific research to support these claims.
In a recent article in The New York Times, Antoinette Saddler, MD of Gastroenterology & Liver Diseases at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, addressed the erroneous health claims. After reviewing large amounts of misinformation in the media she was mystified. For instance, one blog claimed that a juice diet rests the stomach. “Why does the stomach need resting?” she asked. Another claimed juices need less of the stomach’s digestive processing. “Who said that was beneficial?” she remarked. Yet another claimed that juicing “allows the body to have more of the resources it needs to support the phases of detoxification, and even to begin to help remove the cumulative toxins stored in the body.” Confused, Dr. Saddler said, “What does that even mean?”
Colon cleansing has also gained popularity in recent years, and here too Dr. Saddler felt the health claims were dubious. “I understand the intuitive appeal of using these colon cleanses — ‘Get the toxins out, make your abdomen feel better.’” But these health claims are misleading, because in fact the stool is beneficial to the colon. There are even situations where doctors are transplanting healthy stool to the colons of sick people. “The idea that stool is somehow poisonous and toxic is very misguided thinking,” Dr. Saddler said.
Those with eating disorders taken in by these trends should understand that their condition makes them especially vulnerable to health problems and that frequent juicing and colon cleansing can actually make their disorder worse. Cleansing is not the answer; instead focus your efforts on eating a nutritious, balanced diet that meets your individual caloric needs.
If you or a loved one are suffering with an eating disorder seek professional help immediately. Contact Maureen Kritzer-Lange Psychotherapy at 973-313-1691 or info@maureenkritzerlange.com.
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