By: Meghan McGee
I t should be of no surprise that water is
an essential part of life .
Yet, a gradually increasing number of nutrition “experts” and pseudo-
scientists (read ‘celebrities’) are exploiting our beloved molecule and
taking it upon themselves to go above and beyond what science can
prove. So kind of them to do might I add. Their aggressive support for detox
water is apparently the new and improved way of losing weight and
becoming healthy!
Simply put, detox water consists of water infused with “superfoods” like cucumbers,
lemons, oranges, and mints. Supporters of this fad are making strong statements
claiming that these ingredients are essential for the removal of toxins in the body – a
task for when our livers and kidneys are apparently insufficient. The science behind
such a bold claim lies in that the nutrients in these foods somehow permeate the
water and create a healthy, weight-losing, toxin-riding, superman-inducing product.
Unfortunately, there is no evidence supporting
the seemingly miraculous transformation that
occurs shortly after dropping a couple slices of
cucumber into a water bottle.
It is true that adding a few slices of fruit will likely do no harm; however, the
‘too-good-to-be’ claims made for drinking detox water are unjustifiable.
Detox water just happens to be one of the numerous examples of
phony nutritional evidence.
Issue 3 | Nutrition of Everything | 29