Did you overindulge during Carnival? At parties? Over the holidays? Welcome to the "I ate and drank too much, and now I'm thinking about detoxing" club.
Sound familiar? Well, it is. That feeling of guilt after overindulging is as common as the miraculous promises that immediately appear on your feed: green juices, miracle teas, three-day liquid plans, or shots with names as scientific as "anti-inflammatory from ancient roots."
The idea of doing a detox seems... clean. Pure. Almost poetic.
But let me get straight to the point, with the most effective (and simplest) recipe ever:
- Have a liver.
- And, if possible, two kidneys.
Done. Detox done.
Am I kidding? Yes. But only a little.
The human body, this incredible machine that allows you to read this article without having to think about breathing, already has a spectacular detoxification system working 24/7. And no, you don't need the help of a ginger shot with activated charcoal to achieve this.
Detox is all the rage. And it's profitable.
It's no wonder: the word "detox" has good marketing appeal. It makes it seem like everything you ate, drank, or felt can be swept under the rug with a three-day eating plan, a trip to the spa, or a loose-leaf tea with exotic names.
And of course, guilt plays a part. Who hasn't indulged one weekend and then thought on Monday, "This week I'm really going to cleanse my body"? The problem isn't that you want to take care of yourself. It's that you think it can be solved with a magic potion purchased on Instagram.
Meanwhile, the market smiles. Books, wellness clinic detox programs, cold-pressed juices, liquid diets, "purification" courses, influencers in white coats and Photoshopped smiles… All wrapped up in the promise that your body needs "outside help" to rid itself of its accumulated waste.
But... toxins?
Let's get to the uncomfortable questions:
- What toxins are these that accumulate?
- Where are they?
- How are they measured?
- And more importantly: what evidence is there that a tea or a milkshake eliminates them?
Spoiler: There are no solid answers . The concept of "accumulated toxins" is vague, undefined, and serves more to sell than to care.
Real detox is boring... but it works.
Yes, I know. Drinking water, sleeping well, eating a balanced diet, and moving your body every day doesn't sound like a fluorescent shot with a cool name. But you know what it does? Real results. Sustainable. And free.
The real detox is:
- Eat real foods, with fiber.
- Drink enough water for your kidneys to do their job.
- Sleep to rest your body and brain.
- Do physical exercise, which activates all the body's systems.
- Manage stress, cultivate healthy relationships, and take care of your mental health.
Oh, and trust your body. It's much smarter than any detox guru you've found on TikTok.
The origin of the obsession
None of this is new. Centuries before the word "detox" became a trending hashtag, people were already practicing bloodletting, purging, and fasting to "cleanse the body of impurities." The methods have changed, but the logic remains: there's always someone telling you you're dirty inside and selling you a solution.
But today we have an advantage: science . And the science is clear—your body already knows how to detox. And it does it very well.