Nutritionist: Even burping helps more than “cleansing” detox treatments
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Detox treatments, pills and powders promise to cleanse the body internally of toxins and toxins. Uwe Knop, nutritionist and study expert, takes a close look at the detox myth and explains what “detoxification” is all about – and what really works.
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What does ‘Detox’ actually mean and how does it work?
“Detox” is purely a marketing/advertising term that sounds “catchy” like hipster style and is intended to stand for “detoxification”. Detox cures, pills, pills or powders are used to create the illusion that these remedies can be used to cleanse oneself of dangerous toxins and “slags” that have accumulated in the body. People are promised a special “inner cleansing” – which in fact does not exist: Everything about detox and purification is fictitious and lacks any scientific basis or proof of effectiveness. Gullible health enthusiasts are being sold ineffective mumbo jumbo here – and it’s completely overpriced. The firm “belief in the power of health” is traditionally a quick and wide opener of wallets.
About the expert
Uwe Knop, born in 1972, is a qualified nutritionist, author, and speaker for lectures at professional associations, companies and at medical training courses. His book “Successfully lose weight and stay slim” was published by Springer-Verlag.
Do waste products and toxins actually accumulate in the body that we can “cure out”?
No. No toxins accumulate in the human body, there is nothing to “purify”. Toxins are also not stored anywhere in such a way that they can be flushed out or neutralized with detox or alkaline powders. Our body has numerous closely networked “organic cleaning and disposal systems” that work together perfectly and keep us “natively free of toxins” all by themselves. These include intestines, kidneys, lungs and skin. Our body does not need any “detox support” from outside. Our faith, however, does.
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So no specific foods are particularly suitable for purifying and detoxifying the body?
Correctly. There is no scientific evidence for “cleansing foods” or miracle herbs that detoxify. In a broader, or indirect sense, chili could be seen as “cleansing” because its spiciness acts as an “expectorant” – this is the name given to substances/agents that promote the expectoration and coughing up of bronchial mucus. Anyone who likes to eat very spicy food knows this; when you have to clear your throat intensively and cough up properly. Even if the slime isn’t slag, chili gets it out.
Book recommendation (advertisement)
“Successfully lose weight and stay slim” by Uwe Knop
Can a detox cure at least help you lose weight?
No, detox treatments only help with reducing your bank balance; beyond that, they can’t help with anything. If you want to lose weight, you should pay more attention to the following: Eating a “healthy” diet, i.e. eating varied, fresh, high-quality foods that are really good for you, that you like and can tolerate/digest easily – that’s the core , even when losing weight. Because if you really want to actively bring your heart’s desire to become and stay slimmer out of your deepest inner conviction, you can only do this with individual diet and lifestyle changes that suit you perfectly.
With a moderately low-energy diet that suits your metabolism, lifestyle and character, you can healthily lose around 2 kilograms per month. So if you want to have your top size instead of a muffin top in the summer, then the recommendation is: it’s best to start soon! Also take a look at the two-part FAQ video interview – here you will get the most important answers to relevant questions about successfully losing weight and staying slim:
[Ernährungswissenschaftler erklärt den Schlüssel zum Wunschgewicht]
[Abnehmen: Diplom-Ökotrophologe Uwe Knop verrät Erfolgs-Schlüssel].
Which detox method really has a positive effect on our health?
Relax – and let the farts and burps flow freely. Because these two “venting methods” properly “purify toxic gases” – our body “detoxifies” itself doubly self-sufficient. Of course, everyone has to decide for themselves where, how and when the optimal integration of the “dual pressure relief valve opening” fits into their own everyday life. There are certainly moments when “Luft is in the air” doesn’t fit at all, even if it’s very pressurized. But common sense says clearly: what needs to go out has to come out. Otherwise our body wouldn’t want to get rid of it. That’s why it “rewards” us with a good, relaxing feeling when we let the “exhaust gases” escape completely.
From an evolutionary perspective: burping and farting are good, quite simply. There are even scientific studies on so-called “nonburbers” – these are people who suffer from the “inability to burp”. In technical jargon, this is called “retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (R-CPD)” – this burping block causes those affected to suffer from symptoms that affect their private and professional relationships and worsen their quality of life. Ergo: Anyone who can do it should do it – of course always taking individual consideration of the social environment.
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This text comes from an expert from the FOCUS online EXPERTS Circle. Our experts have a high level of specialist knowledge in their subject area and are not part of the editorial team. Learn more.