Drastic new year detoxes potentially harmful, doctors warn

A report published in the British Medical Journal Case Reports has warned that people must take care when undertaking radical new year detoxes, after a women became critically ill after taking a cocktail of herbal remedies.

The case took place last year, after the woman ingested a high quantity of herbs and alternative remedies including: milk thistle; molkosan; I-theanine; glutamine; vitamin B compound; vervain; and valerian root.

In the write, medics wrote: “The complementary medicine market is very popular in the UK and the concept of the new-year 'detox' with all-natural products is appealing to those less concerned with evidence-based medicine and more with complementary medicine.

"Excessive water intake as a way of 'purifying and cleansing' the body is also a popular regime with the belief that harmful waste products can thus be washed from the body."

Commenting on the warning, the British Dietetic Association agreed the whole idea of detoxing is nonsense: ”There are no pills or specific drinks, patches or lotions that can do a magic job. The body has numerous organs, such as the skin, gut, liver and kidney, that continually 'detoxify' the body from head to toe.

"Being well-hydrated is a sensible strategy, but drinking too much water can be as dangerous as not drinking enough.

"It sounds predictable, but for the vast majority of people, a sensible diet and regular physical activity really are the only ways to properly maintain and maximise your health.”