Scientists say detox remedies are a con

After the excess of New Year's Eve and the Christmas season, the desire to detox is natural. But the burgeoning industry which caters for this demand makes claims which are frequently misleading or questionable, a group of scientists says today.

The charity Sense About Science has compiled a dossier of information on claims made about 11 products including drinks, patches, diet supplements and even a "detox brush". A charity leaflet says: "The multimillion pound detox industry sells products with little evidence to support their use. These products trade on claims about the body which are often wrong." Our bodies are capable of recovering from binges on their own, the scientists argue.

One product criticised is Boots's "detox brush" which the company claims will "brush away impurities" and "stimulates the lymphatic system to help remove impurities and toxins from your skin". The charity argues that the brush simply cleans the skin.



Boots said the brush works by stimulating the circulation to remove blockages in the body's lymphatic system. "All Boots products go through extensive scientific trials and testing with human volunteers. Our evidence is based on customer feedback and the results they saw and how they felt," said a spokeswoman.

But she admitted that the effect was not specific to the detox brush. "Using any kind of body brush will help to increase circulation and will help the body eliminate the waste products."

The chemical scientist and award winning science author Dr John Emsley said: "There is no scientific reason for people to waste time and money on so-called detox regimes, fancy diets, or expensive remedies, none of which can compare to the detox system that is already inbuilt into our natural system."

In other news, bears defecate in the woods and The Pope still isn't a Protestant.