How to Do a Gut Detox Safely

Diving deep into gut health? You’ve probably been fed targeted social media ads for or read positive articles about gut detoxes or their more intrusive sibling, the colon cleanse. It’s a tempting proposal: a few short days of work for a sparkling clean, good-as-new gastrointestinal tract.

The quick fix claims around gut detoxing can make it seem extremely tempting, especially if you’re cursed with a sluggish colon, bouts of diarrhoea or chronic bloating.

But what’s the truth behind the glossy influencer ads? Can a quick, simple gut cleanse really overhaul your gut and change your life? We’ve done the research so you don’t have to...

Gut Cleanse Detox: The Basics

How do gut detoxes work? And what does research say about them?

What is a gut detox?

Various companies and online ‘experts’ promote a wide variety of different gut detox approaches. The most popular regimes include one or more of the following^[i]:

Drinking specific juices or drinks
Fasting or reducing food intake
Eating only recommended foods
Consuming specific herbs or herbal supplements (e.g., peppermint, fennel, dandelion root)
Laxative use
Enemas or colonic irrigation

Among the most popular cleanses promoted online is the juice fast. These require the participant to eschew food for a pre-determined length of time, drinking only recommended juices or pre-mixed drinks. Often cleanses require that you drink as many as five or six juices a day.

How does a gut detox work?

According to those who promote gut detoxing, the theory is simple. The drinks, food and/or herbal supplements you consume are designed to ‘flush’ your gastrointestinal tract. Put simply and crudely, that cleanse is gonna make you poop. A lot. This is because the juices or foods associated with cleanses have a laxative effect for most people. It should be noted that some cleanse systems claim to produce gentler and more predictable symptoms than others.

Colonic irrigation, enemas and laxatives do much the same thing; forcing the contents of your GI tract out into the world in an often explosive and usually quite uncomfortable manner.

The idea is that this ‘clearing out’ of your insides resets an unbalanced digestive system. However, the truth about detoxes is a bit more complicated than that...

Do gut detoxes really work? What science says about cleanses

A fair amount of scientific research into colon cleanses has taken place. Some of the most significant studies are detailed below.

It is worth remembering that research may have been conducted into different types of cleanses and with different participants.

Supporting Research	Disputing Research
One study shows that 43% of people with chronic constipation found relief through colonic cleansing^[ii]	Systematic reviews do not support colonic cleansing for ‘general health promotion’^[iii]
A study shows participants may experience relief from the symptoms of certain bowel disorders^[iv]	Studies show that short term juice cleanses can harm gut and oral microbiota^[v]
Some evidence suggests that cleanses could ease symptoms of IBS^[vi]	A study into bowel cleansing shows significant alteration to the microbiome in the short term^[vii]
	Studies suggest patient deaths could be linked to cleanse-fad coffee enemas^[viii]

Gut Detox: The Pros and Cons

To detox or not to detox...? Before you take the plunge, be sure to weigh up the detox positives and cleanse negatives.

Benefits of a gut cleanse

There’s limited evidence that a cleanse supports gut health, however some benefits of detoxing may include:

Weight loss: a detox is a reliable way to kickstart your weight loss journey. Indeed, some studies back this up, with one showing significant weight loss following a juice cleanse^[ix]
Antioxidant loading: during juice-based cleanses participants significantly up their intake of vitamin-packed fruits. Some compounds in the fruits consumed during a detox have antioxidant, antibacterial and immune-supporting properties^[x]
Skin health: high fruit intake is also linked to skin health. Studies show that citrus^[xi] reduces oxidative stress while pomegranate has anti-aging properties^[xii]

Risks of a gut detox

Depending on the type of cleanse you choose to undertake, your detox could expose you to a variety of risks.

Juice cleanses may cause:

Tiredness, lack of energy and headaches due to calorie restriction^[xiii]
Damage to teeth due to high acid juice consumption^[xiv]
Weight gain caused by high-in-sugar commercial juices^[xv]
An unhealthy relationship with food caused by dietary restriction^[xvi]^[xvii]

Risks of mechanical colon cleansing like enemas and colonic irrigation include:

Bowel perforation, caused by incorrect insertion of equipment^[xviii]
Infection, spread by ineffectively cleansed equipment^[xix]
Reduced microbiomic diversity and depletion of beneficial bacterial strains^[xx]
Electrolyte (salts and minerals) imbalances^[xxi]. These can lead to irregular heartbeat, fatigue, digestive issues and more^[xxii]

Who shouldn’t do a gut detox?

Whoever you are, it’s always a good idea to consult your GP before undertaking any type of cleanse, even if it’s a simple three-day juice fast.

Those at particular risk from cleanses and detoxes include people with liver damage or disease, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding and those with diabetes^[xxiii].

Additionally, anyone with a history of eating disorders should avoid cleanses and detoxes, which have been linked to both anorexia and bulimia^[xxiv].

How to ‘Detox’ Your Gut Safely

Want to improve your gut health with zero risk? Low cost and effective, these three simple steps can make all the difference.

Eating well for gut health

Great intestinal health starts with eating right. Aim to:

Eat 30g of fibre per day: found in wholemeal bread, brown rice, fruit and vegetables and beans/legumes^[xxv]
Cut down on high fat foods: fried foods, fast food and convenience meals can be high in gut-damaging fat^[xxvi]
Avoid trigger foods: some people find that certain foods (often wheat^[xxvii]) can trigger intestinal symptoms. A food diary can help you recognise yours
Dump ultra-processed food: highly processed convenience foods are linked to a lack of microbial diversity and leaky gut^[xxviii]
Consider going plant-based: evidence suggests that a plant-based diet could have a positive impact on the gut microbiome^[xxix]
Reduce your sugar intake: dump excess sugar, which studies show can negatively impact gut wellness^[xxx]

Lifestyle changes that support gut health

Other changes you can make to promote better gut health include^[xxxi]:

Stopping smoking
Avoiding stress, or finding ways to better cope with stressful situations
Eating regularly, eat slowly and avoid overeating
Ditching binge drinking sessions (and sticking to the NHS alcohol unit guidance)
Taking regular exercise^[xxxii]

Probiotics: a gut cleanse done right

One simple way to ensure great gut health and minimise the risk of dysbiosis? A simple one-a-day probiotic pill^[xxxiii]. More convenient than probiotic drinks, a tablet such as PrecisionBiotics’ Alflorex Daily Gut Supplement delivers live beneficial bacteria direct to your gut. Here it supports your existing intestinal flora for reliable everyday gut support that goes beyond a one-off detox.

Summary

Gut detoxes and colon cleansing aren’t necessarily the best choice for improved gut health. While they’re widely promoted by online wellness influencers, these cleanses appear to have limited benefits linked to weight loss, skin health or introducing antioxidants to the body. However, when it comes to improving the health of your gut, there’s very little research to support their use. In fact, studies suggest that the risks of detoxes outweigh the benefits.

For better gut health, experts suggest dietary changes, including upping your fibre intake. Lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking, doing regular exercise and reducing stress can also help, as can taking a regular probiotic supplement.

Sources:

[i] https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/detoxes-and-cleanses-what-you-need-to-know

[ii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28550422/

[iii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19724266/

[iv] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21883812/

[v] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11820471/

[vi] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27194235/

[vii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25527456/

[viii] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/371881

[ix] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5438379/

[x] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5438379/

[xi] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26471635/