Scientists dismiss 'detox myth'

[DigitalSoldier]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7808348.stm

There is no evidence that products widely promoted to help the body "detox" work, scientists warn.

The charitable trust Sense About Science reviewed 15 products, from bottled water to face scrub, and found many detox claims were "meaningless".

Anyone worried about the after-effects of Christmas overindulgence would get the same benefits from eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep, they said.

Advertising regulators said they looked at such issues on a case-by-case basis.

The investigation, done by research members of the Voice of Young Science network, was kicked off by a campaign to unpick "dodgy" science claims - where companies use phrases that sound scientific but do not actually mean anything.

 

[rwenzori]

Unless you have some liver or kidney disease or problem, you already have the most efficient detoxifiers on the market! All this "detox" stuff always has been a load of cr@p, with no basis in science.

 

[LCBXX]

Finally! I hope more of this so-called health-fads get busted, especially some of these 'almost-homeopathic' health clinics and their 'scanners'

 

[Picard]

This is just another example of Voodoo science. (Take note: not Voodoo "magic" - that's something else)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voodoo_science

Voodoo science, is a neologism referring to research that falls short of adhering to the scientific method. The term was popularized in the book Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud, by professor and scientific skeptic Robert L. Park. Other authors have used the term, but it remains most closely associated with Park.

I once started reading this book but didn't have the time to get further than the first couple of chapters.

Park, a physics professor, science administrator/lobbyist/journalist and outspoken scientific skeptic, outlines his seven warning signs that a claim may be pseudoscientific and analyzes beliefs in popular culture and the media with a skeptical eye. Those seven warning signs are:

1. Discoverers make their claims directly to the popular media, rather than to fellow scientists.
2. Discoverers claim that a conspiracy has tried to suppress the discovery.
3. The claimed effect appears so weak that observers can hardly distinguish it from noise. No amount of further work increases the signal.
4. Anecdotal evidence is used to back up the claim.
5. True believers cite ancient traditions in support of the new claim.
6. The discoverer or discoverers work in isolation from the mainstream scientific community.
7. The discovery, if true, would require a change in the understanding of the fundamental laws of nature.

 

[Sherbang]

Finally! I hope more of this so-called health-fads get busted, especially some of these 'almost-homeopathic' health clinics and their 'scanners'

What's an 'almost-homeopathic' health clinic?

 

[Balstrome]

What's an 'almost-homeopathic' health clinic?

Obviously, one that has been diluted 10 times in common water. But then you already knew this.

 

[Hoof-Hearted]

My 2c:

If it makes you feel better ... it works

Often a change in mindset is all it takes

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not advocating that sleeping with strange smelling dust packs strapped to the soles of your feet is all of a sudden going to result in a reduction in bodily toxins , just that someone who believes this kind of product works may just feel a bit better about themselves and think twice before stuffing another big mac and super-size fries down their cake hole

 

[Sherbang]

Obviously, one that has been diluted 10 times in common water. But then you already knew this.

Oh right. Do you mean almost diluted 10 times in common water?
I was just confused by his use of the word 'almost' in his comment!

 

[Sherbang]

My 2c:

If it makes you feel better ... it works

Often a change in mindset is all it takes

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not advocating that sleeping with strange smelling dust packs strapped to the soles of your feet is all of a sudden going to result in a reduction in bodily toxins , just that someone who believes this kind of product works may just feel a bit better about themselves and think twice before stuffing another big mac and super-size fries down their cake hole

I think the problem is that often these self help nutritionist people claim their work is scientific and is backed by research when this is clearly not true. They use science like words and dodgy research to back up their claims and make lots of money off people who don't know better and aren't able to validate the science themselves.

 

[Londo]

I know this woman who has just been/is on a "detox" diet and also had a hosepipe up the "exhaust" a few times to flush her insides out. Saw her a few nights ago, she looked about 20 years older!