The Real Deal on the Master Cleanse DietPosted by Dr. Patrika Tsai on 24th January 2007 @ 10:27 in Diet Exercise | No Comments
The Master Cleanse Diet, also known as the Lemonade Diet, is a liquid diet of water, lemon or lime juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. In other words, you are only allowed to drink lemonade about 6-12 times a day, a glass of salt water, and an herbal laxative tea once or twice a day. The diet was promoted by Stanley Burroughs in his book The Master Cleanser in 1976. It was intended to treat ulcers and detoxify the body rather than lose weight. It has become popular again with Peter Glickman’s book Lose Weight, Have More Energy, and Be Happier in 10 Days published in 2004.
Will this diet really detoxify the body? One of the main arguments for using this diet is that the lemon or lime juice will help cleanse the body. The truth is, the stomach acid that your body produces is 10 times stronger than lemon or lime juice, meaning that lemon or lime juice will do very little besides give you vitamin C. Maple syrup is the same as using sugar, and cayenne pepper adds some flavoring.
In reality, the body actually detoxifies itself. Food goes to your stomach where it is broken down by stomach acid. This liquid mixture moves into the small intestine where stomach acid is neutralized and nutrients are absorbed. Any remaining material passes into the large intestine or colon, where water is absorbed, forming solid stool. The body can store a large volume of stool in the large intestine, but these wastes are eliminated quickly ranging anywhere from once a day to once a week. Other wastes or toxins are naturally cleared from the body by the liver and the kidneys and are eliminated through urine.
So will you lose weight on this diet? The amount of calories in this diet is only 600-1200 calories per day or about 100 calories per glass. The recommended daily caloric intake for the average adult is 2000 calories. Essentially, this regimen is a fast which puts the body into a state of starvation. During starvation, fat is lost, but the body also breaks down muscle to provide enough fuel to vital organs such as the brain and heart and slows down how quickly it burns calories to conserve energy. Some weight may be lost, but it will be difficult to maintain.
Is this diet safe? For the average healthy person, a day or two of fasting will probably not have any ill effects, but that does not mean that the diet is safe. The diet actually calls for about 10 days of fasting. In addition to being a very low calorie diet, this diet is nutritionally deficient in protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals. Also, using a laxative to help purge the body in an attempt to lose weight is characteristic of the eating disorder bulimia. This type of diet is often accompanied by weight loss and subsequent regain. Weight cycling stresses the body, in particular the cardiovascular system. There are definitely much safer and more sustainable ways to lose weight that do not incur longterm health risks.
I am a firm believer in natural approaches to health, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding toxins. However, popular diets or detox programs may not always be safe or appropriate for you. I recommend discussing diet plans with your physician, particularly if the diet calls for dramatic changes or if you have any medical conditions.
Dmarko et al., In Los Angeles we hear alot about the Master Cleanse because Hally Berry did the diet. In short I think the diet is ridiculous. The article below sums it up. I could rant for a while on why you would not want to eat pure sugar (syrup) while in a glucose fasting state, or why lemonade or cayenne pepper have nothing to do with cleansing. There are other cleanses with equally ridiculous claims as the master cleanse.
Dmarko Blewett <dmarkoblewett@yahoo.com> wrote:
Cleansing controversy
Pre-diet regimenn carry risks; consult a nutritionist before beginning
Article Last Updated: 03/09/2007 06:16:54 PM PST
Q: I have read up on several articles about the Master Cleanse diet. I wanted to know if you recommend a Master Cleanse diet or a body cleansing process before beginning a weight loss program or just in general to try it out. Do you think trying (a cleanse) would help an individual loose additional weight?
— Mya Baker, Los Angeles
A: Doing a cleanse before beginning a weight loss program can definitely be beneficial.
Basically, a cleanse can help you bring you back to a balanced state by not consuming processed foods, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and other toxic foods.
Of course you can avoid these foods without doing a cleanse, but for some reason when people commit to a cleanse for a specific period of time, it often helps them stay committed to not consuming these highly processed foods filled with junk.
Just be aware that if you are doing a cleanse that requires you to restrict your calories, you may lose muscle, which will appear on the scale as weight loss. Your goal is to burn fat, and you need your muscle to burn fat. Therefore, be very careful and make sure you take some precautionary measures.
Use a cleanse that is recommended to you by a nutritionist. It is important to realize that when you are doing a cleanse, you are often not consuming much food, so you have to make sure that you are getting all of your essential nutrients.
I personally do not recommend the Master Cleanse (also known as The Lemonade Diet because it's restricted to a cocktail of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup and water). It does not offer anything to supplement your essential nutrients. The human body needs more than cayenne pepper to function.
Many people have various health concerns that they also need to consider before starting a cleanse.
For example, you may be anemic, diabetic or allergic to certain foods. A nutritionist can test you for food allergies and also recommend various products that are only available through a nutritionist or physician. What works for one person may not work for someone else because we are all biologically unique individuals.
Therefore, I highly recommend seeking professional advice before choosing the cleanse that will work for your unique body in your unique environment.
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Jeanette Jenkins, founder and president of the Hollywood Trainer (
www.thehollywoodtrainer. com), has a bachelor's degree in human kinetics from the University of Ottawa. A fitness industry veteran, she has worked with actors and professional athletes, including Queen Latifah, Taryn Manning and Terrell Owens. A resident expert on the Food Network's weight-loss show "Weighing In," she also is one of 17 experts chosen for Nike's Elite Athletes program.
