About the Liquid Cleansing Diet

Liquid cleansing diets--such as the Master Cleanse or lemonade diet--are designed to boost metabolism, eliminate toxins and enable fast weight loss through a short-term diet that contains only liquids. These programs are designed to improve a person's general health using high-antioxidant juices or supplements.

Types

Liquid cleansing diets can take the form of juice fasts, meal-replacement shakes or powdered supplements mixed with water.

Theories

Liquid diets deprive the colon of solid foods while flushing it with acidic compounds. In his book "The Master Cleanse," Stanley Burroughs speculates that this gives the colon a break; it allows the body to completely detoxify.

Who Can Benefit?

Nutritionists, such as lemonade-diet proponent Peter Glickman, believe that people with obesity, bloating, constipation, IBS, candida, urinary tract infections, or certain forms of cancer can benefit from a liquid cleansing diet.

Who is at Risk?

People with eating disorders, hypoglycemia, diabetes, or certain other medical conditions should avoid the liquid cleansing diet. That's because fasting can lead to unsafe drops in blood sugar or unnecessary weight loss.

Potential Side Effects

Any form of juice fast or liquid diet can cause dizziness, fatigue and diarrhea. That's because fasts temporarily deprive the body of necessary vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

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