Kicking off the new year by cleansing your body with a detox diet? A dietitian unpacks the science behind these fads

A healthy diet – with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains – is one key to a healthy body. Oscar Wong/Moment via Getty Images

Detox diets are often touted as a way to cleanse the body after the excess food and drinks that come with the holidays. These diets promise quick results and can particularly entice people around the new year, when there tends to be a renewed focus on health and lifestyle habits.

There are a few different types of detox diets: fasting, juice cleanses, eating only certain foods, using dietary commercial detox supplements or “cleansing” the colon with enemas or laxatives.