For those who rail against overinflated health claims on the things we consume or use, the term detox . The implication that foods, drinks, diet plans, spa treatments or even can somehow fast-track poisons out of your body has no basis in science, yet has been made real in the public鈥檚 mind by constant repetition.
Thankfully, anyone with a functioning liver, kidneys and digestive system doesn鈥檛 need any help removing toxins 鈥� most are broken down or excreted within hours. There is that juices, smoothies or electrical appliances make the slightest difference to this.
So, three cheers for a decision that will see 鈥渄etox鈥� used a little less. On 16 May, the Unilever-owned Pukka Herbs was not to use the term to advertise one of its teas. Given that there is no scientific evidence that it can remove toxins, this is entirely sensible.
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Highlighting this case may seem trivial, seeing as Pukka鈥檚 tea is no doubt as refreshing as any herbal brew and is just one of many that use the word. But the ruling illustrates more complex problems. The ASA considers 鈥渄etox鈥� to be , along the lines of 鈥渂etter for you鈥� or 鈥渉ealthier choice鈥�. The tea fell foul of the rules due to a lack of any relevant proven general health benefits rather than specific proof of an ability to remove toxins.
Detox rethink
For example, a product fortified with selenium, a mineral that has allowable health benefit claims regarding immune function and antioxidant properties, could be advertised using the word detox. This means that, in theory, I would be allowed to promote a new range of detox sausage rolls, so long as I was able to fortify them in this way. It is hard not to conclude that something is wrong.
The obvious solution is for detox to no longer be allowed as a general health claim; it should be considered to specifically refer to the removal of toxins and judged on that basis.
There is a second, broader problem, too. To believe that some foods, drinks or even hair straighteners detoxify our bodies requires us to disregard the lack of evidence for this. Even if this seems pretty harmless, the worry is the door gets opened to evidence-free views that might be harmful.
It is sad that herbal teas cannot be sold for their taste alone, rather than dragging up vague notions of detoxification. But it is an even greater shame that there is so little restriction on the way this word is now used.
