Detox products denounced once more by scientific study

'Detox' diets - often popular in the new year - have once more been criticised as nothing more than a waste of time and money.

Last year Dr Andrew Wadge, of the Food Standards Agency (FSA),  advised people to ‘dump the detox’ and ditch the diets and supplements comprising a market estimated to be worth tens of millions of pounds a year - and buy something nice with the money saved. "There's a lot of nonsense talked about 'detoxing' and most people seem to forget that we are born with a built-in detox mechanism. It's called the liver," Dr Wadge wrote in his blog.

This year detox has once again been denounced. A study by the charitable trust Sense About Science found that the detox claims made by 15 products they reviewed were in fact ‘meaningless,’ and that overindulgence during the festive period could be more effectively countered simply by eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep.

In the majority of cases companies were forced to admit they had renamed processes like cleaning or brushing as ‘detox;’ where the product had no ability to remove toxic substances from the body. The researchers warned that whilst at best many detoxes were a waste of money, some could in fact have dangerous consequences. The sellers of detox products failed to demonstrate a fundamental understanding of what detox actually is, in addition to having little or no proof that their product actually works.

So, how to help your body recover from overindulgence during the festive period?

Follow these common sense tips:

• Flush your system through with water in order to rehydrate
• Avoid drinking alcohol
• Get some fresh air and exercise
• Enjoy home-cooked food and a proper diet

Watch the new you video beauty foods for advice on how to cleanse your skin from within