Do detox teas or cleanses really work?
Detox teas and cleanses might have a place, but marketing often oversells them and blurs what detoxification really means. Meaningful detox support depends on targeted purpose, therapeutic dosing, and proper sequencing, guided by objective data such as symptoms, liver function tests, organic acids testing, or mold markers. The bigger risk is oversimplification, where catchy marketing language replaces science and context.
Supporting Everyday Detox Capacity
Detoxification can be influenced in a targeted way, but it rarely comes from a single tea or cleanse. Most products overlook important concepts like therapeutic dosing or underappreciated chemical complexity of detoxification. What works is lowering the load coming in, strengthening daily capacity, then using short, measured protocols ideally when data shows a specific need.
- Reduce exposure first. Identify and lower inputs that drive the toxic burden.
- Indoor air and water quality, filter both.
- Mold moisture sources and remediation when indicated.
- Food contact with plastics, PFAS coated packaging
- Alcohol and processed food intake
- Fragrances, personal care products, and household cleaners, swap for low toxin options.
- Occupational or hobby exposures, for example solvents or heavy metals, add protection and ventilation.
- Detoxification Foundations. Quality protein and colorful fruits and vegetables supply the body with important nutrients (i.e. amino acids and antioxidants) needed for detoxification at the chemical level. Additionally, including 25 to 35 grams of fiber, minerals and hydration, at least daily bowel movements, movement and sweat, stable blood sugar, and sleep are helpful nutritional foundations.
- Targeted, not trendy. Choose foods and nutrients with known mechanisms, for example sulforaphane rich crucifers, amino acids like glycine and cysteine, bile flow support, only at doses that match the goal. I generally recommend being critical of supplements or products with extensive claims on the label.
- Data guided. Let symptoms plus objective lab data set your detox direction. Conventional liver functions tests are ideal to evaluate for stark detoxification pathology and for safety.. You might consider Organic Acids Testing (OAT) for glutathione demand and mitochondrial strain, stool testing for bile acids and dysbiosis insight, and mold toxin markers.
- Phased and repeatable. Introduce one change at a time, run time limited trials, recheck, then maintain the daily basics so capacity stays strong between any focused interventions.
At Dr. Kenny’s clinic we quiet the marketing noise, define the purpose, reduce the burden upstream, match dose to function, and track results so “detox” becomes measurable and sustainable.
Why dosing and sequence matter
Seeing an ingredient on a label is not enough. The form, dose, and order of operations determine whether a compound actually does its job. For example, a laxative tea without adequate protein can slow phase 2 conjugation, an important step in liver detoxification. A bitter herb without fiber can mobilize bile but fail to carry wastes out effectively. As a functional medicine practitioner, I match therapeutic dosing to function, then use time-limited trials with check-ins.
If we are not using data, we might not be doing what we think we are doing. Liver function tests can flag macroscopic overload, but they often miss the fine points, like mold-related burdens or impaired mitochondrial chemistry. That is where targeted tests and symptom tracking inform dose, duration, and when to pause.
Labs that Can Help Guide Strategic Detoxification
When indicated, we use objective markers so the plan is safer and more precise.
- Liver function tests, baseline and follow up, to monitor safety.
- Organic Acids Testing, to assess glutathione demand, mitochondrial stress, and phase 1 intermediates.
- Mold detox evaluation, such as urinary mycotoxin panels plus supportive markers on OAT that suggest burden and antioxidant drain.
Stool testing, to check bile acids, digestion, and dysbiosis that can recirculate toxins.
Additional Resources:
- To better understand the basics of why dosing and form of ingredients matter, read my article on Therapeutic Dosing.
- To sift through the noise and the fads, read my blog post on Detox Demystified to understand the real basics of detoxification.
A 2015 PubMed review concluded commercial detox diets have scant clinical evidence for toxin removal or lasting weight change, and may carry risks.
Want a tailored, lab-guided plan, not a quick fix?
Answered by Dr. Kenny Mittelstadt, DACM, DC, IFMCP
Certified functional medicine practitioner specializing in advanced lab testing and personalized healing protocols to uncover root causes of health roadblocks.