“Are detox diets safe? The short answer is probably sure, they’re safe. The long answer is that we actually really don’t know. The problem with many of these kinds of fad diets, or juicing, or so-called detox diets, is that there’s not a lot of science behind all of them. There’s a lot of pseudoscience behind them. If you’re going to google this kind of thing, you’ll see lots of claims and benefits with so-called detox diets and juice diets.The science, however, frequently is not there. My biggest concern as a primary care physician about these so-called detox diets, or any other fad diet, is what do you plan on doing as a patient once that diet is over? When we talk about having a healthy diet and healthy nutritional status, it’s not about what you’re doing for the next 2-3 weeks or a month. It’s how you’re going to live for the rest of your life. So if you’re going to make changes to your diet, these changes need to be sensible and need to be sustainable. Those are the big questions you should be asking yourself and asking your physician. Feel free to come talk to me or any of my colleagues at Mount Sinai Doctors in Brooklyn Heights.”
David Coun, MD, is a board-certified primary care doctor and Chief of Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. He has lectured regularly on various topics, including smoking cessation, prostatic conditions, EKG review, and physician communication skills. Dr. Coun is fluent in Spanish and has a particular interest in prevention, as well as, the intersection between mental health and chronic medical conditions. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.