The Master Cleanse

The Master Cleanse

Also known as the “Lemonade Diet,” The Master Cleanse is a diet that claims to cleanse your body through drinking a homemade lemonade comprised of maple syrup, cayenne pepper and lemon juice mixed with water. If you think that sounds terrible, it actually gets worse. This lemonade is meant to be all you consume for at least 10 days, if you can follow it for that long, supplemented only by brackish water and laxative tea to help stimulate bowel movements.

According to Stanley Burroughs, the creator of the diet, The Master Cleanse is meant to rid the body of toxins, increase energy levels and aid in weight loss. Singer and actress Beyonce Knowles famously lost 20 pounds in less than two weeks on this stringent diet to slim down for her role in “Dreamgirls” and model Naomi Campbell said that she also does The Master Cleanse when she last appeared on Oprah.

So does it work? According to Greaves, the answer is yes, if your goal is to see a lower number on the scale. “The diet is only 600 to 1200 calories per day,” she explains. “No one should dip below 1200 calories per day for weight loss without professional supervision, which is one reason why The Master Cleanse may be dangerous. Essentially, this regimen is a fast and puts the body into a state of starvation. During starvation your fat cells are burned for energy, but your body also breaks down muscle to provide enough fuel to vital organs such as the brain and heart.”

This type of starvation slows the dieter’s metabolism, making any weight loss extremely difficult to maintain once you return to a normal eating routine. But that’s not the only downside to The Master Cleanse, according to Greaves. “More importantly, starving your body of vital nutrients for a prolonged period can wreak havoc on your system. Risks include frequent liquid bowel movements, vitamin deficiency, muscle breakdown, weakened immune system, hair loss, pallid complexion and even brain damage. The bottom line is that there are definitely much safer and more sustainable ways to lose weight that do not incur long-term health risks.”