After all those holiday indulges, many people feel the need to hit the reset button with a detox or cleanse for a fresh start on the new year. This practice dates back thousands of years. Who could forget Cleopatra’s sour donkey milk baths to preserve beauty and youthfulness? Then there’s Dr. John Harvey Kellogg’s yogurt enemas to flush the bowls. One of the stranger cleanses is the “grape cure” to remove toxins and heal maladies. The restrictive regimen — inspired by the 1927 book “The Grape Cure” — involves consuming just water for 2-3 days, followed by a grapes-only diet for a week or two. Author Johanna Brandt was convinced that the plump purple fruit cured her stomach cancer, but medical professionals dismissed her notion as quackery. Though there are health benefits to the water, fiber and antioxidants in grapes, there’s no proof that eating them cures cancer. Plus, there’s a significant risk involved in subsisting on grapes — or shoving yogurt into your rectum for that matter. Medical experts warn that cleanses can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition, reduced energy and eating disorders. The biggest misconception is the idea that it will reset your body and essentially eliminate the negative effects that poor dietary habits have caused on the body. Doctors say your liver is constantly detoxing your body — even when you sleep — so let it do its job and forget about wild and crazy cleanses.
