By now, you’ve probably heard of the detox/cleanse trend. Generally, a cleanse is when a person severely limits their diets with the goal of ‘resetting’ their body by flushing out unwanted toxins that have built up from eating an unhealthy or in some way unsatisfactory diet. The process is supposed to be a kind of starting over with the body, to give you a clean slate from which to start anew.

This sounds very promising. However, there is no evidence that detoxes actually manage to flush anything out of your system. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, detox and cleansing programs might actually do more harm than they do good. It’s a good idea to check out that website in particular, as it has a list of reasons you need to be careful about doing a detox.

Detoxes are so appealing in part because they seem like a healthy, quick way to lose a lot of weight. While it’s possible to lose weight on a detox, it is not the healthiest way of doing so. This is because many detoxes and cleanses are extremely low-calorie, and it’s very difficult to get the correct amount of nutrients from such a low-calorie diet.

If you’re looking for a way to lose weight, eating a mostly plant-based diet with lean meats is a good idea. If you’re still interested in doing a detox, make sure your consult with your doctor to make sure you’re making the best decision for your health.