The Master Cleanse has stirred both devotion and controversy since its creation in the 1940s. Also called the Lemonade Diet or Lemon Detox Diet, this stringent juice fast replaces all food with a morning salt water flush, herbal laxative tea, lemonade containing maple syrup and cayenne pepper, and a nightly herbal tea for 10 days. Celebrity adherents like Beyoncé Knowles sparked heightened interest despite most doctors deeming the plan unhealthy and risky to engage for prolonged durations.  

Now new clinical findings from a gold-standard randomized trial on Master Cleanse ingredients used short-term reaffirm significant health benefits. These results should give naysayers pause regarding this misunderstood natural protocol. For what doctors dub an unhealthy "fad diet" now has scientific corroboration, suggesting prudent use as part of a holistic lifestyle may have significant health benefits. 

The Study Parameters  

The Master Cleanse formula contains no protein, fat or complex carbs - only carbohydrate calories from lemon juice and maple syrup. Detractors cite this lack of balanced nutrition as emblematic of unhealthy crash diets leading to complications. However past research reveals certain extreme short-term fasts like Master Cleanse tap helpful biological pathways and processes inaccessible otherwise.¹

This new study enrolled 84 healthy overweight Korean women age 20-50.2 Researchers randomized participants to either (a) Master Cleanse's classic lemon juice and syrup concentrates plus water for seven days, providing ~400 calories daily or (b) an equal-calorie placebo of lemon-flavored syrup without the Master Cleanse ingredients. 

A normal diet control group continued regular eating with no restrictions. Participants gave fasting blood samples before and after the one-week treatment for comprehensive analysis

Putting Food Wisdom to the Test

Impressively after only seven days, the Master Cleanse group lost four extra pounds and reduced abdominal fat greater than controls eating normally. Master Cleanse and placebo both curbed weight gain equally due to calorie cutting alone. But those receiving the Master Cleanse ingredients also uniquely lowered blood pressure, insulin, inflammatory C-reactive protein, "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing "good" HDL cholesterol more significantly.²

These positive changes did not occur for placebo recipients. Cleanse participants also avoided potentially adverse hematological shifts that both calorie-restricted groups incurred over the brief study. Researchers conclude Master Cleanse usage for one week beneficially alters metabolism and obesity/heart disease risk factors absent downsides like electrolyte disturbances. The authors noted limitations like short timeframe and small population still warrant caution generalizing sweeping benefits before more trials occur. But contrary to prevalent medical opinions, real-world evidence now soundly supports incorporating Master Cleanse as part of holistic lifestyle medicine rather than categorically dismissing its therapeutic utility.

Ancient Wisdom Stands the Test of Time

Beyond the lemon detox study's clinical wins, there is additional wisdom to glean from the results. Today "expert consensus" often reigns supreme over lived experience as far as medical authority. Randomized controlled trials assume preeminence for establishing therapeutic truth while Food and Drug Administration drug approval serves as Western gold standard. Historical use or patient testimonials thus carry scarce weight challenging institutional dogma, even if the results are indisputable, time-tested, and rely on safe, effective, affordable and easily accessible natural substances or approaches.

Yet what centuries-tested food cures like Master Cleanse lack in modern scientific vetting they recoup through direct pragmatic validation through the so-called N-of-1 ‘trial' of one person's direct, significant positive outcomes. When clinical findings later affirm this real-world efficacy as the lemon detox study has, it spotlights the limitations of so-called evidence-based medicine which relies on randomized, double-blind, clinical trials to ascertain what is true, and even legal to use for self-treatment.

For more information on the incredible healing benefits of lemon juice, and even maple syrup, consult our databases on the topics here: 

Lemon Database

Maple Syrup Database

Learn more about how to do the Master Cleanse diet here.

References

1.  Mattson MP, Longo VD, Harvie M. Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes. Ageing Res Rev. 2017;39:46-58.  

2.  Kim MJ, Hwang JH, Ko HJ, Na HB, Kim JH. Lemon detox diet reduced body fat, insulin resistance, and serum hs-CRP level without hematological changes in overweight Korean women. Nutr Res. 2015;35(5):409-420. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31451249/