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What The Master Cleanse Actually Is
- The Master Cleanse is a 10-day liquid diet of lemon juice, cayenne, and maple syrup that supplies ~650 calories mostly from sugar.
- The program replaces solid food with spicy sweet water and permits laxative or saltwater flushes, causing dehydration risks.
Toxemia As The Core Claim
- Stanley Burroughs claimed toxins cause all disease and that cleansing removes crystallized poisons from the body.
- He framed germ theory as false and promoted toxemia as the single root of illness and aging.
Cleanses Can Mask Eating Disorders
- Cleanses can act as socially sanctioned forms of restrictive eating and may precipitate or mask eating disorders.
- Magazine pieces documented 'juicerexics'—people whose juice fasts led to malnourishment or eating disorders.