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I recently heard a proposition that fasting (especially fruit-only diet) can improve liver function because it removes the load usually induced by toxins in common diets, thereby allowing the liver to regenerate itself quicker.

This is a common proposition in "detox diets" but I am not sure if it has any ground in science? Does consuming less toxic food allow liver to "recover" and regenerate quicker?

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to Bio. Could you add your source to your claim? It may be a mythbuster-typed question and sourced are especially relevant with those. $\endgroup$ – AliceD♦ Mar 31 '17 at 6:13
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks. It was a Facebook discussion from a closed group. Not sure how that fits with the rules here? $\endgroup$ – srgb Mar 31 '17 at 6:35
  • $\begingroup$ That'll do I guess. It's not the most reliable source, however. Was there a consensus in the whole group that this diet helps? How many folks were in the group? Sorry for the questions, just trying to get this clear. Personally I like the mythbusters, but they often hinge on the source of info. $\endgroup$ – AliceD♦ Mar 31 '17 at 6:37
  • $\begingroup$ Well it was a skewed crowd, the group is Bali based, and Bali is huge on veganism, detox, organic juices etc, so alternative propositions are usually threated like heresy. Not really a fact-based, paper-supported discussion, but I'd like to improve my own arsenal to participate in these discussions better. $\endgroup$ – srgb Mar 31 '17 at 6:43
  • $\begingroup$ This idea is prevalent in naturopathy and with popular health enthusiasts so I think it's a relevant question. Scientific consensus is a bit more elusive. Here's a link to one article: sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160509085347.htm $\endgroup$ – hamilthj Apr 9 '17 at 4:02

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