THOUSANDS of Scots will be undertaking post New Year detoxes this month but health experts are advising people against them, claiming they are a waste of time.
The average person consumes more alcohol over the festive period but consultants at the British Liver Trust (BLT) have spoken out about “futile” January detoxes, and are urging people to reconsider their “rejuvenation” plans.
Dr Mark Wright, consultant hepatologist atSouthamptonGeneralHospital, said: “Detoxing for just a month in January is medically futile. It can lead to a false sense of security and feeds the idea that you can abuse your liver as much as you like and then sort everything else with a quick fix.
“It makes about as much sense as maxing out your credit cards and overdraft all year, then thinking you can fix it by just eating toast in January. The figures just don’t add up.”
The BLT is launching a national awareness campaign for the month and will host several road shows across theUK, includingGlasgow.
The road shows, entitled Love Your Liver, will include pop-up health clinics, where free liver checks will be available.
Andrew Langford, the trust’s chief executive said: “While people believe the hype and go on January detoxes to “rejuvenate” their liver, it would actually be more beneficial to adopt a more long-term attitude to achieving good liver health.”
