Fact or Fiction: Does Detox Water Really Work for Weight Loss?

What's the Skinny on Lemon Water, Fruity Water or Apple Cider Vinegar and Drinking Detox Water?

I know you’ve seen it. Glass water bottles everywhere with colorful fruit bobbing up and down inside. Look, I’m the first one to try almost any weight loss trend out there. I have to find a way to balance my Friday night ice cream binge somehow. Lately there’s been a buzz around social media about detox water. What is it and how effective is detox water for weight loss?  

Detox water is water that has been infused with certain types of fruits and herbs. Cucumber, blackberry, mint, orange, and strawberry are some common ones. The claims are that by putting the fruit into the water, the water is then able to pull out the beneficial nutrients of the fruit without the extra calories of actually ingesting it. There have been many claims from immunity boosts to weight loss to detoxification of the blood to flushing out free radicals from the body made by many influencers and even Dr. Mehmet Oz himself. 

Apparently, those are all false. 

While drinking water can definitely help with weight loss, lower blood pressure, and help flush toxins out of your system, there is no hard evidence that the hot trend of adding fruit to your water will aid in your weight loss goals more so than just drinking a regular glass of water. Sorry to break it to you but this appears to be a health trend not backed by science. 

However, there is something to be said about having something that’s exciting about your daily water intake. I don’t know about you, but staring down the barrel of 56 fluid ounces of water daily can be a bit intimidating and that is the recommended daily dose of water for an adult female. There’s a reason we have water bottles with timers and increments on them . For some of us, drinking water is just boring and difficult to do on a consistent basis. So even though you’re not getting any added benefits from drinking fruit-infused water, you may still have the benefit of being inspired to do something good for yourself. 

Also, add to that the fact that water is good for you and does help your kidneys and liver “detox” by flushing the toxins out of your bloodstream, and it’s not really that nefarious of a health trend. You should be drinking water daily to help keep your systems functioning at their optimum capacity. Adding to that, drinking water can and does help you lose weight by making you feel more full and satisfied between and during meals. And did I mention how nicely it hydrates the skin from the inside? The less hyaluronic acid I have to buy, the better. 

Personally, I love adding lime to my water and since seeing it all over Instagram, I have come to love adding mint leaf and cucumber to my water along with the lime. There’s something visually arresting about seeing something beautiful and healthy in what you’re consuming. So, no shame if you’re still fruiting it up. You’re still doing a good thing for your body. You do you.

Christina Wheeler