The Master Cleanse, also known as the lemonade diet, is a popular detox and weight loss program that involves drinking a lemon juice-based beverage for 10 days. With celebrities like Beyonce claiming they used the Master Cleanse to lose weight for specific roles, this diet has gained a lot of attention. But does the Master Cleanse actually help you lose weight, and is it safe and sustainable? Let’s take a closer look.
What is the Master Cleanse?
The Master Cleanse was created in the 1940s by Stanley Burroughs and was initially marketed as a way to cleanse the body and promote healing. It involves drinking 6-12 glasses per day of a lemonade-like beverage made from:
- Fresh lemon or lime juice
- Maple syrup
- Cayenne pepper
- Water
In addition to the lemonade drink, you can also have salt water flushes and herbal laxative tea. No other foods, supplements, or liquids are allowed on the cleanse other than the lemonade drink and specified flushes/teas. The cleanse lasts for 10 days.
Does the Master Cleanse make you lose weight?
The Master Cleanse does typically lead to weight loss, for a few reasons:
- Very low calorie intake – The lemonade drink only contains about 60-300 calories per day
- Loss of water weight – The salt water flushes help flush out water weight
- Elimination of solid foods – Cutting out all solid foods guarantees you’ll sharply reduce your calorie consumption
Most people lose 1-3 pounds per day on the cleanse. However, almost all of this is water weight and temporary loss of waste, not permanent loss of fat. As soon as you resume normal eating, your weight will go back up.
What are the pros and cons of the Master Cleanse for weight loss?
Here are some potential pros and cons to consider about the Master Cleanse for weight loss:
| Potential Pros | Potential Cons |
|---|---|
| – Rapid weight loss in the short-term | – Weight loss is temporary and mainly from water/waste |
| – May act as a motivator to eat healthier going forward | – Very low in protein, nutrients, fiber – unhealthy long-term |
| – May give your digestion system a rest | – Associated with fatigue, dizziness, nausea from calorie restriction |
As you can see, most of the potential pros relate to rapid but temporary weight loss in the short-term. The cons list longer-term problems with nutritional deficiencies and sustainability.
Is the Master Cleanse safe?
For most healthy adults, the Master Cleanse is generally safe for the short 10 day period. However, there are some safety considerations:
- Medical supervision – Anyone with chronic health conditions should consult their doctor before trying the cleanse, as the very low calories can be dangerous for some.
- Side effects – Headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, irritability, and low blood sugar are commonly reported side effects.
- Not sustainable – The Master Cleanse provides far fewer calories than needed for most adults for >10 days.
- Lack of nutrients – The cleanse doesn’t provide sufficient protein, good fats, fiber, or nutrients needed for health.
Safety also depends on making the lemonade correctly to avoid high sugar content and diluting it properly to avoid dehydration. Additionally, most health experts warn against doing the Master Cleanse for longer than 10 days at a time due to its nutritional insufficiencies and calorie restriction.
What happens after the Master Cleanse?
One problem with the Master Cleanse is that it promotes rapid weight loss through calorie deprivation alone, without teaching principles of healthy, sustainable eating. Once you resume normal eating, it’s easy to gain all the weight back as your body’s metabolism ramps up again.
To have lasting results, it’s important to ease back into normal eating with nutrition-dense whole foods and appropriate portion sizes. Drastically cutting calories then reintroducing food can shock the system. Transitioning to a sustainable, healthy diet focused on produce, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats is key.
Does the Master Cleanse promote long-term weight management?
Overall, evidence shows the Master Cleanse isn’t an effective solution for long-term weight management:
- It’s too low in calories to follow for more than 10 days, therefore any weight loss is quickly reversed.
- It doesn’t teach principles of nutrition or sustainable diet change for lasting weight management.
- Rapid weight loss is mostly due to temporary water loss and clearing waste.
- Lack of nutrients can cause side effects that make weight management harder.
For lasting weight management, programs that include a nutritious diet with moderate daily calorie restriction along with exercise and counseling for behavior change are most successful.
The bottom line
In summary, the Master Cleanse does often lead to short-term weight loss, but it is not a sustainable long-term solution. The weight loss is primarily due to calorie restriction and dehydration, not fat loss. While some may use the Master Cleanse as motivation to eat healthier going forward, it is not a healthy way to manage weight over the long-term.
For lasting weight management results, programs that teach you how to eat well balanced, nutritious meals, reduce caloric intake moderately, and incorporate physical activity are much healthier and more sustainable solutions.
