With many popular detox diets debunked, Amelia Hill unravels the truth about essential foods, drinks and exercises that could help you achieve genuine improvements in how you look and feel.

London:

ALOE VERA: Drink lots, diluted in water and other everyday drinks. The juice from the plant prevents build-up of fat in the liver and arteries, thereby helping food low in fibre to move more quickly through the digestive system and preventing toxins from being reabsorbed into the body.

BLUEBERRIES: One of the few nutritional secrets agreed on by scientists and alternative health experts alike is that this blue fruit is unchallenged in its detoxing brilliance. Blueberries contain high levels of bioflavinoids, which can help to fight the damage caused by an overindulgence in processed foods and alcohol, and lack of sleep.

CAFFEINE: No evidence has been found to link moderate caffeine intake to any health risk, but it does trigger the production of adrenalin, the “fight or flight” hormone, making our hearts beat faster and blood pressure rise.

DANDELION: When grown in salubrious environs, the mildly laxative minerals in the leaves can strengthen the liver, purify the blood and ease constipation.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: All fats have the same number of calories (nine per gram), but healthy oils and fats are natural cleansers, helping your body to eliminate fat-soluble toxins.

FEET: With their 2,000-plus pores, the feet are claimed by some alternative health experts as the source of a successful detox. Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George’s Hospital in London, says: “Our bodies do cleanse themselves overnight, but this is nothing to do with wearing foot pads. It is caused by the normal metabolic breakdown of the food and water we have consumed before going to bed — and sweating.”

GLOBE ARTICHOKES: Artichokes are rich in vitamin A and potassium and help to regulate blood sugars, although they can also increase the flow of bile into the digestive tract.

HAWTHORN: This contains a key cardiovascular-supporting bioflavinoid called rutin, which strengthens the blood vessels and acts as an anti-oxidant. Taking the extract of the plant in a tea or dietary supplement, hawthorn can mop up free radicals that are the result of normal metabolism, as well as other toxins that are ingested through living in a polluted environment.

INSTANT RESULTS: Says Davina McCall: “Those are just fads and no one in their right mind can keep to the regimes. What there is instead is old-fashioned hard work, including weight training, and straightforward, sensible eating.”

JUICING: Fresh juices are the quickest, most effective way of providing the body with all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes essential for good health.

KALE: Kale leaves provide more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food. Scientists have found that sulforaphane, formed when kale is chopped or chewed, triggers the production of detoxifying enzymes that help neutralise potentially carcinogenic substances

LIQUORICE: It is one of the most biologically active foods known, boasting numerous health benefits that affect the immune, circulatory, renal, respiratory and endocrine systems.

MILK THISTLE: It has a long history of use in folk medicine as a liver tonic. Silybin, a component of milk thistle, protects the liver from environmental toxins and also stimulates super-oxide dismutase activity.

NETTLE TEA: The secret power of the stinging plant is that, when brewed, its minerals and essential fatty acids are released to purify the blood, boost immunity and alleviate water retention and kidney problems.

ONIONS: Onions are rich in powerful sulphur-containing compounds famed for their health-boosting properties. Onions are also rich in chromium and vitamin C, and are renowned for lowering blood-sugar effects and their anti-bacterial activity.

POMEGRANATE: The new fruit of choice for the discerning health-conscious. One fruit provides 40 per cent of an adult’s daily vitamin C requirement and is a rich source of antioxidants.

QUINOA: Technically neither a grain nor a cereal, quinoa is an unusually complete foodstuff and one of the few to have been classified as a “supercrop” by the UN. Not only does it have an astonishingly high protein, but unlike wheat or rice it contains a full complement of essential amino acids.

RICE MILK: Fortified rice milk contains as much calcium and vitamins as cow’s milk, but is lighter and contains less fat than soya milk. Its main health benefit comes from the fibre contained in brown rice, which helps to reduce cholesterol levels and keeps blood-sugar levels constant.

SPIRULINA: A genus of filamentous cyanobacteria, spirulina is a rich source of nutrition, taken as a dietary supplement in the form of powder, tablet or juice. It contains up to 70 per cent protein, vitamins A and C, and is a powerful cleanser and energy booster.

TAP WATER: If you haven’t drunk a glass of water in the past hour, do so now: by topping up your levels, you can purge your digestive system of the poisons of over-indulgence.

UNWIND: Stress robs the nervous system of energy, hampering its ability to oversee the elimination of toxins. Try yoga, acupuncture, a daily walk, a regular massage or a reflexology session to help reduce your stress load.

VITAMIN C: This is the primary water-soluble anti-oxidant, disarming free radicals and preventing damage to cells, especially in the digestive system. A good intake is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

WHEATGRASS: The juice of this plant, which is up to 70 per cent chlorophyll, is said to heal tissues, help purify the liver and improve blood sugar levels and help flush out toxins.

XSULA: This new supplement is hugely popular in the US. It detoxifies the system and is said to increase energy levels, memory and immune levels through its list of natural ingredients from 150 plants.

YOGHURT DRINKS: Probiotics are supplements of friendly bacteria that work on harmful bacteria in the intestine. The bacteria provide a constant in-house detoxification service and also lower the risk of colon cancer.

ZINC: Zinc is believed to promote a strong immune system by revitalising the thymus gland and its production of white blood cells. It also repairs the skin’s top layer by helping to process essential fatty oils that encourage healing, making it a valuable aid in treating ulcers and other digestive tract problems.