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BooksVol. 15New

Do I Really Need to Detox After the Holidays?

Skip the Cleanse: An Evidence-Based Guide to Your Liver, Hangovers, Holiday Weight and Sleep

by An Thanh Tùng

Kindle edition Paperback coming soon

ASIN B0HPBPY7YG

About this book

After the party, the house is messy, not poisoned.Chapter 1

An evidence-labeled, plain-language guide for anyone feeling the aftermath of the holiday season. What detox products really do, what the holidays actually did to your head, heart, stomach, joints, weight, sleep and liver, what genuinely helps you recover, and how to set January goals that last.

What you'll learn

  1. Ch. 2Your liver never sent an invoiceIt has been detoxing every day since you were born. A product that really removed toxins would be a medicine.
  2. Ch. 4The January 2 kilos mostly leave on their ownMost is water. Less than half a kilogram of real fat is what stays, and that is the part to watch.
  3. Ch. 5A hangover isn't alcohol still in your bloodIt's what your body is left with once it's gone. No pill has been shown to cure it.
  4. Ch. 9Back-to-work fatigue is jet lagAn eastbound flight you never booked. A fixed wake-up time and morning light land you, not catching up on sleep.
  5. Ch. 11A red face is a smoke alarmIf your face goes red after one drink, it isn't weak tolerance. And a glass a day isn't medicine for your heart.
  6. Ch. 12The more rigid the rule, the bigger the breakSwap “never” for “usually.” One bite is just one bite.

How the book is organized

  1. Part IThe House Isn't Poisoned
  2. Part IIThe Morning-After Inventory
  3. Part IIIClean Up, Don't Tear Down

Look inside

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  • How to read this book
  • Chapter 1 opens
  • Try it at home
  • If you remember one thing
  • The evidence at a glance
  • A printable worksheet
  • Notes and sources

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Worksheets from this book

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  • Safety card When to Call Emergency Services 1 page · Ch. 5, 6 · PDF 32 KB Get the PDF
  • Safety card Where to Find Help 1 page · Ch. 10 · PDF 32 KB Get the PDF
  • Reference table If You Notice… Read… 2 pages · PDF 36 KB Get the PDF
  • Safety card Safety Flags at a Glance 2 pages · PDF 33 KB Get the PDF
  • Worksheet Morning-After Inventory 1 page · Ch. 1, 4, 14 · PDF 39 KB Get the PDF
  • Worksheet Drinks and Sleep: A 7-Day Diary 1 page · Ch. 5, 10 · PDF 31 KB Get the PDF
  • Worksheet Alcohol-Free Days Calendar 1 page · Ch. 10 · PDF 39 KB Get the PDF
  • Worksheet January Goal Sheet 1 page · Ch. 13 · PDF 31 KB Get the PDF
  • Worksheet An Ordinary January Calendar 1 page · Ch. 14 · PDF 39 KB Get the PDF
  • Worksheet Next Holiday Season Plan 1 page · Ch. 5, 7, 9, 14 · PDF 39 KB Get the PDF
  • Reference table Detox Product Dictionary 3 pages · PDF 44 KB Get the PDF

102 references

Notes and sources

All sources
Ch. 1Do I Really Need to Detox After the Holidays?3
  1. Detox diets: a critical review Klein AV, Kiat H. Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence. J Hum Nutr Diet 2015;28(6):675–686. doi:10.1111/jhn.12286.
  2. Asking companies to name the toxin Sense About Science. The Detox Dossier. London: Sense About Science; 2009.
  3. How the liver handles alcohol National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Alcohol metabolism: an update. Alcohol Alert No. 72; 2007.
Ch. 2What the Cleanse Is Really Selling8
  1. Detox diets and weight Klein and Kiat 2015. See Chapter 1.
  2. Kidney failure after a smoothie cleanse Makkapati S, D'Agati VD, Balsam L. "Green smoothie cleanse" causing acute oxalate nephropathy. Am J Kidney Dis 2018;71(2):281–286. PMID 29203127.
  3. Kidney injury after a juice diet Oxalate nephropathy: a case report of acute kidney injury due to juice diet. Cureus 2023. PMCID PMC10821746.
  4. Milk thistle Rambaldi A, Jacobs BP, Gluud C. Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;(4):CD003620. Search PubMed
  5. Activated charcoal in poisoning American Academy of Clinical Toxicology; European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists. Position paper: single-dose activated charcoal. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2005;43(2):61–87.
  6. Hangover remedies, including charcoal Roberts et al. 2022. See Chapter 5.
  7. Colon cleansing Acosta RD, Cash BD. Clinical effects of colonic cleansing for general health promotion: a systematic review. Am J Gastroenterol 2009;104(11):2830–2836. Search PubMed
  8. Supplements are not tested like medicines US Food and Drug Administration. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. See also Volume 12 of this series.
Ch. 3The Real Toxins12
  1. No safe blood lead level World Health Organization. WHO guideline for the clinical management of exposure to lead. Geneva: WHO; 2021.
  2. The decline in blood lead after leaded gasoline Pirkle JL, Brody DJ, Gunter EW, et al. The decline in blood lead levels in the United States: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). JAMA 1994;272(4):284–291. Search PubMed
  3. Secondhand smoke US Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: 2006.
  4. Carbon monoxide alarms and prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Carbon monoxide poisoning: prevention guidance. 2024.
  5. Eating fish in pregnancy and childhood US Food and Drug Administration, US Environmental Protection Agency. Advice about eating fish. 2017, updated 2021.
  6. Cooking rice to remove arsenic Menon M, Dong W, Chen X, Hufton J, Rhodes EJ. Improved rice cooking approach to maximise arsenic removal while preserving nutrient elements. Sci Total Environ 2021;755:143341. Search PubMed
  7. Microplastics in artery plaque Marfella R, Prattichizzo F, Sardu C, et al. Microplastics and nanoplastics in atheromas and cardiovascular events. N Engl J Med 2024;390(10):900–910. Search PubMed
  8. PFAS and health National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Guidance on PFAS exposure, testing, and clinical follow-up. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2022.
  9. Blood and plasma donation lower PFAS Gasiorowski R, Forbes MK, Silver G, et al. Effect of plasma and blood donations on levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in firefighters in Australia: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open 2022;5(4):e226257. Search PubMed
  10. Detox products and real toxins Klein AV, Kiat H. Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence. J Hum Nutr Diet 2015;28(6):675–686. doi:10.1111/jhn.12286.
  11. Provoked urine metal testing American College of Medical Toxicology. Position statement on post-chelator challenge urinary metal testing. J Med Toxicol 2010;6(1):74–75.
  12. Deaths from chelation therapy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deaths associated with hypocalcemia from chelation therapy: Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, 2003–2005. MMWR 2006;55(8):204–207.
Ch. 4Thirty-Nine Days on One Page7
  1. Holiday weight gain: systematic review Winter holidays and their impact on eating behavior: a systematic review. Nutrients 2023;15(19):4201.
  2. Holiday weight gain: review Díaz-Zavala RG, Castro-Cantú MF, Valencia ME, et al. Effect of the holiday season on weight gain: a narrative review. J Nutr Metab 2017;2017:2085136. doi:10.1155/2017/2085136.
  3. Holiday weight gain that stays Yanovski JA, Yanovski SZ, Sovik KN, et al. A prospective study of holiday weight gain. N Engl J Med 2000;342(12):861–867. Search PubMed
  4. Holiday weight gain in three countries Helander EE, Wansink B, Chin A. Weight gain over the holidays in three countries. N Engl J Med 2016;375(12):1200–1202. Search PubMed
  5. Heart attacks at Christmas in Sweden Mohammad MA, Karlsson S, Haddad J, et al. Christmas, national holidays, sport events, and time factors as triggers of acute myocardial infarction: SWEDEHEART observational study 1998–2013. BMJ 2018;363:k4811. Search PubMed
  6. Cardiac deaths around the holidays in the US Phillips DP, Jarvinen JR, Abramson IS, Phillips RR. Cardiac mortality is higher around Christmas and New Year's than at any other time. Circulation 2004;110(25):3781–3788. Search PubMed
  7. Holiday heart syndrome Ettinger PO, Wu CF, De La Cruz C Jr, et al. Arrhythmias and the "Holiday Heart": alcohol-associated cardiac rhythm disorders. Am Heart J 1978;95(5):555–562. PMID 636996.
Ch. 5The Morning After7
  1. Hangover cures: systematic review (2022) Roberts E, Smith R, Hotopf M, Drummond C. The efficacy and tolerability of pharmacologically active interventions for alcohol-induced hangover symptomatology: a systematic review of the evidence from randomised placebo-controlled trials. Addiction 2022;117(8):2149–2163. PMID 34972259.
  2. Hangover cures: systematic review (2005) Pittler MH, Verster JC, Ernst E. Interventions for preventing or treating alcohol hangover: systematic review of randomised controlled trials. BMJ 2005;331(7531):1515–1518. Search PubMed
  3. Defining a hangover Verster JC, Scholey A, van de Loo AJAE, et al. Updating the definition of the alcohol hangover. J Clin Med 2020;9(3):823. Search PubMed
  4. How hangovers happen Palmer E, Tyacke R, Sastre M, et al. Alcohol hangover: underlying biochemical, inflammatory and neurochemical mechanisms. Alcohol Alcohol 2019;54(3):196–203. Search PubMed
  5. Dark and clear drinks Rohsenow DJ, Howland J, Arnedt JT, et al. Intoxication with bourbon versus vodka: effects on hangover, sleep, and next-day neurocognitive performance in young adults. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2010;34(3):509–518. Search PubMed
  6. Paracetamol, anti-inflammatory painkillers and alcohol US Food and Drug Administration. Over-the-counter labeling for acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (alcohol warnings).
  7. Alcohol poisoning National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Understanding the dangers of alcohol overdose.
Ch. 6The Heart on New Year's Eve7
  1. Stopping alcohol in atrial fibrillation Voskoboinik A, Kalman JM, De Silva A, et al. Alcohol abstinence in drinkers with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med 2020;382(1):20–28. Search PubMed
  2. Atrial fibrillation guideline Van Gelder IC, Rienstra M, Bunting KV, et al. 2024 ESC guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation. Eur Heart J 2024;45(36):3314–3414.
  3. Alcohol and heart rhythm at Oktoberfest Brunner S, Herbel R, Drobesch C, et al. Alcohol consumption, sinus tachycardia, and cardiac arrhythmias at the Munich Octoberfest: results from the Munich Beer Related Electrocardiogram Workup Study (MunichBREW). Eur Heart J 2017;38(27):2100–2106. Search PubMed
  4. Alcohol and arrhythmias in young adults Acute alcohol consumption and arrhythmias in young adults: the MunichBREW II study. 2024. PMID 39363568.
  5. Holiday heart syndrome, revisited Tonelo D, Providência R, Gonçalves L. Holiday heart syndrome revisited after 34 years. Arq Bras Cardiol 2013;101(2):183–189. PMID 24030078.
  6. Atrial fibrillation and stroke Wolf PA, Abbott RD, Kannel WB. Atrial fibrillation as an independent risk factor for stroke: the Framingham Study. Stroke 1991;22(8):983–988. Search PubMed
  7. Heart attacks and the holidays Mohammad et al. 2018; Phillips et al. 2004. See Chapter 4.
Ch. 7Heartburn and a Swollen Toe9
  1. Reflux guideline Katz PO, Dunbar KB, Schnoll-Sussman FH, et al. ACG clinical guideline for the diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2022;117(1):27–56. Search PubMed
  2. Dinner timing and reflux Fujiwara Y, Machida A, Watanabe Y, et al. Association between dinner-to-bed time and gastro-esophageal reflux disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2005;100(12):2633–2636. Search PubMed
  3. Sleeping on the left side Schuitenmaker JM, van Dijk M, Oude Nijhuis RAB, Smout AJPM, Bredenoord AJ. Associations between sleep position and nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux: a study using concurrent monitoring of sleep position and esophageal pH and impedance. Am J Gastroenterol 2022;117(2):346–351. Search PubMed
  4. Gout guideline FitzGerald JD, Dalbeth N, Mikuls T, et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology guideline for the management of gout. Arthritis Care Res 2020;72(6):744–760.
  5. Amount and type of alcohol and gout flares Neogi T, Chen C, Niu J, et al. Alcohol quantity and type on risk of recurrent gout attacks: an internet-based case-crossover study. Am J Med 2014;127(4):311–318. Search PubMed
  6. Alcohol as a gout trigger Zhang Y, Woods R, Chaisson CE, et al. Alcohol consumption as a trigger of recurrent gout attacks. Am J Med 2006;119(9):800.e13–800.e18. Search PubMed
  7. Purine-rich foods and gout flares Zhang Y, Chen C, Choi H, et al. Purine-rich foods intake and recurrent gout attacks. Ann Rheum Dis 2012;71(9):1448–1453. Search PubMed
  8. Gout flares at night Choi HK, Niu J, Neogi T, et al. Nocturnal risk of gout attacks. Arthritis Rheumatol 2015;67(2):555–562. Search PubMed
  9. Temperature and urate crystals Loeb JN. The influence of temperature on the solubility of monosodium urate. Arthritis Rheum 1972;15(2):189–192. Search PubMed
Ch. 8What the Scale Is Actually Telling You6
  1. Winter Weight Watch trial Mason F, Farley A, Pallan M, Sitch A, Easter C, Daley AJ. Effectiveness of a brief behavioural intervention to prevent weight gain over the Christmas holiday period: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2018;363:k4867. Search PubMed
  2. Preventing holiday weight gain: systematic review Interventions for the prevention of weight gain during festive and holiday periods in children and adults: a systematic review. PMCID PMC11611437.
  3. Glycogen and water Kreitzman SN, Coxon AY, Szaz KF. Glycogen storage: illusions of easy weight loss, excessive weight regain, and distortions in estimates of body composition. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;56(1 Suppl):292S–293S. Search PubMed
  4. Energy in body fat Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet 2011;378(9793):826–837. Search PubMed
  5. Holiday weight that stays Yanovski et al. 2000. See Chapter 4.
  6. Short fasts and fat loss Klein and Kiat 2015. See Chapter 1.
Ch. 9Your Body Clock Is in the Wrong Time Zone7
  1. Alcohol and sleep: systematic review Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke LM, et al. The effect of alcohol on subsequent sleep in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev 2025;80:102030. Search PubMed
  2. Alcohol and normal sleep Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2013;37(4):539–549. Search PubMed
  3. Light and circadian rhythm disorders Auger RR, Burgess HJ, Emens JS, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of intrinsic circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders. J Clin Sleep Med 2015;11(10):1199–1236. Search PubMed
  4. Social jet lag Wittmann M, Dinich J, Merrow M, Roenneberg T. Social jetlag: misalignment of biological and social time. Chronobiol Int 2006;23(1–2):497–509. Search PubMed
  5. Social jet lag and weight Roenneberg T, Allebrandt KV, Merrow M, Vetter C. Social jetlag and obesity. Curr Biol 2012;22(10):939–943. Search PubMed
  6. The body clock runs a little over 24 hours Czeisler CA, Duffy JF, Shanahan TL, et al. Stability, precision, and near-24-hour period of the human circadian pacemaker. Science 1999;284(5423):2177–2181. Search PubMed
  7. Jet lag Sack RL. Jet lag. N Engl J Med 2010;362(5):440–447.
Ch. 10A Dry January, or Just a Drier One?5
  1. A month off alcohol and health markers Mehta G, Macdonald S, Cronberg A, et al. Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study. BMJ Open 2018;8(5):e020673. Search PubMed
  2. Dry January and drinking six months later de Visser RO, Robinson E, Bond R. Voluntary temporary abstinence from alcohol during "Dry January" and subsequent alcohol use. Health Psychol 2016;35(3):281–289. Search PubMed
  3. Alcohol-related liver disease guideline European Association for the Study of the Liver. EASL clinical practice guidelines: management of alcohol-related liver disease. J Hepatol 2018;69(1):154–181.
  4. Alcohol withdrawal guideline American Society of Addiction Medicine. The ASAM clinical practice guideline on alcohol withdrawal management. J Addict Med 2020;14(3S Suppl 1):1–72.
  5. Standard drinks in different countries National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (US); National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia); National Health Service (UK).
Ch. 11A Glass a Day?12
  1. Alcohol as a carcinogen IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Personal habits and indoor combustions. IARC Monographs vol. 100E. Lyon: IARC; 2012.
  2. Alcohol and cancer advisory Office of the US Surgeon General. Alcohol and cancer risk: the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2025.
  3. Breast cancer at low intake Bagnardi V, Rota M, Botteri E, et al. Alcohol consumption and site-specific cancer risk: a comprehensive dose–response meta-analysis. Br J Cancer 2015;112(3):580–593. Search PubMed
  4. The sick-quitter problem Shaper AG, Wannamethee G, Walker M. Alcohol and mortality in British men: explaining the U-shaped curve. Lancet 1988;2(8623):1267–1273. Search PubMed
  5. Low-volume drinking and mortality Zhao J, Stockwell T, Naimi T, et al. Association between daily alcohol intake and risk of all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analyses. JAMA Netw Open 2023;6(3):e236185. Search PubMed
  6. Lifestyle and genetic evidence in UK Biobank Biddinger KJ, Emdin CA, Haas ME, et al. Association of habitual alcohol intake with risk of cardiovascular disease. JAMA Netw Open 2022;5(3):e223849. Search PubMed
  7. Genes, alcohol and stroke in China Millwood IY, Walters RG, Mei XW, et al. Conventional and genetic evidence on alcohol and vascular disease aetiology: a prospective study of 500 000 men and women in China. Lancet 2019;393(10183):1831–1842. Search PubMed
  8. Resveratrol and mortality Semba RD, Ferrucci L, Bartali B, et al. Resveratrol levels and all-cause mortality in older community-dwelling adults. JAMA Intern Med 2014;174(7):1077–1084. Search PubMed
  9. Flushing and esophageal cancer Brooks PJ, Enoch MA, Goldman D, Li TK, Yokoyama A. The alcohol flushing response: an unrecognized risk factor for esophageal cancer from alcohol consumption. PLoS Med 2009;6(3):e50. Search PubMed
  10. No safe level of drinking Anderson BO, Berdzuli N, Ilbawi A, et al. Health and cancer risks associated with low levels of alcohol consumption. Lancet Public Health 2023;8(1):e6–e7. Search PubMed
  11. Canada's guidance Paradis C, Butt P, Shield K, et al. Canada's guidance on alcohol and health: final report. Ottawa: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction; 2023.
  12. Cancer warning labels in Ireland Public Health (Alcohol) (Labelling) Regulations 2023. Government of Ireland; 2023.
Ch. 12The Restrict-and-Rebound Loop3
  1. The milkshake experiment Herman CP, Mack D. Restrained and unrestrained eating. J Pers 1975;43(4):647–660. Search PubMed
  2. Dieting and rebound eating Polivy J, Herman CP. Dieting and binging: a causal analysis. Am Psychol 1985;40(2):193–201. Search PubMed
  3. Flexible and rigid control Westenhoefer J, Stunkard AJ, Pudel V. Validation of the flexible and rigid control dimensions of dietary restraint. Int J Eat Disord 1999;26(1):53–64. Search PubMed
Ch. 13The Power of January First7
  1. The fresh start effect Dai H, Milkman KL, Riis J. The fresh start effect: temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior. Manage Sci 2014;60(10):2563–2582. Search PubMed
  2. Approach and avoidance goals Oscarsson M, Carlbring P, Andersson G, Rozental A. A large-scale experiment on New Year's resolutions: approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PLoS One 2020;15(12):e0234097. Search PubMed
  3. If… then… plans Gollwitzer PM, Sheeran P. Implementation intentions and goal achievement: a meta-analysis of effects and processes. Adv Exp Soc Psychol 2006;38:69–119. Search PubMed
  4. How long habits take Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J. How are habits formed: modelling habit formation in the real world. Eur J Soc Psychol 2010;40(6):998–1009. Search PubMed
  5. How long habits take: systematic review Singh B, Murphy A, Maher C, Smith AE. Time to form a habit: a systematic review and meta-analysis of health behaviour habit formation and its determinants. Healthcare (Basel) 2024;12(23):2488. Search PubMed
  6. New Year's resolutions six months on Norcross JC, Mrykalo MS, Blagys MD. Auld lang syne: success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year's resolvers and nonresolvers. J Clin Psychol 2002;58(4):397–405. Search PubMed
  7. Where "21 days" came from Maltz M. Psycho-Cybernetics. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall; 1960.
Ch. 14An Ordinary January3
  1. Weighing yourself over the holidays Mason et al. 2018. See Chapter 8.
  2. If… then… plans Gollwitzer and Sheeran 2006. See Chapter 13.
  3. When to call in a professional Gathered from the sources for Chapters 5 to 10.
BackWorksheets at the back of the book6
  1. When to call emergency services See Chapters 5, 6, 7 and 10 (NIAAA; ESC 2024; ASAM 2020; Katz et al. 2022; FitzGerald et al. 2020).
  2. Morning-after inventory See Chapters 1 and 4.
  3. Drinks and sleep diary See Chapters 5 and 9 (Gardiner et al. 2025).
  4. Alcohol-free days calendar See Chapter 10 (de Visser et al. 2016).
  5. January goal sheet See Chapter 13 (Gollwitzer and Sheeran 2006; Oscarsson et al. 2020; Lally et al. 2010).
  6. An ordinary January and next holiday season See Chapter 14 (Mason et al. 2018).

Updates and corrections

Evidence last reviewed October 22, 2026

Each evidence label shows how solid the evidence was on the day it was last reviewed. Corrections are posted here with the date they were made, and included in the next printing.

No corrections have been posted for this edition. Spotted an error, or a study that should change a label? Email hello@yourbodydecoded.org

Most likely to change

  • New trials of medicines or supplements for hangovers (Chapter 5)
  • Guidelines on atrial fibrillation, reflux and gout (Chapters 6, 7)
  • Research on dry months and the benefits of short breaks from alcohol (Chapter 10)
  • Rules on supplements and detox products in different countries (Chapter 2)
  • Research on habits and New Year’s goals (Chapter 13)