Gut health researcher Tim Spector has pushed back on viral 'gut hacks' after actor Matt Damon credited a three-month gut cleanse, cutting out gluten, sugar, caffeine, dairy and alcohol, for his weight loss ahead of a film role.
Spector dismissed trendy parasitic cleanses, colonic irrigation and hot-water detoxes as lacking evidence, warning some carry risks like dehydration or bowel damage, and noted alarming 'cleanse' images are usually just mucus and intestinal lining.
His actual advice: eat around 30 different plant foods a week, include fermented foods, and cut back on ultra-processed foods, since the liver and kidneys already handle detoxing for free.
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