Beyonce lost 20 pounds with a juice cleanse. Here are the pros and cons of the crash detox

Detoxing your life of bad habits, toxic relationships and unhealthy environments may be a great idea, but what about detoxing your body?

A popular way to detox the body is by doing a juice cleanse, which has been around for more than 10 years — brought into the spotlight thanks to Beyonce.

Queen Bey famously followed a juice diet, the Master Cleanse, to lose weight for her 2006 role in "Dreamgirls," which she told Oprah helped her lose 20 pounds in two weeks. The cleanse, also referred to as the lemonade diet, is a juice fast that people do for 10 days, where they avoid eating any solid foods. 

But just because Beyonce has done it, doesn't necessarily mean you should jump on the bandwagon, too. The benefits of juice cleanses and the results may not be as positive as you might've hoped.

What is a juice cleanse?

A juice cleanse is the same as a juice detox, which is the same as a juice fast.

It's when people drink nothing but fresh-pressed juices made from vegetables, fruit and sometimes spices for several days, usually from three to 10, for the purpose of detoxing their body — resetting after a bad-eating binge and ridding the body of toxins — and losing weight

Many companies like Pressed Juicery offer juice-cleanse kits that provide a package of juices and advice on which ones to drink on which days. Juices can also be made at home.

The Beyonce-famous Master Cleanse is one that can easily be done on your own. The nexus of the diet revolves around a drink that includes water, cayenne pepper, pure maple syrup and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Most pre-made juices list the ingredients on the bottle, so you can also make your own mix at home. 

What are the benefits and pitfalls of a juice cleanse?

Juice cleanses are hailed by some for their nutritional benefits, including weight loss, helping with digestion and providing essential nutrients.

But, Audrey Heist, a registered dietitian and director of health engagement at Atlanticare health system in New Jersey says that any benefits from juice cleanses are not directly related to the juice itself. 

"Any perceived benefit that people experience on a multi-day juice cleanse will likely be short-lived," Heist told USA TODAY in an email. "Some people may report feeling better (such as better skin, more energy) but this is likely due to a reduction in processed foods, which tend to be high in unhealthy fats and added sugars vs. any actual true cleansing properties of the juice."

Ysabel Montemayor, a registered dietitian and nutritional director at Fresh n' Lean meal-delivery service, believes that these detoxes are actually causing more harm than good. 

"Drinking (juices) solely will put participants at risk of nutritional deficiencies, and to put simply, starvation," said Montemayor. "Most 'cleanses' typically lack protein, fiber and healthy fats and are high in sugar."

Do juice cleanses work?

Will a juice cleanse help you lose weight? Yes. Should you do it to lose weight? No, because you'll likely gain the weight right back. 

Although these juices contain healthy ingredients such as ginger, spinach, apples and carrots among other vegetables and fruits that naturally offer vital nutrients, it's important to note that when juicing, most of the healthy fiber is lost. 

Dietitians don't think juice detoxes are sustainable and that any weight loss dieters experience is only temporary. 

"Because the beverages are typically low-calorie, quick weight-loss claims are likely true but short-lived. The weight loss is expected because the juices don’t provide enough energy," said Montemayor. "Once a 'cleanse' is completed, participants typically go back to their usual eating habits and regain the weight."

So unless you're willing to be on a forever juice cleanse diet, which isn't recommended, be prepared to gain back the weight you lost.

Dietitians also believe that these cleanses aren't actually necessary — especially if you're doing them solely for the purpose of detoxing.

"In general, our bodies are well-equipped to remove toxins via our kidneys and liver," said Heist.

She added that if people are interested in supporting the body's natural detoxification process, there are healthier ways to do so, including eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, getting enough fiber (25 grams a day for women and 38 grams a day for men if you're aged 50 and younger) and drinking enough water.