Master Cleanse

Attribution to Stanley Burroughs

Consumer-health sources attribute the Master Cleanse to Stanley Burroughs, described by WebMD as a naturopath who introduced the plan in the 1940s in his book The Master Cleanser. Healthline gives 1941 as the year Burroughs created the diet and says he originally presented it as a treatment for ulcers and a way to detoxify the body. The two sources therefore differ on whether the date refers to the diet or to the book, and the sources reviewed do not settle that point.

Revival in the 2000s

Both WebMD and Healthline say the diet regained popularity after Peter Glickman published a book on it in 2004, and WebMD adds that celebrity promotion in the 2000s helped bring it to wider attention. These accounts come from consumer-health publishers rather than from historical scholarship. No academic history of the Master Cleanse was found among the free-access sources reviewed for this page.

Names in use

The practice is called the Master Cleanse, the Lemonade Diet or, in the title of one consumer-health article, the Lemon Detox Diet. WebMD uses both Master Cleanse and Lemonade Diet for the same plan, and the book attributed to Burroughs is titled The Master Cleanser.

Detox diet as a category

Klein and Kiat describe detox diets as dieting strategies that claim to facilitate toxin elimination and weight loss. The British Dietetic Association notes that such diets may involve fasting, eating only fruit and vegetables, cutting food groups, or using detox pills and teas. The Master Cleanse is described by WebMD and Healthline as one liquid-based program within that wider category. Related Machipedia pages include Juice Fasting, Water Fasting and Dietary Approaches, which is the family page this practice belongs to.

General structure

WebMD describes the Master Cleanse as a liquid-only fast in which followers drink a lemon- or lime-based mixture with a sweetener and spice, while solid food, alcohol and caffeine are excluded. Healthline describes a plan in three phases: an easing-in phase, a main phase built around the special lemonade, and an easing-out phase. This page does not give quantities, schedules or step-by-step instructions.

Associated elements

WebMD and Healthline both report that the plan includes a saltwater drink or flush and a laxative element, described by WebMD as an herbal laxative tea, intended to produce frequent bowel movements. Both sources describe a gradual return to ordinary food afterward. The British Dietetic Association notes more generally that detox teas act as laxatives. Colonic Hydrotherapy is a separate Machipedia page on a different cleansing practice.

Detoxification claims

WebMD reports that proponents say the diet removes toxins, and that Burroughs claimed a prolonged fast cleanses the kidneys and digestive system. Healthline similarly lists a claim that toxins are removed during the cleanse. Naturopathy is the tradition WebMD associates with Burroughs, and detoxification is a theme in the wider detox diet category that Klein and Kiat reviewed.

Weight loss and wellbeing claims

Proponents are also reported to claim weight loss and improved energy or general wellbeing. The British Dietetic Association lists similar claims for detox diets generally, such as rapid weight loss, better digestion and a stronger immune system, and states that these claims are often exaggerated and not based on robust science.

Searches for studies of the Master Cleanse

A PubMed search of titles and abstracts for the terms Master Cleanse, Master Cleanser and lemonade diet, run on 2026-10-18, returned no records. No controlled trial of the Master Cleanse itself was found, and the free-access sources reviewed did not report one. WebMD states that there is no scientific proof that detox diets work.

Reviews of detox diets

Klein and Kiat published a critical review of detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management. They concluded that there is very little clinical evidence to support these diets, that the few clinical studies suggesting benefit had flawed methods and small samples, and that to their knowledge no randomized controlled trials of commercial detox diets in humans had been conducted. This review covers detox diets as a class and not the Master Cleanse specifically.

NCCIH, part of the US National Institutes of Health, states that few studies have tested detox programs in people and that most are low quality. It also reports that a review of juicing and detox diets found initial weight loss from low calorie intake, with weight usually returning after normal eating resumes, and that no long-term studies of detox programs exist.

A trial of a related lemon-based program

A randomized trial in 84 overweight premenopausal Korean women tested a lemon detox program made from lemon juice with maple and palm syrups, compared with a pair-fed placebo drink and a no-restriction control, over a short intervention. The authors reported reductions in body fat and insulin resistance in both restricted groups and a lower hs-CRP level only in the lemon group, and attributed the changes mainly to caloric restriction. This was a different formulation from the Master Cleanse, only the abstract was read, and the result should not be applied to it.

Physiology and weight loss

The British Dietetic Association notes that the body already detoxifies through the liver, kidneys, gut and skin, and that weight lost while fasting is mostly water and glycogen rather than fat. WebMD quotes a dietitian who says the weight lost is mostly muscle, water and stored carbohydrate, and that there is no evidence toxins build up in healthy people. Healthline likewise says kidneys, liver and lungs already eliminate toxins.

Reported harms

WebMD reports that the saltwater flush and laxative tea can cause dehydration and digestive problems, that nutrient shortfalls are likely because the plan lacks protein and fat, and that reported effects include dizziness, electrolyte imbalance, nausea, vomiting, cramping, fatigue and intense hunger. Healthline reports deficiency in protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals, possible loss of muscle tissue, and headaches, dizziness, diarrhea and nausea.

NCCIH reports that laxatives can cause diarrhea leading to dehydration and poor nutrient absorption, and that fasting can cause headaches, fainting, weakness and dehydration. The British Dietetic Association reports tiredness, dizziness and irritability with fasting, and that weight is often regained. Healthline and WebMD both say weight is typically regained afterward. These sources do not provide rates for the Master Cleanse specifically.

Who is advised to avoid it or seek advice

WebMD lists growing children, people undergoing chemotherapy or recovering from surgery, people with eating disorders or malnutrition, and people with kidney or liver disease as groups who should avoid the diet. It lists people with diabetes or blood sugar issues, pregnant or nursing women, people with heart disease and older adults as groups needing plan changes or medical check-ins. NCCIH advises people with diabetes to follow their care team's eating plan and consult providers before major diet changes.

Care boundary and professional positions

Healthline concludes that the Master Cleanse is a crash diet that it does not consider sustainable, and WebMD quotes a dietitian who says health experts do not recommend it. The British Dietetic Association states that a balanced diet and active lifestyle are better than a detox for most people. This page is information only. A detox diet should not delay or replace necessary medical care. Dietetics is the regulated profession that provides individualized nutrition advice.