How It Works and Potential Risks and Benefits

This eating plan is considered a fad diet. Fad diets often promote quick weight loss that is unsustainable and may severely restrict what you eat. They may be harmful and generally do not have long-lasting health benefits. Talk to your healthcare provider before making any major changes to how you eat.

A “grape detox diet” may include eating only or mostly grapes for a short period, with the goal of “detoxifying” your body. This is based on the mistaken idea that we must cleanse our bodies of toxins using special diets or products, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).

There is little evidence that any detox diet — including a grape detox diet — will actually remove a substantial amount of toxins from the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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How Does the Grape Detox Diet Claim to Work?

The grape detox diet was first popularized by nutritionist and author Johanna Brandt in the 1920s. Brandt claimed that grapes helped cure her stomach cancer. However, the American Cancer Society concluded that there’s no evidence that the grape detox diet “results in objective benefit in the treatment of cancer in human beings.”

The grape detox diet is considered a monotrophic, or “mono,” diet. That means you only consume one type of food for a period of time. Some people believe that mono diets can promote quick weight loss while also detoxifying your body. However, there’s no solid research to back this up.

Your body is already designed to detoxify itself on its own, according to the Mayo Clinic. The body has a natural detoxification system working constantly to flush out toxins ingested through the air you breathe or the food you eat. The kidneys and liver both play essential roles in converting toxins from substances like alcohol, drugs, and tobacco into waste products, and then flushing them out through urine, feces, and sweat, according to the AND.

“When I talk with clients or students about a ‘detox diet,’ I find that there are a wide variety of interpretations of this term,” says Pittsburgh-based Caroline Passerrello, RDN, LND, a spokesperson for the AND and an instructor in the graduate dietitian nutritionist program at the University of Pittsburgh.

“Some people focus on abstinence from certain foods and beverages, and some people focus on elimination, ridding their bodies of what they believe to be ‘toxins,’ and then there are some that do a little, or a lot, of both,” Passerrello says.

Research suggests that you need different types of foods for your body to function properly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, dairy products, whole grains, fortified soy products, lean proteins, seafood, nuts, eggs, and healthy fats.

What Can You Eat on the Grape Detox Diet?

The grape detox diet promotes the idea that you only consume grapes for a set period of time. Although there are no specific guidelines, it’s often followed for one to five days, but some people extend it longer. Brandt’s original plan called for water fasting for two or three days, followed by a diet of only grapes and water for one to two weeks. During the day, you consume 1 to 3 ounces of grapes every two hours.

Foods to Include

You typically only eat grapes and drink water on the grape detox diet. Some versions also allow for:

Herbal teas
Lemon water
Unsweetened grape juice
Unsulfured raisins

Foods to Avoid

Other than raisins, grape juice, and some varieties of water, all foods are to be avoided on the grape detox diet.

Potential Benefits of the Grape Detox Diet (and Why They May Not Last)

While the grape detox diet isn’t considered a research-backed approach, it’s simple to follow and low in calories, and you might lose weight solely due to calorie restriction, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, these results may be short-lived as it’s difficult to maintain an eating plan with such limited food options.

Such a restrictive diet is unlikely to lead to long-term weight loss, and it can even have a counterproductive effect by slowing your metabolic rate, or the number of calories your body burns, according to Whitney Linsenmeyer, PhD, RD, a spokesperson for the AND and an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University.

While eating only grapes is not a proven way to lose weight or to detoxify your body, the fruit does have health benefits when included as part of a balanced diet.

For instance, grapes contain antioxidants. Research suggests that eating antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, and legumes may be associated with a lower risk of heart disease and cancer, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

A compound called resveratrol, found in wine (which is made from grapes), has been thought to have cancer-preventing effects, but research has not yet backed up these claims, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Potential Risks of the Grape Detox Diet

The grape detox diet can pose several potential risks, including:

Nutrient deficiencies By only consuming grapes, you’re missing out on important nutrients, such as proteins and fats. If you don’t get enough protein, you may experience muscle loss, according to a 2023 study; not getting enough fats can lead to not getting enough of the fat-soluble vitamins D, E, K, and A.
Unsustainable Weight Loss This type of diet is hard to maintain. What’s more, weight loss from detox diets is typically due to a loss of water and muscle (and not fat), according to Nemours.
Negative Impact on Metabolism Severe calorie restriction can slow your metabolism.
Potential for Disordered Eating Fad diets, like the grape detox diet, can contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food.
Lack of Scientific Evidence There’s no research to show that detox diets, like the grape detox, are an effective weight loss or detox solution, according to the AND.
Health Risks Grapes are high in natural sugars, which may cause blood sugar spikes. This may be risky for people with insulin resistance or diabetes.
Social Isolation A diet consisting of only grapes can be difficult to follow if you eat in a social setting, causing you to avoid eating around others.

Is the Grape Detox Diet Right for You?

The grape detox diet is a fad diet. It promotes unsustainable weight loss, severely restricts what you eat, and doesn’t have any long-lasting health benefits. According to Nemours, you should especially avoid detox diets if you: