1. The Master Cleanse Works Because It’s Fasting

The Master Cleanse is a modified juice fast as no solid food is permitted. Extended fasting has been recommended as therapy for various conditions by physicians of most cultures, throughout history, from ancient to modern. [11] Papers presented in the 2000 Buryatia, Russia Medical Conference on Fasting show it is effective for obesity, general health, gout, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, ulcers, arthritis, nodules in internal organs, skin diseases, bacterial & viral infections in internal organs and mental problems such as psychoses and neuroses. [12] Dr. Yuri Nikolayev of the Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry reported successful treatment using juice fasts of 10,000 patients suffering from various mental disorders such as schizophrenia and neurosis. [13] Of 174 patients with high blood pressure treated by water-only fasting for 10-11 days, almost 90% achieved normal blood pressure and all who were on medication were able to discontinue it successfully. [14]

2. The Master Cleanse Is A Detoxification Diet

The Master Cleanse was designed for detoxification. People in our modern world are subjected to biological and artificially created substances that disrupt health. [15] Many of these substances are eliminated through the normal function of the body’s detoxification and elimination systems. [15] Sometimes, however, the normal detoxification ability of body is not enough on its own. Such an example is gout, where uric acid, a natural byproduct of digestion of certain foods, instead of being completely eliminated, builds up as sharp crystals in joints (commonly the big toe) and becomes intensely. This is usually treated with lifestyle changes, which could be considered a detoxification diet. [16] Although disagreement exists between conventional medicine and alternative medicine as to whether there is any need to assist this natural detoxification by means of diet, sweating, fasting, etc. [15]; several authors and MDs have recognized the importance of assisting the body’s natural detoxification. [17,18,19,20

3. The Master Cleanse Offers Calorie Restriction

Calorie restriction, when not associated with malnutrition, has been shown to improve age-related health and to slow the aging process in a wide range of animals. [21] It is one of the few dietary interventions that has been documented to increase both the median and maximum life span in a variety of species. [21]  The Master Cleanse can be considered intermittent fasting, which has been shown to be of equal benefit to continuous calorie restriction. While currently ongoing studies to investigate calorie restriction’s effects on human health are yet not completed, the results so far are positive. [21]

4. The Master Cleanse Re-hydrates the body

Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, MD, author or Your Body’s Many Cries for Water [22] asserts that chronic dehydration is the root cause of all physical diseases and explains the damaging effects of dehydration. He discusses the role of water in the body and his belief that water can transform the health needs of society. Although his writings related to the treatment of diseases and conditions with water have been considered controversial, they have been translated into fifteen languages and sold around the world. [23] The Master Cleanse does a very effective job of re-hydrating the body; it is all liquid and no solid food for 10 days.

5. The Master Cleanse Avoids Food Allergies

Dr. Keith Scott-Mumsby, in his book Diet Wise, explains that many ills including disease and behavioral problems are the result of food allergies. He recommends doing a ten-day diet excluding beef, wheat, sugar, dairy, corn, prepared foods and the artificial 4 (colors, preservatives, sweeteners and flavors) to restore health, which is what the Master Cleanse does. Then slowly adding back one restricted food item at a time to find which ones an individual reacts to. Those foods which react badly are excluded from the diet for the future. For severe cases that are allergic to many, many things, he recommends fasting. [24]
References
1. The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs
2. Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days by Peter Glickman
3. Healing for the Age of EnlightenmentMaster Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs
4. http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Master_Cleanse_Diet
5. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/fashion/10cleanse.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2
6. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-03-24-cleanse-diet_N.htm
7. This website: TheMasterCleanse.com
8. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20149727,00.html
9. http://www.popsugar.com/Beyonce-Opens-Up-Ellen-26063
10. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/fashion/10cleanse.html
11. Wikipedia article on Fasting
12. http://sci.pam.szczecin.pl/~fasting/bur_ab.doc
13. Fasting, The Ultimate Diet by Alan Cott, MD, Hastings House, 1997, ISBN 0803893825, pp. 4, 34-36
14. “Medically supervised water-only fasting in the treatment of hypertension [high blood pressure]”, Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapy, 2001 Jun; Vol. 24, Is. 5, pp. 335-339
15. Wikipedia article on detoxification
16. Wikipedia article on gout
17. The New Detox Diet: The Complete Guide for Lifelong Vitality With Recipes, Menus, and Detox PlansMaster Cleanse by Elson Haas, MD
18. https://themastercleanse.com/lemonade_diet.htm
19. Detox BoxMaster Cleanse by Mark Hyman, MD
20. Detoxification and Healing: The Key to Optimal HealthMaster Cleanseby Sidney Baker, MD
21. Wikipedia article on Calorie Restriction
22. Your Body’s Many Cries for WaterMaster Cleanseby Batmanghelidj Fereydoon, MD
23. Wikipedia article on Fereydoon Batmanghelidj
24. Diet Wise by Keith Scott-Mumsby, MD