The concept that alternative therapies can eliminate toxins and toxicants from the body, i.e. 'alternative detox' (AD) is popular.Selected textbooks and articles on the subject of AD.The principles of AD make no sense from a scientific perspective and there is no clinical evidence to support them.The promotion of AD treatments provides income for some entrepreneurs but has the potential to cause harm to patients and consumers.In alternative medicine, simplistic but incorrect concepts such as AD abound. AREAS TIMELY FOR RESEARCH: All therapeutic claims should be scientifically tested before being advertised-and AD cannot be an exception.