Dr. Dee Anna Glaser, a professor of dermatology at St. Louis University and founding member of the International Hyperhidrosis Society, a medical group dedicated to the study and treatment of heavy sweating, tells the Los Angeles Times that although sweat does contain trace amounts of toxins, trying to induce sweating to cleanse the body isn’t effective.

"Sweating for the sake of sweating has no benefits," she told the newspaper. "Sweating heavily is not going to release a lot of toxins."
Instead, many experts say that heavy sweating can actually have the opposite effect, since it can cause dehydration and cause the kidneys to stop working properly.

Other detoxification methods, like chelation therapy and detoxification supplements, may be more effective in ridding the body of chemicals and improving health, according to some healthcare experts.

Nutritional supplements containing milk thistle, soy lechitin, artichoke leaf, turmeric root, burdock root and alpha lipoic acid (ALA) among other ingredients are believed to aid in cleansing the liver and kidneys.

The author of the book Detoxification and naturopathic doctor Linda Page tells WebMD that detoxing can benefit nearly anyone. "It’s a way you can jump-start your body for a more active life, a healthier life," she said.

According to Gaiam Life, a website dedicated to natural, healthy and green living, cleansing or detoxification means cleaning the blood by removing impurities in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination.

The website suggests starting out by eliminating toxins like alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats from the diet. It’s also important to minimize the use of chemical-based household and personal care products.

Cleansing kits are available in natural health stores or through online retailers. They usually range from three to seven day programs and generally contain fiber, vitamins, herbs and minerals.

Other options for helping the body detoxify itself include drinking only water for one day each week, drinking green tea and taking herbal supplements like dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle and reducing stress through yoga or other breathing techniques.