It's been hyped on television and on the Internet, and touted by celebrities as a simple, effective way to lose weight and sort of "reboot" your digestive system. What is the Master Cleanse (also known as "the Lemonade Diet"), exactly? And what is it all about?

The beginning 

Stanley Burroughs created the Master Cleanse originally in the 1940s, and distributed it beginning in the 1950s. Although not a nutritionist, health care practitioner or related professional himself, he was very interested in alternative therapies as a means to good health. In 1976, he wrote "The Master Cleanser," which provides exact instructions for the diet.

Burroughs believed that the body contains toxins and fat stores that the cleanse could easily rid it of. He originally designed the diet to help people with ulcers and other digestive orders, but he also states that it can help you lose weight.

The premise behind a diet is that because the body is not busy digesting food, it can instead turn its attention to ridding itself of impurities, and healing itself from disorders. This sort of "resets" the digestive system, rendering it healthy and well-functioning once again. He thought of it as a way to reduce alcohol cravings and generally maintain good health. Although Burroughs passed away in 1991 at the age of 87, the book remains a popular bestseller.

What is the Master Cleanse, exactly?

The cleanse purports to cleanse your body from the "inside out," detoxifying it thoroughly through the course of what is usually a 10 day semi-fast; during this semi-fast, you take in no food, but instead drink a special beverage comprised of water, freshly squeezed lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper that you make up yourself.

Master Cleanse Recipe

The cleanse's beverage contains 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of Grade B maple syrup, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 2 cups of purified water, this beverage is all you take in for 10 days as any form of nourishment. In addition to 10 to 12 cups a day of this "lemonade," you also take in as much water as you need to quench thirst, but no other solid food or beverage whatsoever.

Preparing for the diet

Because the diet itself is so stringent, proponents say that you should prepare for the diet for several days before you go into it. For three or four days before you undertake this "cleanse," gradually eliminate all processed foods from your diet and to make large quantities of juice and water.

Avoid high-calorie and high-fat foods during this preparation phase, instead focusing on light, vegetarian-based eating that is minimal and calorie restrictive at best. The idea is to eat very lightly and to prepare your body for a complete fast, so that the shock of the fast is not so great once you begin.

Master Cleanse Instructions

During the time of the Master Cleanse itself, you drink the lemonade beverage 10 to 12 times a day, whenever you feel hunger. You also drink purified water whenever you feel thirsty. Besides that, Burroughs recommends drinking what he calls a "saltwater flush" in the morning, a quart of water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt; the saltwater flush encourages elimination of the bowels.

What it does

By removing the need for your body to actually digest food, proponents say that it gives the body a rest and forces it to both gently detoxify and burn excess fat stores, in essence doing a sort of "whole body spring cleaning" from the inside out. Proponents of this kind of semi-fasting say that the body itself is rife with toxins and impurities because of the impure food we eat, water and other beverages we drink and air we breathe. By completely removing all food for several days, the body goes through a natural elimination process that gets rid of these toxins (as well as excess fat) and gives it a fresh, clean start.

The maple syrup provides minimal calories comprised of quick burning sugar for energy and to suppress hunger. It also provides some essential vitamins and minerals. The cayenne pepper gently draws toxins out of the body and boosts metabolism, and lemon juice neutralizes those toxins and reduces their acidity.

Taken together, the synergy of ingredients along with amounts of water as noted in the recipe provide a gentle fast that proponents say is easy to do; it's also somewhat easier on the body than a complete fast (where no caloric intake is allowed), because minimal fuel is provided and dieters can ease hunger pains by drinking the mixture.

Coming out of the Master Cleanse

Just as you ease into the cleanse, so, too, should you ease out of it. You don't want to shock your body by eating a lot of solid or heavy food right away. Instead, gradually work your way back into a healthy diet by focusing on fresh or gently cooked fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, smoothies, and other easily digested foods for the first few days, to acclimate your digestive system to food to once again.

Proponents also say that once the fast is done, you should "clean up" your diet as much as possible after the fact to remove as many highly processed foods as possible; instead, focus on fresh, healthy whole foods, to reduce the number of toxins that build up in your body once again after the fast.

Exercise

Because the cleanse is so calorie restrictive, it's recommended that you do little to no physical activity during the time of the cleanse; this lasts 10 days for most people.

Calories

The Master Cleanse isn't a complete fast because it provides approximately 650 calories a day. However, calorie intake is restrictive and there is no actual food digested during the fast.

Special considerations ?

Diabetics

Although those with conditions like diabetes, hypoglycemia or other conditions that may make the Master Cleanse dangerous should only do the diet under the supervision of a naturopath or other healthcare practitioner fully versed in the cleanse and its benefits, proponents say that those with type two diabetes can most certainly follow the Master Cleanse, with slight adjustments. Under the supervision of your doctor, you can follow the cleanse; you may make adjustments by substituting an equal amount of agave syrup for the maple syrup as directed by your physician during the course of the fast.

Your doctor may also advise that you begin with a tablespoon of agave syrup on the first day (instead of 2 tablespoons), gradually increasing the agave to 2 tablespoons and then slowly substituting maple syrup until you have reached 2 tablespoons per serving; make sure you check blood sugar continuously to keep it within normal limits.

Check blood sugar often and reduce insulin by about 10 units on the first day, using a tablespoon of agave syrup for each serving of lemonade drink. After that, gradually reduce insulin as necessary and substitute maple syrup for agave syrup as described above, keeping blood sugar limits within normal levels at all times.

Type one or brittle diabetics should only do the Master Cleanse under strict supervision of a physician, and at his or her direction.

Pregnant or nursing women

Pregnant and nursing women should not undertake the cleanse, specifically because it puts a stress on the body that may be harmful to the developing fetus. The Master Cleanse is also contraindicated because it does not contain enough calories to feed both mother and baby adequately; in addition, the cleanse releases toxins from the body that may be harmful to the fetus.

These toxins can also be transmitted to nursing babies through breast milk. The Cayenne pepper may also cause digestive difficulties for the baby, and there may not be enough calories ingested to the mother to be able to produce enough milk to feed the baby during this time.

Those with cardiac conditions other preexisting health conditions

Because fasting like that encouraged with the Master Cleanse is somewhat stressful to the body, those with cardiac conditions and preexisting health conditions should consult a qualified health care practitioner and only do the fast with professional approval and under direct supervision. Some advocate the fast for those with heart conditions, for example, but advise including heart-supporting (potassium rich) foods like avocados or bananas as part of the diet for extra nutrition.

Other considerations

For most healthy people with no other preexisting condition, the diet is generally harmless and may indeed be beneficial if only done for 10 days, with or without medical supervision. However, experts advise that under no circumstances should anyone exceed 10 days without strict medical supervision. Burroughs himself advised that the diet could be undertaken for up to 40 days with medical supervision, for particularly severe cases needing detoxification.