they highlight the case of a woman they treated last year who became critically ill after taking herbal remedies and drinking too much water .
researching the herbal remedies used by the patient , her doctors have issued a warning about the potential harms of undertaking a radical new year detox .
the 47 - year - old needed intensive care at milton keynes hospital .
she recovered with treatment , but her story is a reminder of the dangers of drastic detoxing , the medics say .
 
while it may be tempting to cleanse yourself of the excesses of christmas , the concept is not necessarily healthy and is not backed by medical science , they report in the british medical journal case reports .
however , they warn that " despite marketing suggesting otherwise , all - natural products are not without side - effects " .
medical tests revealed she had dangerously low levels of salt ( sodium ) in her body .
the woman they treated had taken a cocktail of herbs and alternative remedies including : milk thistle molkosan i - theanine glutamine vitamin b compound vervain valerian root her partner said she had also been drinking lots of water , green tea and sage tea over the few days before she became ill .