Fasting

I've been speaking with (W) about fasting. He has been doing it off and on and is very exiting about explaining the benefits. He sent me this link http://www.freedomyou.com/fasting_book/juice%20fasting.htm about juice fasting. It's an interesting site explaining some of the religious and physical benefits of fasting. The part I find strange about this site and all alternative medicine/health information is that it they have their own vocabulary like removing "toxins" from the body? What exactly is a toxin any way? Do MD's ever use that word? Or are their medical articles on the benefits of fasting or is it all hearsay and the placebo effect? Even if it is just the placebo effect, does it matter?

Also, not this site specifically but other health books hate normal medicine, saying its just in the business of issuing prescription drugs and not regularly prescribing a special diet or exercise which is what often causes or allows illnesses to happen. From experience this characterization appears true, but health/home remedies often appears to be at the other end of the spectrum not requiring studies, or any statistically significant evidence to its claims. Not that it isn't helping people, and it may have even found several natural remedies which traditional science has not yet studied, I just take much of it with a grain of salt.

I'm interesting in fasting from a spiritual perspective, but as yet unconvinced of the health benefits. I'm going to do some more research on the topic.