Certo Detox Method: Quick Guide
- Certo IS NOT an effective product for drug test detox
- Certo contains fruit pectin, which may work to partially absorb lipophilic compounds
- In our review, the product didn’t absorb THC metabolites fast enough to pass an at-home marijuana drug test
Thinking About Using Certo to Pass a Drug Test? Think Again.
You’re probably reading this article because you heard Certo can help you pass a marijuana drug test. Well, we hate to burst your bubble but unless you’ve got about two weeks to detox, it’s not going to do much.
Certo is essentially fruit pectin. It has zero metabolic action for ridding the body of THC, which is what detox products need to do in order to help people pass a marijuana drug test.
The product (which is also known as Sure-Jell) has a marginal ability to absorb lipophilic (fat-loving) compounds, but it’s not nearly enough to detox the body of THC. We tried Certo with several at-home drug testing kits, and it failed all of them.
A Better Detox Solution…
If you’ve got a drug test coming up soon and you need a product that actually does eliminate THC from the body, we recommend an advanced dietary fiber detox treatment. Depending on how much pot you smoke, we’ve had these work in less than 24-hours. Even for heavy smokers, they’re efficient enough to help you pass some of the most difficult hair and urine drug tests on the market.
If you want to learn more about the Certo drug test hack, and how some people use it to help detox their body of cannabis metabolites, continue reading our Certo drug test review.
What Is Certo?
‘Certo’ is a trademarked Kraft brand name for liquid fruit pectin. The company has another fruit pectin product called ‘Sure Jell,’ which is essentially the same thing as Certo, but with different packaging. Certo has been available in the United States for over 100 years. Most people use it to make jello, but it has only recently become associated with marijuana detox.
How does it work?
Fruit pectin is a naturally occurring polysaccharide found in fruits – particularly sweet fruits such as peaches, pears, apples, and berries. Polysaccharides are a digestible form of fiber that consist of long-chain monosaccharides. When heated along with sugar, fruit pectin produces a thick, gel-like substance with the consistency of Jell-O. Since fruit pectin is a highly soluble fiber, it is a good organic way to detox the body. It absorbs unwanted molecules (i.e. THC metabolites) and expels them from the body via feces.
The Certo Drug Test Hack (And Why It Doesn’t Actually Work)
The problem is, the Certo drug detox hack doesn’t ‘flush out’ THC on a large enough scale to help people pass a drug test. It will help lower traceable THC content in the body, but if you’re relying on using it to help you pass a drug test, there are far better products to use. This is especially true when you consider pre-employment drug testing stats in the U.S., which show that 56% of American employers make pre-employment drug tests mandatory. The annual cost of these tests is $3.7 billion, but if this seems like a lot, consider that employers lose an estimated $85 billion annually because of employee drug use.
Urine tests are by far the most popular and marijuana is the most commonly found drug. Therefore, if you’re close to the job of your dreams and you’re a weed user, your only hope of passing it is to use an effective detox method.
Unfortunately, The Certo Drug Test detox isn’t one of these methods. It has been championed as one of the best ways to get clean in a hurry; but as the following review shows, it’s largely just hype.
How Certo (Fruit Pectin) Works to Detox Your System
The simplest explanation of how Certo detoxes your system is that the fruit pectin ‘traps’ THC toxins and breaks them down into smaller metabolites, which are easy for the body to remove. The process typically takes 60 minutes, and can last 3-5 hours in total. Eventually, the toxins are released and leave the body via urine and feces.
Since Certo is high in fiber and carbohydrates, it produces an insulin boost in healthy adults. This causes the body to store calories for energy, rather than using them. The body also burns and metabolizes fat for energy; when fat-soluble toxins are released from fat cells, they end up back in the bloodstream, the saliva, the urine, and other fluids. The fast-acting carbs in Certo cause an insulin spike, which prevents fat burning for a short period and shuffles the herbal detoxing minerals and nutrients in the concoction.
Additionally, Certo absorbs toxins that are naturally released from the body via stool, urine, and other bodily fluids. Toxins find it easier to leave the body via fluids, but Certo’s fiber absorbs the fluids in the intestines and stomach, and this action results in toxin release via solids. Unlike other ‘quick fix’ detoxes which you take immediately before a drug test, the Certo detox method must be started 24 hours before your marijuana drug screening.
On a side note, it’s worth pointing out that Certo flushes out healthy, important compounds in the body just as much as it flushes out unwanted toxins. If you plan on using Certo as a detox method, here are three key things to keep in mind to ensure that you do it in the healthiest way possible:
COMPONENT | HOW IT WORKS |
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Water | There is no better natural detox method than water. When you’re well-hydrated, the body knows there is no need to retain fluids, and it begins the process of removing toxins. However, you have to be careful not to drink too much water; overhydration can actually deplete mineral stores in bodily fluids, so when you consume too much water, you’re flushing out both toxins and important nutrients. If a drug test shows a lack of minerals in your urine, questions may be asked. |
Vitamins | Healthy urine contains B vitamins and, since the detox process can wash out some nutrients, it’s a good idea to replenish them to avoid suspicion. |
Creatine | Popularized by bodybuilders, creatine is a mineral that’s typically obtained by eating fish and red meat. It is present in the urine and again, detoxing can deplete it – so you need to consume some to make your urine look genuine. |
Certo for Cannabis Urine Tests
One of the main misconceptions about Certo is that it traps toxins by ‘coating’ the stomach. In reality, it works like any fiber does; it enables the body to absorb and expel toxins via fecal matter. As fruit pectin forms into a gel, it absorbs more liquids than normal fiber. And since toxins that normally leave the system via urine end up in the stool, Certo is theoretically an effective way to pass a urine drug test.
Unfortunately, the reliability of the Certo drug detox method isn’t efficient enough to absorb all of the THC in the body within a short period of time. If you’re a very infrequent cannabis user it might help, but if you’re a consistent user, it will not work as a reliable method of detoxing the body.
If you’re still interested in using it, however, continue reading below for step-by-step instructions on how to use Certo as a marijuana detox.
Certo Drug Test Instructions
The Certo Drug Test detox is pretty easy to follow. You’ll see a variety of instructions online – ignore them! The following method and ingredients have been shown countless times over as the most likely to work.
You Will Need:
- Two packets of Certo (Sure Jell or any other type of liquid fruit pectin will also work).
- Two 32oz sports drinks (Gatorade is popular).
- Creatine monohydrate.
- Multivitamin capsules.
- Vitamin B2 (not strictly necessary).
Once you have the above, the steps are pretty simple to follow:
- Drink as much water as you can in the two days leading up to the drug test. Water will help flush out your toxins, and those that remain will be sent to your intestines – which is exactly where you want them in order to get the most out of your Certo detox.
- Mix one pack of Certo with one of the sports drinks. Give the mixture a shake, and drink it before going to bed on the night before the drug test.
- On test day, drink as much water as you can about three hours before the test.
- About 1-2 hours before the test, mix the second packet of Certo with the other sports drink.
- Consume it along with a multivitamin and B2 capsule.
In theory, the Certo method should allow you to pass a urinalysis for at least three hours. If you’re in a hurry, consume a packet of Certo, the 32oz bottle of Gatorade, and a similar amount of water an hour before the test. It won’t work as well as the 24-hour window, but as a last ditch effort, it could help you scrape by.
Certo Drug Test Hack: We Tried It… Here’s What Happened
On a practical level, we’ve tried this exact process with several popular at-home drug testing kits. It didn’t work for any of them. Granted there is no way of telling how much THC the Certo hack actually did remove from our bodies, but the bottom line is THC metabolites still showed up on the drug test.
This was actually true for both marijuana and CBD use. One of the people that used the Certo drug test hack uses nothing but full spectrum CBD sleep gummies, and she failed the drug test as well. (Full spectrum CBD contains trace amounts of THC).
So… Does Certo Detox Drug Metabolites?
To answer the question of whether Certo helps detox THC metabolites, the answer is yes. But not enough to help you pass a drug test.
Still, it is a popular detox method for marijuana users that are trying to pass a urinalysis. As you know, THC is the psychoactive compound in cannabis that’s famed for getting you high. It is one of over 100 identified compounds in weed. The body breaks THC down into THC-COOH, which is actually the metabolite that most THC drug tests look for.
Metabolites, including THC-COOH, flow through the body and bloodstream. While a small amount of metabolites are expelled, most get absorbed by lipids and ultimately get stored in fat deposits throughout the body. The metabolites remain deposited in fat stores until the fat is re-released into the bloodstream to be used as energy. Once the fat has been ‘consumed’ by the body via a normal metabolic process, the metabolites are released and expelled via urine, sweat, saliva, and feces. The body naturally detoxes over time, but the process can take weeks – which is bad news for weed users facing a drug test.
This is where Certo comes in handy. Fruit pectin speeds up the detox process, and though Certo’s detoxing capabilities are not scientifically proven, it has proven helpful for a lot of marijuana users prior to taking a drug test. That is, as long as they have two weeks or more before the test.
Things to Watch Out for When Purchasing Certo
Remember, don’t waste your money on fancy branding; fruit pectin is all you need, and it is widely available in most chain grocery stores. The entire method is inexpensive, so don’t be fooled into spending cash you don’t need to. And most importantly, remember that there is no guarantee the Certo drug test detox will work!
Additionally, you will definitely decrease your chances of passing if you make one of these mistakes:
MISTAKE | WHY THIS IS A PROBLEM |
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Leaving it too late | Certo takes at least an hour to work, and it is best to use two doses; one the night before, and one around two hours before the test. |
Overhydration | As well as flushing out nutrients, drinking too much water will make you feel ill – and you could throw up the Certo mixture. |
Skipping the sports drink | The abundance of electrolytes in sports drinks are a crucial part of the Certo detox process. |
Not using creatine | There is creatine in urine, but if you flush it out without replacing it, your test will likely be flagged. |
Final Thoughts on Certo Drug Test Detox
In summary, the Certo Detox Method is certainly not a guaranteed method of passing a drug test. There are a number of factors that dictate the effectiveness of the Certo method, including individual factors such as age, weight, gender, body type, metabolism, and marijuana usage.
Furthermore, there is no scientific evidence to back up the claims that Certo works as an effective marijuana detox. (Cynics argue it is simply the large volume of water involved that helps people get through their test).
While it is possible that the fiber in pectin helps temporarily keep toxins from leaving your system via urine, there is also a chance that simply drinking large quantities of liquid dilutes your urine to the point where you can pass a drug test.
In any case, our review resulted in proof that the Certo Drug Test detox is mostly ineffective at helping to pass a drug test.
Final Rating: 2.5/10
Certo Marijuana Detox is Mostly a Bust… So What Should You Use Instead?
For the thousands of cannabis users that think Certo actually works to help pass a drug test, well… they’re in for a rude awakening come test day. The good news is, there are companies that make advanced dietary fiber detox treatments that actually do work to quickly detox the body of THC. If you have an upcoming drug test and need to detox your system fast, this 24-hour urine detox treatment was by far the best when we tested out a few products earlier this year: