Even if it's 'the placebo effect,' it still worked.
The placebo effect and the power of the mind over the body is well-documented and not at issue here at all. If something is a placebo, however, it shouldn't be held in the same estimation as an actual treatment....the two are entirely different. One relies on the mind's ability to deal with pain (or fools the mind into overlooking something) and the other addresses either the symptom or the root cause of a given condition through a documented, repeatable and scientifically valid treatment such as a specific medication.
Although it would eliminate it's value as a placebo, it's essential to avoid blurring the lines between the two approaches and holding a silly fad such as this in the same regard as a scientifically-proven treatment, as this has the effect of demeaning the value of all science as being equally ill-defined.
When they start talking about "removing toxins" and other such poorly-defined rationales, it's essential to begin asking simple questioins such as "what toxins are you talking about" and "define for me the physiological mechanism by which this occurs".
Evasive or incoherent answers to such simple questions identifies the "treatment" as being in the realm of either superstition or placebo.