Colon Cleansing

Many consider a good colon cleansing essential to health and overall well-being. Others believe that a colon cleansing is only part of detoxifying our bodies from parasites and the buildup of toxins that we both inhale and eat from the processed foods. Some physicians believe that colon cleansing is only appropriate in preparation for a medical examination. Their theory is that the colon doesn\’t require any special diets, enemas or pills to eliminate waste material because it does this naturally on its own.

The flaw in this theory is that in a perfect world your colon would be more than adequate to eliminate waste material from our bodies. But, we all know that we don\’t live in a perfect world. Just since World War II the number of toxic chemicals which have been manufactured and released into cleaning products, make up and other personal care products which are not covered by the FDA, numbers above 5000. Researchers find that tissues in our bodies absorb and store these chemicals at alarming rates. (1)

Proponents of body detoxification and colon cleansing believe that this extra help is necessary to rid our bodies of chemicals and toxins which it was not originally designed to take care of.

Physicians and healthcare practitioners who advocate colon cleansing have multiple case studies which proves that individuals can help to decrease bloating, fatigue, skin problems and constipation as well as decrease weight gain and improve energy by eliminating the toxins and parasites in our intestinal tract which negatively impact our health on a daily basis.

In reality colon cleansing, done correctly, will not be harmful in any way. The risk factors increase when individuals use this method on a consistent basis for weight loss, which significantly impacts the amounts of nutrients, vitamins and minerals the body is able to absorb. Colon cleansing also becomes dangerous when individuals do it to such an extreme that their body becomes dehydrated and it becomes a medical emergency. (2)

The practice of colon cleansing dates back to ancient Greece and became popular in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. In the years that followed research was unable to support the theory behind the practice and it fell out of favor. To a certain degree, the jury remains out on this particular medical recommendation. That is because researchers have devoted very little study to the practice.

For the most part, research is funded by pharmaceutical companies who are searching for a pharmaceutical answer to a particular problem. This helps to increase their financial bottom line, while colon cleansing will not.

There are two main methods of cleansing of colon. The first is do it yourself at home and the second involves seeing a medical care practitioner to have a colon irrigation. This practice is not to be confused with an intestinal cleansing. A complete intestinal cleansing is done using fasting with juice in order to clear out the intestines while a colon cleansing is done to clear out the large intestines.

Products that you use at home include enemas, laxatives, strong herbal teas, enzymes, powders or anti-parasite capsules. The goal is to stimulate the colon to expel all of its contents. Most of these products can be found online or at the health food store.

Medical practitioners also are able to perform enema in the office to clean out the colon. Once the whole process is completed medical practitioners often recommend using probiotic supplements to re-colonize the colon with beneficial bacteria.

Cleansing the colon the individual gets rid of undigested meats and other foods which cause a mucous buildup and produces toxins which then can enter the blood circulation and poison the body. Some people claim these toxins will cause fatigue, chronic headaches, weight gain and low energy.

If you want to try a colon cleanse be sure to get the advice of your physician first. With some medical conditions this process can cause a reaction or problem with medications already being taken or a disturbance in the balance of an individual\’s body that will throw off a current medical problem.

(1) World Health Organization: Dioxins and their Affect on Human Health

(2) Journal of Family Practice: The Dangers of Colon Cleansing