What Exactly is Colon Cleansing?
Colon cleansing (colon therapy) encompasses a number of alternative medical therapies intended to remove fecal waste and unidentified toxins from the colon and intestinal tract. Colon cleansing may take the form of colon hydrotherapy (also called colonics or colonic irrigation) or oral cleansing regimens.
Colon hydrotherapy uses enemas to inject water, sometimes mixed with herbs or with other liquids, into the colon using special equipment. Oral cleaning uses dietary fiber, herbs, dietary supplements, or laxatives.
Practitioners believe that accumulations of putrefied feces line the walls of the large intestine and that these accumulations harbour parasites or pathogenic gut flora, causing nonspecific symptoms and general ill-health. This "auto-intoxication" hypothesis is based on medical beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks, and was discredited in the early 20th century.
No scientific evidence supports the alleged benefits of colon cleansing. The bowel itself is not dirty and barring drugs or disease, cleans itself naturally without need for assistance. Some types of colon cleansing present potential hazards; the equipment used during colon cleansing has caused damage to the rectum in a small number of individuals, and caused amoebiasis when improperly sterilized.
Certain enema preparations have been associated with heart attacks and electrolyte imbalances. Frequent colon cleansing may interfere with the proper functioning of the colon and can lead to dependence on laxatives or enemas to defecate. Some herbs used may also interact with or reduce the effectiveness of prescription drugs.
Some people use colon cleansing as detoxification. Detox for short is the removal of toxic substances from the body. In conventional medicine, detoxification can also be achieved artificially by techniques such as dialysis and (in a very limited number of cases) chelating therapy.
There is a firm scientific base in evidence-based medicine for this type of detoxification. Detoxification can also refer to the period of withdrawal during which a person's body returns to homeostasis after long-term use of an addictive substance.
Colon cleansing is not necessary as the body naturally removes waste material. Colon cleansing may disrupt the balance between bacteria and natural chemicals in the bowel, and may interfere with the colon's ability to shed dead cells. Some colon cleansing regimes disrupt fluid and electrolyte balance which may lead to dehydration and salt depletion, whilst repeated or excessive cleansing programs can lead to anemia and malnutrition.
Excessive uses of enemas have also been associated with cardiac problems such as heart failure and heart attacks related to electrolyte imbalances when used with coffee.
The frequent use of enemas or other colon cleansing tools may lead to dependence and an inability to defecate without assistance or withdrawal symptoms. Herbs that are consumed for colon cleansing and taken as oral preparations may also interfere with drug absorption and effectiveness
