Alternative health advocates believe the colon must be cleansed occasionally to clear out built-up waste and to keep it functioning properly. A large majority of medical doctors disagree, and in their view, the colon does not store waste material for months or years that has to be artificially removed. Some say can actually be dangerous.
Types
One main type of colon cleansing involves ingesting a powdered or liquid supplement which has an extreme laxative effect. The other is colonic irrigation or hydrotherapy, which requires the practitioner to insert a rubber tube into the client's rectum and flush with water. Colonic irrigation flushes a larger part of the gastrointestinal tract than an enema does.
Function
Holistic practitioners and naturopaths often call the colon a sewer, stating that a typical person has several pounds of fecal matter there, causing mucus to build up and harden on the inner walls. Toxic substances then are continually absorbed into the person's body. Scientists and medical doctors state that the colon rarely needs assistance in doing its work, but alternative medicine advocates say people eating diets high in processed foods cause the colon to become clogged. An analogy is lungs trying to work properly when someone smokes.
Effects
Medical doctors also say that the colon continually sheds old cells, absorbs nutrients, and maintains a balance of natural chemicals and bacteria. Long-term or frequent cleansing programs can interfere with these processes, causing electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition, and anemia. Another problem is that bacterial infections can occur if the colon irrigation equipment is not clean. Advocates, however, say this equipment is always sterilized.
Considerations
Another possible problem is that people who take a colonic are also supposed to drink excessive amounts of water, and thus may absorb too much water. This could lead to a chemical imbalance causing nausea and vomiting, or more dangerous effects including fluid in the lungs, heart failure, or the colon wall breaking. Naturopaths state that people only absorb about two glasses of water during the process, and only people with kidney failure should avoid colonics. In addition, people prepping for a colonoscopy must drink large amounts of water and clear liquid as well -- 80 ounces in four hours.
Warning
Even approved colon-cleansing drugs can cause problems. The United States Food and Drug Administration required stern safety warnings be added to oral phosphate drugs used before colonoscopies, because of numerous reports of kidney damage. FDA officials said some of these incidents resulted from people not following directions to drink large amounts of water with the tablets.
Expert Insight
But what about those dramatic pictures on websites promoting colon cleansing products, showing the results of cleanses, with long ropes of hardened material eliminated from the bowel? David Gorski, M.D., explains on the ScienceBasedMedicine website that many colon cleansing products contain bentonite clay, along with the bulk-forming laxative psyllium. When expelled, these ingredients result in the hardening ropy formations shown in the photos.
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