Researchers have found that while colon cleansing has been around since ancient times, the health benefits are basically a myth.
An April 22 article on the Live Science website indicated
that flushing the colon was one of the worst things a person could do for their
health. Research from the past decade supports that very notion. In a published
report in The Journal of Family Practice, doctors from Georgetown University
School of Medicine, urged people to stop cleansing their colon as a way to
improve their health. It is actually causing far more harm than good and could
result in serious internal injuries.
Colon cleaning was originally thought to contain waste that
poisoned the body. Prior to the 1900s, it was routinely practiced as a way to
allegedly remove these toxins and clean the body. It was a procedure – often repeated
several times – where the patient’s colon is filled with water, which sometimes
included a mix of herbs or other compounds. It is important to note that this
is not like an enema, which uses a small amount of water to assist with acute bowel
obstructions. Colon cleansing uses a significantly larger amount of water,
sometimes up to 60 liters.
In 1919, the American Medical Association condemned the
practice and eventually colon cleansing became a thing of the past. However, in
recent years with the emergence of alternative medicines in the United States,
colon cleansing has made a comeback – accompanied by a flurry of doctor and
emergency room visits by very sick people.
Currently marketed as supplements, some colon cleansing
systems are endorsed by various celebrities and promise increased energy,
weight loss, and a plethora of other health benefits. Home kits are very common
as are the newest profession of hydrotherapist, who perform colon irrigation
services today.
Although it has become popular once again, colon cleansing
is not a supported practice by many physicians and scientific studies have
proven its benefits are faulty. Cleansing the colon certainly does remove the
toxins from the body, but it also removes good bacteria that help the body
function properly. By removing such bacteria, people have succumbed to severe
illnesses, including renal failure. Reports in the scientific literature found
that colon cleansing could result in these other severe health concerns: electrolyte
imbalance, pelvic abscesses, rectal perforations, and colitis. Of course,
milder symptoms are also possible such as cramping, abdominal pain, vomiting and
soreness to severe concerns such as, and renal failure.
Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has condoned the
practice, issuing several warming letters in regards to meeting certain
requirements – especially labeling practices. Colon cleansing products are
considered dietary supplements and do not need approval for sale by the FDA,
but the labeling must be clear.
The Journal of Family Practices warns of this practice with
four key notations:
1. Colon cleansing is not necessary. This is particularly
true if the individual suffers from diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease or
ulcerative colitis. Many other issues such as hemorrhoids, kidney disease or
heart disease can also exacerbate the side effects of a colon cleanse.
2. Side effects can be deadly. As noted earlier, they
include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, kidney insufficiency,
pancreatitis, bowel perforation, heart failure, and renal failure.
3. Devices for colon cleansing are not approved by the DFA. This
means that they may be inadequately sterilized and contain harmful bacteria.
4. Colon cleansing practitioners do not need to be licensed
to practice. They may have gone through training, but not by a scientifically
based organization.
If you’re considering a colon cleanse…do you your homework;
talk with your doctor. It may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.
Works used to compile this article:
Live Science. (2014). The poop on pooping: 5 misconceptions
explained. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/45017-poop-health-misconceptions-truth.html.
Mishori, R., Otubu, A., and Jones, A. A. (2011). The dangers
of colon cleansing. The Journal of Family Practice, 60(8), 454-457.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2014). Colon cleansing
and warning letters. Retrieved from http://google2.fda.gov/search?as_sitesearch=www.fda.gov/downloads/iceci/enforcementactions&q=colon+cleansing&client=FDAgov&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=FDAgov&sort=date:D:L:d1&getfields=*&filter=1&requiredfields=-archive:Yes&site=FDAgov-Category-WarningLetters&ie=UTF-8&ulang=en&ip=199.73.44.10&access=p&entqr=3&entqrm=0&oe=UTF-8&ud=1
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