In today’s world where everyone is in a hurry and fast convenient food is consumed by the ton it’s more important than ever to know what you’re putting into your body. The foods that we refer to as convenient may be anything but for our bodies. Most of these foods contain additives and chemicals that are damaging to the digestive system and bad for the overall body. With the lack of fiber missing in most people’s diets today, these foods may stay in the digestive system longer than is healthy.

Although colon cleaning is considered unnecessary or quackery by most of the medical community, many people claim to have derived health benefits from doing it. If you decide that you would like to try colon cleaning here are some of the benefits that many people claim to have experienced: (1) increase in stamina and energy; (2) improvement in digestion; (3) regulation of bowel movements; (4) significant improvement in skin condition and reduction of acne; (5) relief from gas pains and bloating; (6) faster weight loss; (7) less illness.

Imagine all the toxins and stuff that we put into our bodies every single day.  Even our external environment today is not absolutely safe from damaging chemicals and toxins- from the air that people breathe, to the food that we eat, to the water that we drink- who can be safe from possible harmful toxins? For many people, colon cleaning makes sense; they see it as a way to help rid the colon from harmful toxic build up which then helps the overall body perform better. Does it work? Is it safe? Is it gross? Please feel free to read over the information about the pros and cons about colon cleaning, do your own research and, as with all things medical, consult with a doctor if you have any additional questions.

Well, you’ll hear a lot of noise on both sides of this argument. Doctor’s and most of the medical community say that colon cleaning is bad and perhaps even harmful if done incorrectly. How could it be harmful you say? Well, the human body is strong but delicate at the same time and flushing large amounts of liquids into the colon to clean it out can cause an electrolyte imbalance. Some important nutrients that might be lost include calcium, potassium and sodium.  In addition, too much flushing of the system may cause dehydration and low blood pressure. 

Even though the majority of the medical community takes this stance, colon cleaning still remains very popular. The homeopathic practitioners and adherents say that the colon can harbor unprocessed fecal material that can cause health problems. They say an unclean colon can contribute to weight gain, loss of energy, bad skin, and a host of other problems.

 Let’s face, the colon isn’t a pretty sexy organ, its job is to process and move feces through the body. And it works hard at processing our waste, with waste usually processed and leaving the body in three days. Of course, this is an average, if you have health problems this time will vary. This is not a glamorous sexy organ. But it does this job very efficiently and it has since the dawn of man. Does it need help? Again, it depends on what side of the fence you are standing. 

The colon does have some serious diseases associated with it and perhaps this is what motivates people to colon cleanse. After all, colon cancer is no laughing matter. And of course there are the less deadly but still unpleasant conditions such as Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). However, there is currently no scientific proof to support the claim that a dirty colon can be held either fully or partially to blame for these diseases.  

One thing that can have a bad effect on the colon is a poor diet. We Americans (and other ever increasing parts of the world) rely too much on processed chemical laden bad food. All this low nutrient, low fiber content food is thought to contribute to diverticulitis. The incidence of diverticulitis has risen quite dramatically over the years as our diets have deteriorated. In 1920, 10% of people had diverticulitis; today 50% of people over 60 years old will develop a case of diverticulitis. And it goes even above 50% as we get older. But this condition of the colon is not caused by the colon or caused by an ineffectual colon but rather by bad food choices.

So are the gross pictures you see plastered all over the internet fake? No, they’re most likely real. This is probably stuff removed with colon cleaning. But what doctor’s say, is that this material would be naturally expelled from the body if the colon had been given it three days to process it. What colon cleansing believer say, is that at worst is minimally harmful and at best, possibly beneficial.

 I think this is a fair view of the pros and cons of colon cleaning and I leave it up to you to decide what is right for you.

Colon cancer is the most dangerous disease of the colon. It is the third most common cancer for men and the fourth most common cancer among women. Fortunately, it is also easily screened for with a colonoscopy, and once detected, if caught early enough it is usually treatable and has a good cure rate. The key is to catch it early. Everyone over the age of 50 should have a preventative screening for colon cancer, younger if you have other existing colon diseases. Certain other things may increase your risks of colon cancer such as a family history of colon cancer or already existing colon problems like polyps, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease.

Polyps 

A polyp is just a small growth. Your doctor will remove it and test it to make sure it is not cancerous. Although polyps are usually not dangerous, they still need to be checked. Just like with colon cancer, this exam needs to be done by everyone over the age of 50 with a colonoscopy. It may need to be done at a younger age if you have other existing colon conditions.

Ulcerative Colitis 

This is a disease that runs in families and starts at 15 – 30 years of age. It’s one of several diseases that are generally referred to as inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcers form in the colon and rectum area and can cause abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, lethargy, joint pain, weight loss, and anemia. Some medicines can help control ulcerative colitis and only 50% of people get the more severe symptoms. In the worst cases, doctors have to take out the colon.

Crohn’s Disease 

This is another of the inflammatory bowel diseases. There are many different symptoms for this disease, some which you might expect such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting and some which might not seem at all related like arthritis, eye infections, or skin rashes. Men and women suffer from Crohn’s disease equally, but smokers are more than three times more likely to get Crohn’s Disease.  At this time, there is no known cause or cure, and the only treatment is to control the symptoms.

Diverticulitis 

Diverticula are just small pockets that push outward from the colon and if you have these then you suffer from diverticulitis.  A low fiber diet is thought to cause diverticulitis and since 50% of Americans over the age of 60 suffer from it, it is very common. Thankfully, the symptoms are easily controlled with a diet high in fiber and a pain reliever. Patients with diverticulitis have mild cramps, bloating, and trouble with bowel movements. Sometimes the diverticula can become infected and additional medical care may be required.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome 

This usually affects more women than men and its causes are unknown. Symptoms include problems going to the bathroom such as diarrhea or constipation, bloating, and stomach pain. This is a fairly common complaint and usually treated with a change in diet and medicine to control symptoms.

Colon cleansing when done with water in a medical setting is called a high colonic, colonic irrigation, or colon hydrotherapy. This is considered an alternative medicine practice and not all doctors think it is necessary. More traditional doctors say that the colon is self cleaning and regulating and doesn’t need any help in removing toxins from the body. Colon cleansing practitioners say that it removes harmful bacteria, parasites, toxins, and viruses from the body. You can do your own research and draw your own conclusions.

A small tube is inserted into the anal cavity and purified and sometimes oxygenated water is flushed into the colon and all the disgusting material is flushed out. This is done with a simple gravity feed and is not nearly as horrible as it sounds. You can be in and out of the doctor’s office in and hour and a half.

The colon is a major part of the large intestine. Its main function is a sort of filter for the body; it absorbs water and removes waste product and toxins in the form of fecal material. Many people believe that our western diet with many over processed foods help contribute to poor colon health. They believe that the chemical and additives in the food can get trapped in the body and by removing them, the body as a whole will be able to function better.

Colon cancer is a deadly disease that that is the third leading cancer in men and the fourth most prevalent cancer in women. It is most common in places that have a western type diet high in processed foods and rare in places like Asia and Africa. There are other less serious colon disorders that while not deadly, do make life difficult and sometimes unpleasant; these include irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis and ulcerative colitis.

But since the colon is responsible for cleaning waste and fecal material out of the body it may be getting a bad rap. Feces are a disgusting but necessary element to a smoothly functioning body.  

Colon cleaning proponents feel that flushing the colon removes poisons and toxins from the body and reduces the chances of getting a colon disease. The people who support colon cleansing report that people can lose an average of 10 lbs. of old fecal material that is built up in the colon and just sitting there. Some people are reported to have lost up to 30 lbs in backed up fecal material.

Many people report having more energy, losing weight, and have just a general sense of well being after getting a colon cleansing. Is colon cleansing the right choice for you? I leave that for you to decide.